Stroppy Old Tart, or the story of a Triumph Bonneville

[PhilA]

Nothing wrong with a bit of added overhead from a cooler.

Know what you mean about not wanting to push it really hard- run it in the lower-mid of the sweetspot with a few little pushes now and then to get the burn nice and hot to keep it clean.

Phil

[xtriple]

The only time I 'really' thrashed the old girl was when Kyle phoned 15 minutes before his driving test to say he'd left his licence at home! Test centre is in Newton Abbot and anyone who knows this area will know that getting from Brixham to NA in the middle of summer is (at best) a one hour journey. I was working on my Speed Triple at the time and the Bonnie was outside so I took that.

Sadly, I didn't quite make it being about 5 (probably the same 5 minutes it took me to gear up and get on the road) minutes late but I had hammered the Bonnie the entire way and when I got there the entire right side of the bike was plastered in oil, including the back tyre! I truly thought that I'd fucked it big time even though she still sounded okay so I rode it home in a very sedate manner.

The breather pipe had popped off (the one that any sensible chap re-routes into a catch bottle rather than the stupid pipe that runs along the rear mudguard) and so it was time to carry out that particular modification. I did feel very guilty indeed like I'd thrashed my Granma in the style of John Cleese and the 1300 in 'Clockwise' but it seemed to have no long term effect.

[Hooli]

Ahh that breather pipe, I rerouted mine onto the chain & it spat out just enough to mean that rarely needed lube.

When I first got the bike the breather from under the front of the 'crossbar' wasn't there so heavy braking poured oil on to the head.

[Hooli]

Well as the 14 fell apart when I was going to go out for an hour or two I figured I might as well carry on with this, the way the 14 is behaving this is going to be my reliable bike

Cams timed first, easy enough just keep wiggling the cogs until the idler in the middle slips in with the timing marked aligned. In the typically British way of making it easier, reading from left to the right the timing marks on the cam gears go B - A. Left being the intake, so even thinking logically though the engine it comes first. The cable tie is to stop the idler falling out when I move the engine about I can't fit the cover that retains it until I've fixed a stripped thread in it.

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Then onto the gearbox, it's not got a huge amount of parts for a five speed box compared to a syncro box in a car.

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Assembled, ready to fit. I'll need to take 1st/2nd & possibly 3rd off the idler shaft to put it in, but at least I've got it all in the right order etc to start with.

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This is the selector plate, the gear lever turns it & the slots in it move the selector forks to select the gears. I've found the reason it used to occasionally miss 3rd, the pin in the middle of this should be solid with the plate. The end of the pin is spread like a rivet head to retain it. However it's all come loose & falls out allowing the plate to wobble about.

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So with the right size drift & things lined up in a little vice, I've sorted it so it's retained properly again.

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Now having a cuppa & I'll look to fit the gearbox once I've finished it.

[paulplom]

Does the gearbox have seperate oil to the engine?

[Hooli]

Does the gearbox have seperate oil to the engine?

It does yes, unlike a modern bike. It'll run in EP90 when it's done.

[brandersnatch]

Coming along nicely. Keep it up.

[Broccoli]

Liking (and slightly envious) of you patience and skills.
Nice job.

[Hooli]

Hmm I thought I'd posted this earlier, I got the gearbox in on the third attempt. The 5th gear selector fork likes to fall out as you fit the rest of the gears, then you have to take it all out & start again.

4th/5th gear in with the selector fork.

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3rd gear & it's fork in.

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1st/2nd & it's fork.

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The final bit, that I think drives the layshaft when in the lower gears.

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I was going to index it up & fit the inner cover but I got hungry but this point & stopped. I'd had to do it twice, just lots of grease to stick the forks in place & realise I'd missed the locating pin for the washer at the far end of the layshaft. By not seating the washer properly I'd got it all in but the 1st gear selector fork wouldn't line up with the selector plate so I had to start again.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Sounds like replacing the battery on an iPhone. I replaced both on my old back up 4S and SE. The second was an absolute bastard.