Please educate me on older (1970's era) Triumph Motorcycles.

[ducpainter]

I don't remember anything falling off that was desperately needed and the vibration seemed to be plus.

Seriously, Most bikes of that era had solid mount engines that weren't balanced and vibrated a lot. If you are looking for retro looks and smooth ride go buy a brand new triumph bonneville.

I lost a tail light on an old BSA...along with big chunks of fender.

The Nortons with the isolastic frame were much easier on things IMO.

[Bill in OKC]

When I was a kid, my best friends dad owned a BSA/Triumph/Suzuki shop that we hung around in on weekends.  I remember one detail about the oil-in-frame.  One owner's engine grenaded and it required the frame to be replaced - under warranty I think.  There was no way to get all of the bits of metal out of it and I guess they were afraid some of the bits would find their way into the new engine.  The good thing about the oil in the frame was the frame doubled as an oil cooler. 

[lazarus7]

ok enough second- hand hyperbole....
heres some facts...

i currently own and have owned for almost ten years a 1969 triumph t120 r bonneville
and a 1971 triumph tr6c trophy (flattracker rat bike)

electrical systems of the period were certainly an issue, but its pretty simple to rectify that now...
headlight, taillight, coils, ignition; not much to it to simply rebuild the entire wiring harness with new/ modern wire....
new GE halogen headlight bulbs will fit right in the stock shells.
high output alternators are a plus , and readily available.
KEY is replacing the points ignition system with a boyer brandsen electronic system,
which is really a plug-and-play affair, slips right in place of the original points plate.

replacement/ aftermarket parts are pretty readily available as well, and new parts are still being manufatured,
pistons/ rings/ rebuild parts, fork seals, etc easy to come by.

top-end/ transmission seals are pretty good, but the clutch/ primary seal is GOING to leak,
dont let anybody tell you different...
no biggie, just put a pan under it, its marking it territory....
if you want to keep it original, the AMAL carbs can be bored and sleeved by Lund machine, have had excellent results from the new owner...
mikuni kits are available as well, but mine never ran well, you can have 'em cheap if youd like...

with a good carb setup, boyer ignition, and a fresh battery, these are one kick bikes.
simple and stone-age, aside from the cylinder bolts, you can do most of the entire bike with a half-inch/ 10mm wrench.
the 1968/ 1969 triumph boneville was the pinnacle of that particual design,
a unit-construction bike where the motor and tranny shaed a common casing, as opposed to a pre-unit bike with a separate transmission
engaged to the crank by a chain drive....
light (283 pounds US) and nimble, very stable and great handling for an antique,
theyre a blast to ride in any situation...
and INCREDIBLY comfortable riding position; upright, feet mildly forward, knees at 90 degrees, shoulders at comfortable spread...
im 6'4", 34" inseam and the bike is just right underneath me...

in decent tune theyll run an honest 100mph without complaint as long as you want to push them...
more than that , sure, but realistically and reliably thats a good number.

they ARE a parallel twin.
they DO vibrate.
parts fall off.
its a british thing....
ive arrived at dinner to discover a missing side cover...
thurs night ride arrived sans headlight-shell mounted ammeter,
riding w buddy one night left pipe hanger bolt went A.W.O.L.
(sitting in a parking lot wondering how to get home.....strip mall.....hmmmm a chinese restaraunt....."can i have one of those takeout boxes?"......wire handle
appropriated....voial....!!!!....on the road again....!!!)
its part of the character you accept when deciding to ride old british...

but mechanically;
built (or bought) correctly and not neglected, theyre pretty simple/ low maintenance bikes to enjoy....
put good new tires on them, keep the battery up, and enjoy....!!!
of course ive got ten years worth of tips/ opinions/ facts if you decide to take the plunge....
im certainly happy i did.

[ducpainter]

ok enough second- hand hyperbole....
heres some facts...

<snip>

excuse me?

[NorDog]

A riding buddy had one of these that he flogged regularly. It was one of the worst riding bikes I ever rode. It almost hopped down the rode. It was a great dirt bike back when there weren't any real dirt bikes.

Incredibly, I would expect nothing less of my future Victor 441!   

[iDuc]

I can give you some FHE. I have a 1975 Triumph Trident 750 that I have owned since new. It's been a love/hate affair since the beginning. The old Jaguar guys have a bumper sticker that reads "... but when it runs!" which means that it's constant fiddling with something, but when you get it going, it's great. Mine has been a lot of trouble, but when it is running it's a blast. Remember, these are '70's bikes built using '50's technology, so they aren't anywhere near as capable as the most basic Monster. But if you are willing to put in the love, they are fun. Stay away from the Triples!  A Bonneville is much simpler and parts are easier to find. You'll need manuals, and work space, and tools, and oh yeah- time. Lots of time...

[junior varsity]

Sounds good. I'm not looking for anything fast by any measure. I'm looking for something that will keep me attentive and involved on rides with my wife (who is soon to be new to riding). I have realized recently that even when I feel like I'm going slow, and I'm getting bored, I still am going faster than a brand new rider would be comfortable riding. I've just been on this Monster which is set up for quick steering on curvy roads for so long, that I've grown accustomed to things at a higher rate of speed.

So if a can get something that will be entertaining at much lower speeds, I won't be compelled to juice it and leave the ol' lady behind. Going fast is fun, but I'm now aware that I need to learn how to still have fun, while going slow so riding isn't scary for her.

[Langanobob]

+1 On most of what Lazarus7 says so I'll try not to repeat it.  I've had a '66 T120TT for decades.  Used to be my daily rider and I commuted about 35 miles each way every day. Years ago I rode it across the USA without any problems.  Riding one is fun since almost everywhere you stop, someone will start a conversation how they used to race one.  Part of the reason I like it is that it's pure function, I don't think there's a single part on mine that you can remove and still have a functional bike. 

Lots of fun to ride, you don't need to go fast to have fun.  They do vibrate more than most newer bikes, but if you're single, girls love it    Even if you're not single girls still love it.

The oil in frame models aren't as cool or as valuable as the older ones.

Brakes aren't what we're used to, but they do work, but you won't be doing stoppies.  Problems with Lucas are mainly in switches and wiring connections.  Lucas has some issues but they are much more solvable than Duc immobilizer or dash problems.  Not too hard to replace faulty parts with better ones.  I did have to spend some time sorting it out when I first got it, but once I got it right it's been reliable.

I guess the bottom line is that I have 5 or 6 bikes and if I had to keep only one...it probably would be the Triumph.  But then I'd really have to think about that 

Edit:  PM me if you find a possible bike or have any specific questions.  I'd venture that Lazarus7 will say the same.

[NorDog]

Here are some old Brit bikes that have my eye.  Not Triumphs, but still cool...

[Speedbag]

I have a theory that Lucas was blind.   

And a pyromaniac. 

[LA]

Not sure what riding around Bid D is, but this is what we used to call Big D.

http://www.bigdcycle.com/PHOTO%20GALLERY.html

http://www.bigdcycle.com/HISTORY.html

LA

[junior varsity]

I'm planning on checking that shop out in the next week or so and see what kind of toys they have, and how personable the staff is.

[ducpainter]

Here are some old Brit bikes that have my eye.  Not Triumphs, but still cool...

First bike I ever crashed.

...and it wasn't mine.

[NorDog]

First bike I ever crashed.

...and it wasn't mine.

D'Oh!

Well, if you gotta crash, you might as well crash someone else's bike!   [moto]

[ducpainter]

D'Oh!

Well, if you gotta crash, you might as well crash someone else's bike!   [moto]

I crash my monster regularly.