FROM THE FRONT

Even after more than a half-century of motorcycling, during which time I’ve somehow managed to ride just about every machine I’ve actually wanted to – and a few of the other kind – you might have expected that I would be pretty familiar with pretty much all of the more mundane and practical classics. Add your own definition of ‘classic’ here, please. Let’s not argue.

I was reminded only recently by an old school chum (and yes, we really were at school together!) that I had advised him against buying a Triumph Bonneville. It’s true: I had so advised him. My suggestion was that a TR6 would be the better bike, mainly because I’ve shared the delight of millions of Triumph riders by riding rather more excellent TR6 twins than T120 Bonnies. Strange but true. And the reason that my pal, Dave, was reminding me of my somewhat controversial comment was that I’d just shared with him a photo of the latest machine to arrive in The Shed: a Triumph Bonneville.

My experience with Meriden’s finest has been… shall we say, chequered. Like everyone else I was at school with, I hankered after a Bonnie of my own, although financial reality found me riding a very worn 1948 AJS 18 instead. No complaints. That was a very good bike indeed. We were all in awe of the school’s Latin master, who changed his T120R Bonneville every couple of years and rode it to school – often in a long coat and flat cap. He never discussed his bike, preferring to talk to us sixthformers about politics, which is only slightly less contentious than comparing Bonnies, Dommies and Goldies. Dave, my old school chum, still has the DBD34 Goldie from back then. Hmmm.

But yes, by some mysterious process I have acquired a Triumph Bonneville, a T120V from the dark days of 1972 – although by an equally mysterious process it was registered in the

UK in 1974 and carries a 1974 paint scheme. Mysterious, as I say.

Even more mysterious, and gloriously entertaining, is working out exactly what the bike is, as well as where it fits into the tangled morass which was the Triumph concern in the early 1970s. As you may know, everything Triumph appeared to be about the politics rather than the machines themselves, although the politics of course dictated what happened with the bikes. My old Latin master would have loved this, keen as he was on discussing the collapse of empires – in this case the BSA / Triumph empire. Smaller than the Roman empire, but a little more accessible.

Somehow I had formed a conclusion that the first few years of oil-in-frame twins – 1971-onward – are not very good. I rode a 1975 T140V which fell apart underneath me, and that has jaundiced my view of that generation of Triumph twins ever since. We rode together, Bonnie and I, through the baking summer of 1976 and the frozen winter which followed it. The results were discouraging.

I’ll talk about the new resident in The Shed as soon as I have more to say about it, but in the meantime, can I reveal that it’s very interesting, is a strange mixture of parts, is quite tatty and tired and rides very sweetly indeed. It reminds me of our 1972 Triumph T25SS, another machine which was graced by many, many subtle changes as production proceeded, and can be confusing, frustrating and rewarding to live with. Interesting.

Watch this space…

Ride safely

Frank Westworth Frank@realclassic.net