1980 Triumph Bonneville T140

Many things make Britain great – breakfast in a London cafe, the King’s speech on Christmas and of course, Triumph Motorcycles. Founded in the late 19th century, ironically by German-born Siegfried Bettman, Triumph would play a key part in the British transport industry.

While its car division built icons like the TR sports cars and later the Dolomite Sprint, the motorcycle department built, amongst other models, the Bonneville. Named after the spiritual home of speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats, in Utah.

This Bonnie, as they’re so commonly referred to, started life as a 1980 Triumph Bonneville T140. The T140 was beefed up with more power with the US market squarely in its crosshairs, but demand in the UK was strong too.

Today, the bike is a well-loved example. Whilst the original silhouette remains, the bike is presented with an homage to the “King of Cool” Steve McQueen’s Desert Sled. The colour scheme of metallic blue with cream is tasteful, the single headlamp is mounted on a competition-style sheet of aluminium and is protected by a Hella cover.

The bike is powered by a 744cc four-stroke twin engine with a 5-speed transmission. The engine’s top end was rebuilt just a few years ago, so it runs well. The work was undertaken by a Triumph specialist, and at the same time, the rear caliper was replaced to ensure the bike stops as well as it goes. The engine breathes through an unsilenced slash cut exhaust system.

The bike has been with its current owner for the last three years, and whilst they haven’t had the opportunity to use the bike all that much, it has had an extensive amount spent on it to ensure it has remained in fine running condition.

Overall, this T140 is a ready-to-ride classic, with armfuls of style and charm. The blocky Pirelli rubber, classic styling and McQueen homage make for the ideal combination. Persol sunglasses and Barbour jacket sold separately, for the full McQueen look. 
As with all our vehicles, an entire digital folder is available upon request and contains more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.