TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE. THE ESSENTIAL BUYERS GUIDE

1 – Is it the bike for you?
2 – Cost considerations
3 – Living with a Bonneville
4 – Relative values
5 – Before you view
6 – 10min evaluation
7 – Key points
8 – Serious evaluation
9 – Auctions
10 – Paperwork
11 – What’s it worth to you?
12 – Do you really want to restore?
13 – Paint faults
14 – Lack of use problems
15 – The community
16 – Vital statistics

Features

- No-nonsense, straight foward guide to buying a Bonnie
- Detailed, step by step guide showing points to look for
- Restore, or pay more to start with?
- Spares prices
- Relative value when viewing each model
- Auction guide
- Useful contacts – clubs, parts suppliers, restorers
- Problems that arise with lack of use
- The reality of living with a Bonneville
- Invest pennies, save potentially thousands!
Description

Practical, straightforward guide to buying a secondhand Triumph Bonneville, from the very first 1959 T120 pre-unit 650, to the very last T140 unit 750 machines built by L F Harris. What they’re like to live with, spares availability and prices, plus point-by-point guide to buying a Bonnie. One hundred colour photos, useful appendices and expert advice mean this book could save you 1000’s
Synopsis

There are lots of books about the Triumph Bonneville, about its history, performance, lineage and the minutiae of its specification, but none of them tell you what to look for when buying one secondhand. That’s what this book is about – it aims at being a straightforward, practical guide to buying a used Bonnie. It won’t list all the correct color combinations for each year, or analyse the bike’s design philosophy, or consider its background as part of a troubled industry – there are excellent books listed at the end of this one which do all of that. But hopefully it will help you avoid buying a dud. Point by point, it takes the reader through everything that needs looking at when buying a Bonnie, plus spares prices, which is the best model to buy for your needs, a look at auctions, restorations and paperwork. Over 29 years in production, the Bonneville is for some the definitive postwar British vertical twin, perhaps even the definitive British bike of all time, with all its strengths, weaknesses and character. Although there might seem to be a wide range of models and special editions, all are based around the same 649cc or 747cc vertical twin. There were plenty of changes over the years, but none of them changed the basic format of this classic British bike. Aside from all the history, the Bonneville remains a tremendous classic to own, so long as you’re prepared to look after it. The last Bonnies truly deserve the term ‘practical classic.’ Whichever one you choose, it should be fast, agile and good looking, and on a twisty English B road, there’s nothing like a Bonnie. One hundred colour photos, useful appendices and expert advice mean this book could save you 1000s.
Additional Information

Models covered in chronological order:
1959-62 Pre-unit 650s - T120
1963-70 Unit 650s - T120
1971-74 Oil-in-frame 650s – T120, T120R, T120RV
1973-77 Early Meriden 750s - T140V
1978-1983 Late Meriden 750s – T140E, TSS, TSX
1986-88 Harris 750s–