650 Triumph Build EP.1 | I Nearly Got A Triumph For FREE!?

[@johnhawden4118]

I was on holiday in Spain with my wife and dog in a converted van. In Estapona got chatting to a German chap selling motorcycle gloves in his shop. He said he needed 2000 euros cos he had smashed his van up. I had no idea why he was telling me this, he said you have a Triumph T shirt on would you like to buy a Triumph. I thought he ws joking so he locked his shop up and took me to his lock up in the back street of Estapona. There was a 1972 Triumph Bonneville, laid on its side, he said for 25 years with a broken gearbox. I went back to the wife who was drinking coffee and she was quite upset wondering why i had been such a long time...her first words were...you better not have bought another f* bike. Any way I bought it, took the engine out in the campsite and put that under the bed in the van, rolling chassis on the back and the rest on the roof. Rebuilt it with new bearings and seals.Now done 4000 miles on it in the UK, lovely machine....the broken gearbox was a sticking plunger. :-)

[@ColemanCustoms]

Ha! Brilliant stuff mate, that's how it's done. I enjoyed reading that, great result about the plunger too!

[@jameshisself9324]

Great project. I am a bit perplexed as to why a bent subframe is a big deal. A flame torch, a long bar and some muscle make quick work of that. Then welding, filleting, grinding and paint make it perfect. I do admit this one makes my rough acquisitions look easy and I'm grateful mine were as workable as they were.

[@jimbo8009]

Made a bit of money when I was 70 (75 now) decided as I had always loved bikes to buy one so saw a 1961 T120 bought it, then spotted a 1958 TR6 and bought it then an A65 took my eye .I ended up with 12 bikes before the law of reason stepped in (wife) so sold 7 now have T120 x2 .TR6 ,A65 x2 found the forks on the TR6 are not right so thats work in progress and having to rewire one T120 and an A65. Got to admit I'm addicted but hey ho I enjoy it.

[@ColemanCustoms]

Nice one! Quite the collection to have, there are definitely worse addictions to have!

[@retromechanicalengineer]

Great update Will. That's a very decent shed you have there. Is there room for your Myford? Paying for the Triumph was the right thing to do, we are nothing if not honourable. The poor bike has been through some traumas! I always look forward to your videos and will be following along. Best wishes, Dean.

[@ColemanCustoms]

Yes decent it is indeed! Yes I think with a bit of a rejig it will get in there. Agreed mate, it's good to treat how you'd like to be treated. Thanks mate!

[@highdownmartin]

Hopefully well under a grand !

[@lapinskate4408]

oh my dreams bike in ur project that awesome

[@owenhatton2857]

GP125 classic Restless Natives star bike ( I had the GP100 that I plowed into a wall thinking the laws of physics did not apply to 17 year olds). Just getting a couple of XTs together from the same starting point as the triumph. Looking forward to the updates to keep my motivation going

[@ColemanCustoms]

Haha yes 17 year olds do have some exception to that law! Xt500's are up there with one of my favourite bikes but I have yet to build one!

[@frankboff8185]

The best free bike I ever got was a bmw r65, it’s in the shed the man said, just pull it out, only problem was the bike was holding the shed up and was on the point of collapse, I did get it out and the shed just about remains standing, the bike was a bit of a shed as well. Looks like a good project, nice, Laverda. .

[@ColemanCustoms]

Ha, sounds like a good time to be carrying spare 2 by 4! Thanks mate, that's my dad's, owned by him since late 80s early 90s!

[@marticon9286]

Cant wait to see the rebuild. Are you going with Rick’s brushpaint method on frame or spray/powder coat? I’ll have to wait and see.😉

[@ColemanCustoms]

Thanks mate! You'll find out this Saturday 😉

[@markgallagher2386]

What size shed are you working in?

[@kimhicks8443]

Why didn't you just get another rear sub frame? Would have saved a lot of buggering about.

[@mancavecustoms13]

Awesome stuff! Can't wait for the progress! In fact I do have a story about bikes. Quite recently i drove some 600 miles to pick up the bike, dismantle it and put it in the backseat of my 2 door coupe, not a small bike either. In fact if you wanna check - it's here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavUhYGMptqskM0

[@neiljarvis8911]

What a shame, it looked like the deal of the century, but rather than feeling you'd mugged the vendor, you mugged yourself. I'm sure they were honest, but, you were victim of your own honesty because it seemed to good to be true. You'd have no problem living with yourself though and you probably got your moneys worth and taught yourself a good lesson.