86,000 miles
Replaced:
Replaced:
Replaced:
February 7, 2022: Transported engine to LD for parting crankcases.
February 12, 2022: Transported engine to PL to remove bearing race and ultrasound cleaning
DS damage discovered May 29, 2022 during final assembly.
85,022 miles
Engine sprocket, clutch center, sprocket, plates (steel & friction) have 100 miles short of 20,000 miles (replaced at 65,120 miles) and they all look pretty good.
The duplex chain is beginning to have some stretch. I replaced it at 78,976 miles, so it has just over 6,000 miles on it.
86,000 miles
85,022 miles
Oil change. 1,322 mile interval - Bad Boy! But oil was still cleanish - clear/brown.
Primary drain bolt was a bit loose. As was the rear battery strap nut.
Last few oil changes it seemed like I took more oil out of the primary than I'd put in. This oil change confirms that is the case. Previous oil change I filled primary with 330 ml and today I drained 375 ml.
Crankshaft DS seal? Since last oil change I'd added a bit over a pint of crankcase oil. The primary chaincase has been completely oil-tight.
84,824 miles
Ran over oil change mileage on yesterday's ride. Gonna wait and see impending snow forecast before changing right away. I'm sure Bonnie won't mind.
84,340 miles
Voila! A new motorcycle! Feels and sounds less heavy and plodding. Throttle response back in sync. Low-speed under load coming up hill is way smoother.
Somewhat shocked by amount of black sediment on drain bolts. Didn't clean carbs last winter!
83,681.5
Oil Change.
I added 20 oz of crankcase oil during the 1,000 mile interval of last oil change. That's definitely less than I was using last year.
Primary chaincase is definitely not leaking! Replaced drain plug with new washer and used sealant on both sides.
Removed K70 was installed in January of 2019 @ 79,006 miles, so it gave me 4,675 miles of service. About average mileage.
83,390 miles
Added 8 oz oil to top up to Full line. Have added 20 oz thus far on this oil change.
Checked tires - front ok, rear back down to 28 - (hadn't refitted valve caps last time). Re-inflated to 31/32, replaced valve caps. Should re-check soon.
Tune's been on and off and has settled for now on 'pretty good'. I touched nothing except valve lash last week. Twice near end of Tuesday's ride she died going down to idle at a stop - of course that was after blasting up Ste-Cat-in-the-hat hill and coming to a fairly quick halt at the top. Until now I had 100% confidence of no low-speed stalls.
83,262 miles
Adjusted valves. DS Intake was tight.
After weeks of near perfection in tune, Bonnie doesn't have that same perfect smoothness on the throttle, up and down, and she recently stumbled a couple of times at low & high rpm. A cold start at the Castle took two kicks one day recently.
Just changed from 94 octane (Orford PC) to 91 (Burrough's Falls PC). Also noticed degraded performance using Crook's 91. Ran super good before on 94. Could be a gas thing. If so, is it octane or quality? Moisture? Too, I have to consider that I'm using gas from containers sitting in the tractor shed. But that was true before also.
83,198.1 miles
Added 2 oz of oil.
The end of the DS exhaust tappet spindle had a light film of oil and road dust. I wiped it clean and I'll check to see how long it takes to weep again.
And as usual there was a bit of oil sitting on top of the tank. Beginning to wonder if perhaps the cap needs a new gasket?
Both tires were a little soft, I put 32lb in the front and 31lb in the rear. http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/663044/re-tire-pressures#Post663044
82,897 miles
Topped up crankcase oil with 150 ml. So 5 ounces over 195 miles, which would be approximately a bit more than 3/4 of a quart per 1,000 miles. A bit less oil consumption than last year, I think.
82,703
Oil Change. Changed crankcase oil & filter and primary chaincase oil and cleaned chain.
Somehow managed to drag the chain off the gearbox sprocket and spent ah hour-and-a-half getting it back on. Then another hour-and-a-half cleaning up the mess left behind.
Over the last 1,000 miles she used very little oil. I topped up twice, but very little both times - maybe about a cup of oil altogether.
Only 200cc of oil came out of the primary chain case, but it was only draining for about four hours so it probably hadn't fully emptied yet. I added 10 ounces of new oil.
82,258.6
Checked crankcase oil upon return from ride. Went from the top "L" in Full down to the full line - so pretty negligible oil consumption over the last 259 miles.
