Hey riders! New here, excited to (hopefully) be a part of the Triumph team. I have experience riding Harleys and have always dreamed of owning a Triumph but have never pulled the trigger. I'm a huge fan of the scrambler look like the Tramontana model (http://www.bikeexif.com/scrambler) and I might have the option to get into the game but I wanted to check with the experts. I have a line on a possibly abandoned Triumph in my apartment complex parking garage, a neighbor who also rides says the bike hasn't moved in almost 2.5 years. I'm confirming with the apartment ownership and I'm looking into LEGAL (haha) avenues of having the bike declared abandoned by the police so I can eventually take possession. Long story short I'm looking at a cheap or free project bike. Picture is attached, I was wondering if someone would be able to help a newbie by identifying (or helping me figure out how to) the year and model, as well as peoples' honest opinions on whether or not this bike is worth putting the time and effort into modifying. Answering some of the glaring questions: 1. The bike has about 7k miles on it, old oil stains under the engine and no idea when it was last fired up. 2. I am fairly mechanically inclined and plan on doing a lot of the repair/modification myself. 3. This will not be a daily rider and I'm comfortable with not riding it for a few months while I get it operating. Thanks for your input! Any other clarification needed please let me know.
Dozer, Thanks for the welcome! Correct, that's a reflection of the windows in the parking garage. Paint looks okay for what I believe to be a 20+ year old bike, things get horribly dirty in our parking garage. I'm not against getting it painted and would definitely be replacing the seat. Seems to be rust free, and I use to drive an old ToyBoata so I've had more than my fair share of oil leaks haha. My main question (besides model and year) is if the frame dimensions for the different models have remained the same over the years. Point being if I end up replacing parts I'd like to bring it into the modern age. Not sure if I should move this to the Projects subforum *edit, grammar
Welcome to the forum DB That looks like a great project and is certainly worth pursuing ownership. One great thing about all the Bonnies is they are great bikes and easy to modify to your own liking. 7k miles is only just nicely run in. Once you've got it, clean out all the old fuel, drain the tank, new fuel filters, clean out the carbs etc. Check where the oil leak is coming from, change any gaskets that are suspect whilst changing the oil and filter. Strip and clean your brakes. Nice wash and polish and your out on the freeway. Have fun mate!
Hi mate and welcome Do what you can to get the bike mate it's obviously not wanted/needed How come I can't stumble upon something like this
I've only recently joined too but can tell you thats a Meriden rather than Hinckley built bike, probably a T140 made during the 70's....so a good bit more than 20 years old. You can discover the exact model and date by noting its frame and engine number and having a look here.... http://www.t140.com/numbering-system/
Hi and welcome. Looks like you have the makings of a great project. In the UK you can get details on ownership from DVLA, is there a similar goverment department that you can reference to establish ownership of the bike? Wessa
Hahaha I guess I need to start limiting which designating numbers I put on here! Kidding Thanks again for the link RobKent, turns out it's a five speed T140, built in 72 or 73 according to the engine serial (T140VEH.....) Wessa, We do have a system through our Department of Motor Vehicles where I can inquire as to the owner using VIN and registration info. Whether or not I can fight through the bureaucracy to get that far or if they'll actually come up with an answer is another question haha. *edit: five speed designation