Triumph Bonneville – Essential Buyer's Guide (Essential Buyers Guide Series)

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. 

Models covered:

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