82,162.6
Checked valve clearance prior to going on a ride. Intakes are probably very slightly wide, but from experience I know it'd be hard to get less gap without it closing up, so I left them as is. The exhaust gaps were slightly less open then I usually set them, but that probably just means they are closer than usual to the official 4 thou, so I left them alone also.
ARe-synced the cables as the TS was lifting slightly in advance of the DS.
The Bonnie ran strong and smooth on the ride.
82,118
Mufflers finally arrive from Walridge.
Not excessively pleased with the new mufflers. "Made in England" stamped into the backs of them, but the forming just behind the intake is poor compared to the other two sets I have, the exhaust ends have a slightly rough finish, and the seams in back are visible (off, not on the bike). And most dissapointing of all, they are louder than the previous set. I guess that's all you get for $300 these days. Wonder if the cheaper Taiwanese units were actually better quality?
82,118
During yesterday's ride a mounting bracket cracked and the TS muffler fell off in Saint Etienne de Bolton. New set of mufflers and brackets on order from Walridge.
Idle is getting wonky and she stalled twice coming to stops on yesterday's ride. First time this season she's done that.
81,999.0 miles
Rear chain adjustment
Still running quite well, although the warm idle speed has increased to around 1400 and de-accelerating is less and less smooth.
I added about a half-cup of oil to the resevoir and it brought the level up to exactly what it was at the beginning of the season - to the first 'L' in 'Full' on the stick.
After 376 miles there is still not so much as one drop of oil on the Castle floor, although for the first time this year there was 'mayonaise' on the floor - about 1/4 teaspoon. So 4 oz of oil in 376 miles would project out to less than 12 oz of oil per thousand miles. I think this is a little less than she used last year, so maybe the rings are finally bedding down?
(81,872)
Adjusted rear brake, checked tire pressures. So far not a drop of oil has shown up on the shop floor. But sometimes takes time to saturate and drip. I also succeeded in banishing the TS fuel leak - a loose clamp on connection to banjo bolt. The TS is now so clean all the time!
Previous carb hesitation is gone after syncing cables, but it's not quite as smooth on de-acceleration - a slight burble-burble thing. Mixture?
Second ride: 50 miles.
Pre-ride, TS carb was going first so I started to sync it to DS. Was taking way too much adjustment so I looked around and found the ferrule on top of the TS carb was mostly pulled out of the carb. Is this why I have to perpetually sync the cables? Replaced ferrule, re-adjusted.
Made a bolt check and found both the clutch and front brake hand lever controls were about to fall off - don't think I ever tightened the fasteners after putting back the old parts I'd removed in anticipation of replacing them with the new parts which are stuck at the us address.
Adjusted clutch and front brake cables and the mirrors.
First kick got me a wicked kick-back, but the Bonnie started on the second. I went easy on the throttle blipping but kept rpm's above 1,200. Whenever I let the throttle go slack she idled without stalling, which surprised me! In fact, cold and hot the idle was very dependable between 900 & 1100 without stalling, even once! Now I'm amazed! Slight bog on acceleration and de-acceleration - will sync the carbs.
Oil Change. Crankcase and primary chaincase oil & filter.
Checked primary chain tension and found 3/4" slack. Strange because I remember adjusting it during the fall. When I tried using the adjuster tool it didn't seem to engage the adjusting screw. Something wrong, so offed the primary cover and discovered that the 'slipper' had cracked in two.
Re-installed the original part, adjusted for 3/8 slack, and buttoned the primary back up (Hylomar on both sides of gasket as last time - gasket won't be re-usable, but no leaks!
Not all that much to do on the Bonnie this winter. I puttered around in the Castle on and off all winter. Mostly cleaning and polishing. Sunglasses now mandatory at the Castle!
Also updated my inventory program to include a bin number for each part. After taking an inventory and re-arranging the parts rack I printed out all new tags with bin numbers. Now I can find any part quickly and easily and I always know where to return part bags after using them!
I ordered new control levers (pivots on originals are so worn and loose that they flap in the breeze over 15 mph), a new chain, and a few other parts on the 17th of March. They arrived at my VT pob one day after the Canadian/US border was closed to traffic so there's no telling when I'll be able to pick them up.
