Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster. I don’t currently own a Triumph....I’ve been planning in the next year or 2 to get a new bike, preferably a T100, or a street cup if one came up locally. However.....I wander around forums and cycle trader, etc. all the time so see if anything grabs my eye, and I came upon a 2001 Bonneville at a Triumph dealer close to me. It has 9k miles, which is mildly concerning since I can’t get info from the previous owner like did it sit untouched for 10 years or something. Anyway, the dealer cleaned the carbs, installed a new battery, tires, chain. The bike looks like it was well cared for (cosmetically), less some corrosion on the exhaust pipes. My question is this - if the bike starts/runs/rides proper, do you think this would make a good purchase? Like, is there any known major problems with this year/model that may not be apparent on a road test? I used to be a mechanic (cars), so I can do any needed work with the help of a shop manual. I’m just not looking to have to do major (expensive) repairs every weekend. Thanks for your time/opinions!
Think the OP could be in New Jersey, USA, so no UK Gov MOT etc. Suggest to google Problems with 2001 Bonneville could be useful (?) but I'm sure someone here will comment... (Personally I've no idea of any issues - sorry)
Yeah I’m in the US...can pay for a VIN check, but whether or not there’s be anything useful on that is unknown - I’d probably do it if I decided to move forward since it’s only like $10-15. Google didn’t give me any real useful info, so I figured I’d ask the people who ride these bikes every day
Hi Dan and welcome to the forum proper Reliable model, and with your background cylinder pressure test and spark plug view after test ride should tell you if any damage has come from sitting without use.
Hi Dan and welcome! The early Bonneville have proved to be reliable and have minimal electronics, limited to electronic ignition on the early (2001) models so they are well within the capabilities of home servicing and maintenance. As far as the mileage is concerned many of the early Bonnevilles this side of the pond have very low mileages, I have a 2006 T100 which I bought in late 2019 with only 8,800 miles on the clock. There was evidence that it had been serviced regularly, like every year! and the mileage was low but regular over it's life. When I bought it I went right through it valve clearances head bearings and full service on the basis that I wanted to make sure it was right and also I bought the bike in December and didn't intend to ride it until spring 2020 so had plenty of time to make sure it was right. I would think that it has all the hallmarks of being a good buy, provided the price is reasonable, and could well increase in value over time.
These early bikes are not known to have any particular problems. I had a 2004 T100 which had 24000 miles on it when I bought it and it never let me down.
There is one Achilles heel with these early aircooled models. It is known as Idler Gear Boss failure or breakage (search it up). Within the clutch cover there is a gear that lays against the starter cog. Hitting the starter, spins the gear and starts the bike. The idler gear is held in place by being seated in an aluminum "boss" casting which was formed when the engine case was cast. Therefore it is unique to the block. In any situation that causes starter "kickback" (i.e. low voltage battery start attempts), thrusts momentary but significant torque stress on the gear and the boss it sits in, causing the boss to splinter. When that happens, your starter will just spin freely with no resistance and the bike will never start. Furthermore, as the boss is a unique cast, it is not some kind of part that can be sourced or replaced, and a new engine is required. Triumph recognized this silently in 2007 by adding supportive side buttresses during the boss casting process. Although this casting change reduced breakage claims, it still can and has in fact happened to the later model years. In fact, this just sadly happened to a member's 2011 T100 on another forum less than a week ago. Read it here: https://www.triumphrat.net/threads/...start-can-hear-starter-motor-spinning.979053/ I highly recommend investing some small dollars in the Triumph Twin Power (TTP) Safe Start item to save risking big dollars later. It is a CNC milled reinforcement piece that is relatively easy to install. I share this only for awareness and not to scare you off your purchase. The actual cases of breakage are few in the larger population of units sold world-wide, but it does and can happen.
Thanks! It’s $3700 (US), I’ve only found a couple same-year private party sale asking a bit more than that...but those were in like showroom condition. I’m okay with replacing anything, just not looking to do a new (used, with its own problems) engine. I just have to convince my wife then check it out in person. Thanks for the feedback, I’ll post some pics if I end up joining the club.
Thanks for the info! If I move forward I’ll definitely look into that. It’s great to know all the quirks going in...but like you said it’s ardly an indicator for all bikes produced. I was a tech (cars) at a dealer for several years...I replaced about 20 engines in a particular model under recall for improper piston ring gaps....people would say, “these cars are sh*t”, but 20 examples out of however many millions manufactured is hardly an indicator of overall build quality.
Thanks for the info! If I move forward I’ll definitely look into that. It’s great to know all the quirks going in...but like you said it’s hardly an indicator for all bikes produced. I was a tech (cars) at a dealer for several years...I replaced about 20 engines in a particular model under recall for improper piston ring gaps....people would say, “these cars are sh*t”, but 20 examples out of however many millions manufactured is hardly an indicator of overall build quality.
