Featured Bonneville T120 1972 Rebuild

And so it begins

 

Boxes of dirty, forgotten, parts. Looks familiar, good luck!

 

Great ! The more resto threads the better . Will look forward to following your progress and wish you and your project well . Goes without saying theres some very knowledgeable guys on here and I have certainly received good advise along the way . Did you buy your bike in bits ? or have I missed the story somewhere .

 

Hi, this was my dads bike, he dismantled it to restore after having it many years but sadly passed away leaving it pieces. So I’ve decided to get it restored and get it on the road in his memory I have some mechanical experience as I trained as a car mechanic when I left School but this is a whole different ball game and all the guys seem pretty ok (and bonkers) on here and willing to help

 

A very nice bike to have been left and will certainly be a very special bike in more ways than one when back on the road .

 

Well, clearly, good taste runs in the family. We'll be watching with great interest and admiration! Good luck.

 

Plenty of pictures with your progress @Karenh and I look forward to following this

 

Ya, just a bunch of parts in boxes, just like yours.I got it at a flee market for 400.00 dollars. Unlike you I had no information about the history of the bike...it was a leap of faith. I was looking for a winter project and hadn't done anything like a rebuild before. It was the first time I heard of a sludge trap and that's where my journey started. It was a interesting, challenging and rewarding process always wondering if I forgot something, or misinterpreted some directions. A lot oh anxiety the first time you turn the key and give it a kick. I'm sure your dad is smiling...

 

I bet you were so proud when you got it started and running, I know there’s going to some frustrating times ahead but I’m sure with the help from all the knowledgeable guys on here I’ll get through and be as proud as you when it starts and runs

 

You'll do fine, and your right there is a lot of knowledge on this site and a willingness to share. darkman was particularly helpful to me, and others as well.

 

Great news that you are going to restore the T120

 

Good luck...your going to need it when you find there is a crucial part missing...which there usually is, luckily most bits can usually be found,
If you trained as a mechanic then you should have no problem...unless of course it was recently in which case you will just know how to use a diagnostic machine and replace bolt on parts.
Keep us all posted on your progress and you will always get plenty of help from all the nostalgic old gits here who remember what its like to ride these bikes.

 

Thanks for the comments, luckily I trained as a mechanic 25 years ago when it was still plugs, points, coil etc so should be fine. Wouldn’t know what to do with a diagnostic tool

 

Spent a hour or so cleaning the bottom half of engine and gearbox was going to strip it down to crank and oil tube but quickly realised metric tools don’t fit so I need to go and raid my dads shed for his tools !!!!! looking good clean though

 

Are you going to split the crankcase? while you have it partly disassembled i would check the mains and big end shells and also clean the sludge trap.

 

Yes that was my intention until the absence of tools stopped me while it’s that far dismantled I might as well

 

Looking good

 

if you have access to welding kit, just weld a small bolt to the sludge trap plug and the heat will break the inevitable Loctite bond and make removing it far easier. unless it has been out before and has been replaced with a hex plug type in which case you only need the heat.
have fun with the build I have just finished a T140D and about to start a 73 T140V

 

Thanks, little tips like that are a godsend, good luck with your 73