Remounted the Podtronics under the battery carrier to be a little more forward to eliminate interference with rear fender. Used screws & nuts instead of wire ties to be sure it stays put. Compensated for screw heads beneath battery by using two layers of rubber padding. Remains to be seen if this leaves sufficient clearance between the seat and the top of the battery.
The rear battery carrier strap was badly worn by vibrating contact with the battery last year. All the batteries I've used have been 3-1/2" wide so unsure why the problem just cropped up. When I can order from the States again I'm going to pick up a Motobat AGM MB9U which is just 3" wide.
I tried getting a new battery carrier 'strap' (82-8028) but I ended up returning it because is was badly formed and I wasn't about to take a torch to a brand-new $30 part. All vendors seem to have the same crappy stock.
Finally I remembered that the oil tank and side cover I bought off E-Bay also included a battery carrier and the front and rear straps - used old stock fits perfectly! I made the purchase to have a back-up oil tank when the original developed a leak. Danny Guay did a great repair on the original oil tank (barely touched the brand-new paint job!), but the $65 E-Bay purchase is looking real good now!
Installed the new center stand. New stand from British Only (RIP, we miss you!) is the correct part which replaces the older style that Bonnie came through with. Now I'm using the correct mounting hardware that I kept buying for the old stand and wondered why it never fit!
New K70 3.25 x 19 tire mounted by Thibault. $147.98 for tire ($123 plus tax). Glue-on weights 'cause that's all they got. Service manager is sending old badly warn tire to Dunlop to see if they'll replace or ?
Received wheel balancing weights and balanced the front tire on the bike. Had to use quite a few weights. After balancing the wheel I inspected the tire tread wear and realized that the weights are compensating for very heavy abnormal wear around half the tire.
80,637 miles
Oil Change
Much quieter after chain adjustment. Went from 3/4" slack to 3/8".
And shifting is much smoother after adjusting clutch rod from 3/4 turn out to 5/8" slack.
80,490 miles
Screwed up and didn't check primary chain tension until after I'd refilled with oil. The chain's a bit on the loose side.
The centerstand is the one that came with Bonnie - a 1968 part number and used the older mounting hardware (shouldered bolt, tab washer, lock nut. The cross-bar weld broke on the DS.
Ordered 1969/70 centerstand, for which I already have plenty of hardware (and I always wondered why the nuts and bolts I ordered never fit!).
80,356 miles
Topped up oil with 200cc before leaving for trip around Lake Memphremagog.
80,114 miles
Added 375cc oil before departing for a day trip to East Randolph/.
New centerstand broke in half and dragged on roadway.
80,031 miles
Returned from two-day trip to White Mountains.
79,716 miles
Pre-flight check-up for ride down to White Mountains
79,632 miles
79,481 miles (plus 530 un-clocked miles = 80,011 actual miles and time for another oil change)
Finally got out for a short run in the evening. Seven Celsius upon return, time to put the liner in the riding jacket! Bike's running decent, but throttle could be smoother on de-acceleration. On the bright side (finally a bright side), the rocker box oil leak has been banished!
79,456 miles
Checking valve clearance I found the TS exhaust rocker completely loose - I must have missed tightening the nut on the adjuster pin! The pushrod was right off the rocker so I stripped everything down a second time, re-positioned the pushrods, put on a new gasket, and replaced the rocker box. Whereas the job took me just under 5 hours the first time, it only took two-and-a quarter hours the second time.
79,456 miles
When re-assembling the rear wheel I used a new TS distance piece (37-1477). John Healy says this piece should be 1.055" to 1.060" long. Bonnie's original one is 1.042", and the new one is 1.048".
After completing the work I rolled the Bonnie out into the orchard and put a little more oil down the cylinders. After pumping the kickstarter to clear excess oil I put in a brand new set of NGK B7ES, primed the gas, and commenced kicking. She made me work for it, but after a couple of patient pauses she finally started up, and then commenced to pollute the entire Northern Hemisphere with smoking burning oil.
A ride down under bunker was thrilling, but the exhaust valve clearance was excessive and the exhaust tone has a strange sound to it - kind of low and flat. Then on the way back she wouldn't take a lot of throttle without bogging, although sufficient to make it back up my road to the Castle.
Back at the Castle I checked the plugs (they looked ok) and also verified that the carb slides were working properly. The cable synchronization was a wee bit off and I fiddled with that until it was perfect. Tomorrow morning I'll re-adjust valve clearance and take it for another test ride if it's not raining.
