Page 33 - Riding On Spring

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front end plus high rise bars, which, appealed
to the ‘Yanks' and their propensity for creating
‘chopper' bikes. A few years before, the factory
had changed the gear shift (5 speed gearbox
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crankcase to the left, which proved that Triumph
weren't completely averse to change. Triumph
had also upgraded to a new cylinder head and
uprated Amal MK2 carburettors in order to
comply with the more stringent U.S. anti-smog
rules. Front and rear disk brakes brought this
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Japanese manufacturing empire. Mind you,
they were only just adding electric start by the
time Craig's T140 hit the streets (not his bike
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This T140D Special appeals to me. It is from a
time when I was 23 and Japanese bikes like the
Yamaha XS650 were copying the same style.
Ducati Pantah and Darmah's, Honda GL1000s,
Norton Commando, BMW R90S and the Harley
XLS1000 had a look that made you stop, stare
and want to own (mind you, owning sometimes
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By the beginning of 1980, the writing was on
the wall for the British manufacturer. Triumph
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things either. BSA and Triumph were trying to
work together as a team to reinforce the British
Motorcycle industry but the two managements
were often at loggerheads and bickered
incessantly. Japanese bikes were taking over
the world and putting the wind up (more
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marques, Harley Davidson, Ducati, Motto Guzzi
and even the normally very reserved Germans
were taking notice. The problem was an archaic
British Empire attitude of “we've always done it
this way!” A new approach was taking place and
the Japanese were leading the way.

To their credit, Triumph came back in 1990 and
the ‘new' company, led by John Bloor, embraced
this new eastern manufacturing philosophy.
The new generation Bonneville was released in
2000 and has become a sustained success with
an ever-increasing model range worldwide. The
success of the new Bonnie can be directly linked
to the bikes of the late 1970s. Triumph had the
winning formula, a pleasing to the eye, excellent
performing motorcycle with superb handling
and when ridden, gave the rider a feeling of
exhilaration.
May Your Lid Never Skid,
Ian Parks #11735

RIDING ON 33