1973 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V
A five-speed 750 Bonneville in burgundy and white, fully gone through by a veteran Triumph mechanic we’ve known for years — rebuilt engine, rebuilt forks, rebuilt brakes. Starts easily on its dual Dell’Orto carbs and rides out strong, with current California registration.
A 1973 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V — the five-speed 750 — in burgundy and white, with 16,933 miles on the clock. We’re selling it on behalf of a friend of the shop, and it comes to market fully gone through by a very experienced Triumph mechanic we’ve known and trusted for years: rebuilt engine, rebuilt forks, rebuilt brakes — basically everything you’d want redone on a machine you intend to ride. It starts easily on its dual Dell’Orto carbs and it’s a genuinely great rider.
What we love about it
The T140V is the Bonneville grown up: Triumph took the twin out to 744cc and gave it a five-speed gearbox — that’s what the V stands for — in the stiffer oil-in-frame chassis. The result is a Bonneville with more pull everywhere and an extra ratio to use it, and 1973 is the first full year of the breed. This one has had the work done. The engine is rebuilt, the forks are rebuilt, the brakes are rebuilt, and it runs a pair of Dell’Orto carburetors in place of the usual Amals — a swap we understand completely, because it starts easier, idles steadier, and holds its tune longer. You swing a leg over it and ride, which is the entire point of a Bonneville.
What you should know
Triumph built the 750 twin to answer the bigger bikes arriving from Japan and Europe, stretching the proven 650 to 744cc and pairing it with the five-speed box that had just proven itself in the 650 line. The T140V debuted for the 1973 model year, and this is an early one from that first year of 750 production. One period detail worth pointing out: it wears a full-width drum front hub — the earlier pattern, cable-operated — rather than the disc most ’73s carry. The drum was rebuilt along with the rest of the brakes, and it suits the bike’s early-T140 character.
What it still needs
Nothing on our list — the mechanical work is done, and it starts and rides the way a sorted Bonneville should. Cosmetically it’s a clean rider rather than a restoration: the paint and chrome present very well, with the honest signs of use you’d expect up close. On paperwork: it carries current California registration, so there’s no DMV mystery here — it’s plated and ready to transfer.
Who it’s for
Two kinds of buyers, honestly. The first wants a sorted, easy-starting Bonneville to ride as-is — this is one of the most usable classic Triumphs we’ve had through the shop, and at this money it’s a lot of motorcycle. The second sees the bones: a rebuilt five-speed 750 with fresh forks and brakes is the ideal starting point for a sweet, reliable street sled — customize it however you like, knowing the mechanical side is already done.
The work, listed out
- 01Complete engine rebuild
- 02Forks rebuilt
- 03Brakes rebuilt
- 04Dual Dell’Orto carburetors fitted
- 05Full going-through by a veteran Triumph mechanic — a longtime friend of the shop
Full spec sheet
- Year
- 1973
- Model
- Triumph Bonneville 750 T140V
- Displacement
- 744cc
- Engine
- OHV parallel twin, five-speed
- Carburetion
- Dual Dell’Orto
- Front brake
- Drum, full-width hub
- Rear brake
- Drum
- VIN
- AH 22969 T140V
- Registration
- Current California registration
- Mileage
- 16,933
- Condition
- Rider — fully sorted mechanically
- Sale type
- Consignment — sold on behalf of a friend of the shop
- Status
- Available