79,456 miles
Right off the bat I had trouble getting the exhaust valve inspection caps off - never had that happen before. As it happened they came right off with a little heat from the propane torch.
Stripped down far enough to remove exhaust rocker box and replace gasket due to pesky oil leak on exhaust TS. I should have used baby powder before I had to park the bike - hard to tell, but seems to leak at rocker box/head joint just below the valve inspection cap. But maybe also from the domed nut on the oil line to exhaust rocker spindle, or does that just catch the fine 'spray'?
Hunch is that this might be because when I re-torqued the head bolts after last re-installing the head, I got lazy and didn't bother removing the tank, coils, and head steadies in order to re-torque the inner 4 head bolts. 'Ahhh, they'll be ok, they're held down by the head steady nuts, right?'. Wrong. Being locked with another nut of course has nothing to do with they're needing re-torqued after a heat cycle or two.
So the intake side was ok, but the exhaust leaked copiously - at the end pooling up on engine fins every 30 miles or so.
Also polished the original headers - Wow! Nice chrome! Tempted to put them on - supposed to be a little more quiet with the balance tube - I actually wouldn't mind that, even if the tube is ugly in my eyes.
Ordered:
Speedo gearbox imploded.
For oil change interval, additional mileage before parking: 332 miles.
79,006 miles
Pre-season ride - Katevale/North Hatley/Katevale.
79,053 miles
Registered Bonnie and rode to Magog/Ayer's Cliff/Lennoxville/North Hatley.
79,006 miles
Oil Change. Oil and filter, crankcase and primary.
Rainy day, finally laid off clearing trails long enough to get some work done in the Bonnie Castle.
After completing the work I removed the Bonnie from her winter throne, backed her over to the doorway and after a tickle she started up and ran on the first kick and ran like a clock.
Re-installing the rear wheel I got to use the new thin wrench on the inner axle nuts. I had to buy a complete set (made in India I think, $70 Cdn at auto parts) and then have the largest wrench (1-1/4") enlarged to 1-5/16" by a Magog machine shop ($15). Definitely worth the time, effort, and money - replacing the rear wheel was never so easy!
The thin wrench makes it possible to tighten the inner axle nuts in place, on the bike, so no more trial-and-error. Now it's easy to align the speedo gearbox in place while tightening up the inner nuts. And so much easier to center the brake shoes applying pressure with the brake pedal with wheel held securely in the frame.
Ain't it sweet when the tool does the job?
The Redline gear oil I used last year (Red Line 50304 MT-90 75W-90 GL-4 Manual Transmission & Transaxle Lubricant) was ok, but shifts didn't feel as smooth as they should. This year I'm trying a Ravenol product. It's 'Neutral to metals' and 'no foaming', which I take to be a good thing. And it comes with a built-in 2-section telescoping tubular spout that takes all the hassle/mess out of filling the gearbox. Amazon description:
"Ravenol Multipurpose Gear Oil SAE 80W-90 GL-4 is an EP (extreme pressure) gear oil for manual transmissions, transfer cases, steering gears, and axle drives under standard conditions. Contains highly refined base oils that are paired with a balanced additive combination. These ensure a high load carrying capacity, wear protection, and oxidation stability are all guaranteed. Due to a superior viscosity-temperature behavior, low pour points, and the elimination of foam formation, the oil can be used in a wide variety of operating conditions.
Technical Characteristics and Features:
- Very good adhesion & pressure resistant lubricating film even high loads
- Excellent oxidation stability
- Optimal viscosity-temperature properties
- Provides an anti-wear effect
- Good air release characteristics with no foaming
- Neutral to metals and sealants used in transmissions and differentials
79,006 miles
Removed rear chain and checked stretch: 5/16". This is well within the acceptable wear parameters according to the workshop manual, but I think the workshop manual's maximum wear spec is way past what would be harmful to sprockets, something pretty much confirmed by a query on TriumphRat.net.
Tried once again to find a Tsubaki chain but could only find o-ring chains by them so I ordered a DID chain.
Drained gearbox and recuperated 400ml of the Red Line gear lubricant.
After sitting for a couple of weeks the Red Line lubricant on top was very clear, but the bottom layer was gray with metal. I suppose this is "normal" wear.
So Bonnie lost 100ml of gear oil while covering around 3,000 miles. Where'd it go? My money is on the thru-hole in the gearbox casting for the shifting fork shaft. I thought I could seal it after assembling the gearbox, but couldn't get to it afterwards with the gearbox sprocket in place.
New K70 rear tire mounted by Thibault, Sherbrooke. Sixty-eight bucks for a tire mounting, maybe I should start changing my own tires, but how to balance?
79,006 miles
78,976 miles
Removed leaking float chamber bowel on TS carb - reassembled using Hylomar on gasket and it seems to have stemmed the flow.
78,292 miles
78,019 miles
Adjusted carbs
77,957.1 miles
Pulled off the center stand. None of the #7 Parts pivot bolts/nuts/tab washers I have in stock fit this stand so I began researching center stands. I came up with a table of stands and mounting hardware for 650s from '64 to '71.
Based on that info I have deduced that Bonnie NC00125 came equipped with an 82-5692 center stand. The 82-5692 stand was supplied with '64 to '68 650s. Maybe Frank changed it, but it's also quite possible that the factory was using up the old style stands at the very beginning of the '69 production.
I have the appropriate hardware for the 82-5692 stand on order - hoping it all fits together.
Table: Triumph 650 Center Stands & Mounting Hardware
77,957.1 miles
TR7RVMan (BritBike.com) thought the problem might just be fuel washing the rings. I took his advice and poured a couple of tablespoons of oil down the plug holes, cranked several times to blow out the excess oil, replaced the plugs, and low and behold the Bonnie had compression again and started right up.
I celebrated with a ride over to Montgomery and the northern Greens (156 miles).
By the time I got back I had no tailight or headlights and when I tried to put the bike on the center stand in the Bonnie Castle the stand crumpled and she fell over onto the timing side - luckily caught by myself and a couple of horses.
What next? I wonder.
The 'perfect' tune I had three weeks ago has vanished. Low-speed running fairly decently, but not as well as before and the engine died every time I tried to idle it.
77,811.7 miles
Oil Change. Crankcase oil change only, no new filter.
Got the oil tank back from Danny Guay on Friday afternoon. Stacked firewood all day Saturday and Sunday I put the oil tank back on.
Filled the tank and rolled the Bonnie out into the yard to take my first ride in just over three weeks. Tickled the carbs and kicked her over. Kind of fired once and then died out when I gave some throttle. I started pumping the kickstarter to get to the next compression stroke but it just kept kicking through.
There's hardly any compression - more than if the plugs were out, but not much. I checked the valve clearances - ok, so all 4 were a bit on the wide side and I readjusted them.
Still no compression.
The bike was running nearly perfectly when I parked it just over three weeks ago.
77,811.7 miles
Began unbolting oil tank in an effort to figure out the mounting problem. I found the problem - the forward top bracket has snapped off. Actually I think the breakage was the end result of some other problem.
I'm not a 100% sure, but here's my theory:
when I reinstalled the tank this spring I used all new rubber parts and being new their inner and outer dimensions made for very tight fits. In my own inimitable, clumsy way of doing things I failed to seat the rubber jug fully into the rear tank mount. I found the tank to be too rigid as I bolted it up, but I put it down to the new bigger diameter oil lines which bump up against the backside of the engine mounting plate. After discovering the contact between the tank and the fender I rotated the bottom mounting bracket for best clearance. That must have further stressed the front bracket because it snapped off within 50 miles of my "adjustment".
The tank is unbolted, disconnected, and draining in place, but this looks like the end of the season to me. I have not a clue who I can trust to make this repair. And even if welded by skilled hands, what are the chances it will still fit afterwards?
Such a bummer - the Bonnie is looking like a million bucks and running like 2 million after a two-day marathon of clean and shine and tune and re-tune in preparation for this weekend's ride to Ormstown.
77,701.0 miles
Maintenance
The vibration noise I've been hearing is not the coils, it appears to be the oil tank rubbing on the rear fender. I tried adjusting it but it didn't help much and I think the tank mounting is kind of stressed the way it is.
Somehow the tank has moved rearwards - I can now put TS air cleaner on and off without taking it apart, but now the tank rubs on the fender. I must have it somehow mounted incorrectly, but I don't see how.
I've been running the engine retarded ever since reinstalling the Pazon this spring. When I went to rotate the Pazon a tiny bit counterclockwise it just sort of found its own new spot. When I checked with the light the timing was perfectly on. I left it there. What a difference! Twisting the throttle now lifts the handlebars and throws me back on the seat.
With only a thousand miles so far this season, and no oil leaks, the Bonnie is still pretty
clean from its winter teardown, but being how I'm going to the Mtl CMVG Ormstown
rally this weekend I took it to the car wash and then came home for a shining
and polishing session.
I tried to make corresponding reference marks at 4 o'clock
on the Pazon disk and the inside of
the timing case by applying red nail polish and then scratching a line
across both. Didn't work - not enough contrast against green disk.
Also got too much nail polish in there - may have glued down the disk.
Looking for a better way.
77,432. miles
Nice 105mi. ramble down to Mansonville (scenic gravel rout), and then Dunkin,
Glen Sutton, Abercorn,
Brome, Ch Stagecoach to South Bolton, Ch Mountain to Knowlton Landing, Austin,
Magog, AC.
Bike is running pretty decently. I've adjusted valves 3 times since the bike
came off the table. Adjusted carb low-speed 3 times also, and have synched
carb cables at least 6 or 7 times (new cables stretching?).
The big surprise is that the Bonnie is leak-free! In spite of having not
put sealer on mainshaft splines or the shifting fork rod there's no
oil coming out of the gearbox. Or the chaincase! Or the crankcase and new oil
lines. Not a drop of
oil on the Castle floor! The drive side intake rocker shaft is weeping a tiny
oil smear after longer rides, but a swipe of a rag takes care of it. The exhaust
rocker box was weeping just a little between it an the head, but I re-torqued
it and all is well there.
76,994. miles
Registered the Bonnie for 2018. Over the past month I've taken a
couple dozen evening rides up to Ste Cat and one foray down to
Seymour, Island Pond, and Willoughby.
76,606.7 miles
First ride of the season - Ste Cat.
After fitting everything but the seat, tank, and fuel lines I
took Bonnie down from her winter throne. After looking at her
two feet off the ground all winter she looks weird sitting on the
floor - very low!
After adding the gas tank and new fuel lines I tried priming
the carbs. The TS carb overflowed. Took it apart and found a lump of goo
on the needle. Worked fine after reassembly. Then it was the DS carb's
turn to overflow. Found nothing wrong taking it apart but it still
overflowed after reassembly. Took it apart again and decided to change
the bowl, the needle, and the pin. As I reassembled I noticed that
the gasket was holding the bowl down. Took a razor to the gasket and then
all was good. I should probably take apart the TS carb again and modify
the gasket.
So I rolled her out of the castle and she started right up on the
first kick.
This morning I'm on my way back over to the castle to:
Pulled the engine out of the frame three days ago.
Used a floor jack
to keep the engine suspended while I removed the front and bottom engine
mounts and then wrapped my arms around it and pulled it out from the
left side with an upward motion, then a tilt towards myself, and then
up and out. Have been cleaning up and inspecting everything. Findings thus far
(not including all the bronze in the gearbox):
Andy Hansen is shipping back my repaired speedometer. I asked him
if I'd over-lubed it or anything like that. His reply: Pulled off gb outer cover and found lots of
bronze
4th & 5th photos down).
Oil reservoir and oil lines removed.
Removing oil bottle - remove battery carrier and push
reservoir towards DS before twisting and removing.
76,606.7 miles
76,124 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Cleaned and lubed chain
Discovered source of leaking fuel - the screws holding on
both float bowls were so loose that gasoline was oozing out.
Getting much better gas mileage now and also better starts.
Also discovered that although both carb slides were lifting
simultaneously, the left slide was starting from higher.
After resetting and re balancing them from scratch the
Bonnie is running superbly - silky-smooth acceleration and
deceleration, more power, and an exhaust tone that is raw and
ripping and smoothly melodious at the same time.
Primary chain oil:
Received and installed two 6v. Taiwanese ignition coils.
Bonnie started on first kick and ran fine on both cylinders.
But I need to redo the carbs after I fidgeted with them on the
trip.
Broke down in Montpelier, trying to get back home from
Rutland with right cylinder misfiring. New plug didn't help.
Right cylinder ran on left cylinder plug lead so my diagnosis
was ignition coil.
LA drove down in the truck and hauled me and the Bonnie
back home.
Apart from the time I didn't replace the master link clip
and had to be towed home from Stanstead this is the first time that
Bonnie left me on the road. Not bad for 71,000+ miles.
75,633 miles
In advance of second trip to Green Mountains:
Synced carbs, adjusted valves, and checked ignition timing.
DS exhaust valve has been on the wide side all summer and I
got it back in the same ballpark as the TS. The ignition timing
was right on.
74,955 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Cleaned and lubed chain
74,012 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Watched a Lunmad youtube on adjusting ignition timing and valve
clearance this morning. Both threw me for a loop, had me thinking I'd
been doing all wrong all this time. Certainly a plausible posit.
The Ignition timing mixup turned on Lunmad's timing mark
representing TDC while Bonnie's represents 38 degrees BTDC.
The valve clearance thing -
Lunmad opens DS Intake valve (rocker all the way down) and
then adjusts the DS Exhaust valve clearance. Etc.
When I adjust DS Exhaust valve clearance, I open the TS
exhaust valve (rocker down).
After my initial panic I realized they must be the same
thing, mechanically speaking.
But after I re-adjusted clearance, Bonnie wouldn't start.
Was it the valves? Or was it the sooty spark plugs that I wired
brushed and blew out by mouth? I dunno.
I removed tank and checked all clearances. All ok except the
DS exhaust - which seemed a bit tight. I readjusted it and the
Bonnie started, stubbornly. By the time I got to the bottom of
the driveway and turned towards Parkes, it was firing on one
cylinder. I turned around but then the other cylinder started
firing until it seemed ok. Ran fine for a 40 mile run and
started fine.
Finally found the source of my downshift 'buzzxx' noise tank
noise. It was the oil pipe to the rockers. It was too proud of
the frame and evidently vibrated against the inside of the frame
even though it left no witness marks that I could see. Hmm. Not
saying much these days, I need glasses! I tie-wrapped it closer
to, but not touching the frame and it banished the buzz!
72,200 miles.
First ride of the season.
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Since work carried out in April 2016 and June 2016, Bonnie is using
the following gearshifting and gearbox components:
72,190 miles
Snow and salt.
71,000 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
69,950 miles
69,600 miles
Eureka!
Still working on
jumping out of gear problem.
Pulled off gb outer cover and replaced gearshift quadrant
with new unit from Baxter. Before removing original I made a
mark on the case at the furthest extent of down-shift traval.
As soon as the new quadrant was in I could see that in
downshift it went about 3/32" further than the original and I
knew I was onto something good.
After putting everything back together, a quick test ride
confirmed that the problem was gone - downshifting is crisp and
clean. No more downshift malfunctions, and first gear no longer
pops into neutral when descending the steep driveway hill in
gear.
Victory! After two years.
69,575 miles
Persistent oil leak, pooling on top of gearbox. Could be a) chaincase
port for alternator wires, b) PRTs, c) that base gasket with 'just a tiny
tear' I used during winter reassembly.
Talcum powder took me straight to the culprit base gasket.
First base gasket leak ever. Will I ever use a torn gasket again?
Anywhere? Dismantled the top end and replaced the cylinder base gasket, leak
cured.
Base and rocker box gaskets were from Baxter and labeled "Coventry Spares".
I don't think these are the highly praised "Covseal" rocker box gaskets,
but maybe.
Both base and rocker gaskets had wire in them. I've been more and more
inclined to use paper gaskets without wires, so it will be interesting
to see how well these hold up.
[February 2018, 76,606 miles: have to remove rocker boxes to take
engine out of the frame for machine work (gearbox thrust washer locating
peg & new roller bearings/seals/etc. After 7,000 miles the rocker
boxes were still 100% leak-free (as were the PRTs)]
I used Loctite on the rotor and kickstarter ratchet nuts , but I failed to use it on the clutch nut.
I also used Loctite on
Trap door - I replaced the countersunk screws holding on the trap door. I noticed last year that one of the screw hole's threads were stripped. It's the one at 12 o'clock. I slathered it with blue Loctite and tightened it down as much as I dared.
Major work 68,876 miles
68,876 miles
67,400 miles
New front and rear K70 tires with new inner tubes (all from BikeBandit ($174 total).
Mounted by Jeff Price, Cycles Unlimited Newport
67,100 miles
Removed outer gearbox outer cover and put back the original
pawls and guide plate. Goes into first gear every time from a
cold start now, but on the road it still hangs up in neutral
when downshifting to first gear and pops out of first gear
after that.
As bad as it is, this configuration seems the best after
last winter's teardown.
Removed outer gearbox and put the new pawls back into the
gearchange quadrant. This is the second time I've put them in
and the result was the worst gear shifting since the first time
I put it all together last spring. Problem getting into first
gear nearly every time, and popping out of gear - 1st 2nd and
even 3rd.
Re-checked timing - still ok.
Checked ignition timing and found it was very retarded. Re-adjusted.
66,200
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
65,740 miles
New drive chain - D.I.D. from Bonneville shop.
65,120 miles.
All lubricants changed after completion of winter work
Machining services by North Country Engineering
64,150 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
I've taken quite a few rides in September, although probably
lower mileage than usual. Haven't experienced any further
general - black-outs?, although I had headlamp and
tailight failure at the beginning of a late afternoon ride
around Lake Memphremagog.
I turned back from that ride and back at the shop I found a
loose terminal on the light switch in the headlight shell.
I've been taking tools to remove tank and hot wire between
battery and Pazon.
Installed new battery. 63,300 miles.
Purchased through Amazon.
Oil change, 63,120 miles (crankcase, filter, primary chain case)
Spent several days tracing and diagramming the wiring and
cleaning up connections.
Provoked electrical system 'blackouts' several times in the
shop and found two things that sometimes make power return:
1) Playing around with the wires on the switch, as I did on
the road on 14 August (below), and also one other time, either
in the shop or on the road.
2) Grasping the harness where it comes out from the gas tank
and crosses the neck and gently tugging forward and upward.
This corrected the electrical fault twice.
So probably a strained connection that is open, but makes
contact when tension is removed or reduced. Probably in the
headlamp shell.
I no longer think that the ignition switch could be the
problem.
I've already looked at looms (about $160 for Bonnie) but I
think my best bet would be to make my own since the layout of
the components in Bonnie?s electrical system does not match any
Triumph factory model (i.e. position of ignition switch and
zener diode).
Early in the morning. Still no electrics.
Rigged two jumpers to an idiot light bulb and probed around:
But later, after (?)
Fiddling with wires to switch, wires in shell, and wires on
rectifier (or did I notice that the center rectifier wire looks
funky after the lights came back on - I think so)
Oh, probably the lights came back on after I also tried to
push back the Lucar cover on one of the leads, the one that
looks burnt at the top.
Also made and unmade the wiring to the speedo/tach lights
(only one working) and the idiot lights (one corroded right in,
took it out with pliers).
Anyway, at one point I have lights and ignition. I saddle up
with every tool and material I need to cure another electrical
outage and prepare to go out the door and it starts raining.
Wanting to go for a spin and warm up for oil change.
Bike won't start. No ignition, no lights.
Looking around, find that mechanic Dave didn't connect the
ground lead to the zener diode when he re-did the ground
connection.
Reconnected the zener. No change.
Took various voltage and resistance readings. Measuring from
ground to feed side of ignition switch:
Left charger on battery over night.
I take a leisurely one hour ride and on top of Nelson Hill I
stop to look at the Panorama for a good five minutes.
Comes time to leave. Bike won't start.
Pulled white and white/brown wires off ignition switch and
put (white?) onto the second terminal with brown/white. Bike
starts right up.
Bike won't start in NBE's parking lot.
Mechanic fixes loose ground, puts wire straight to Pazon
(with switch) and I ride home, one-hundred dollars poorer.
Engine runs with the switch on and the lights work with the
ignition switch on and the lighting switch turned on.
Mechanic Dave's recommendation for electrical supplies:
http://www.delcity.net/
http://www.britishwiring.com/Ratcheting-Crimping-Tool-for-
Terminals-p/pr4.htm
Received new ignition switch AND new tumbler.
Installed new switch with OLD tumbler. Everything hunky-
dory. Runs great.
Fiddled with timing - retarding it slightly.
Electrical problem. No ignition.
Wired from battery directly to Pazon white and she started
right up.
Bypassed the ignition switch (plugged all 3 Lucars into a
brass multiple) and she started right up.
Ordered new switch.
Having lots of trouble getting carbs adjusted for idle. Idle
is erratic, (mostly) very fast, and has gigantic 'dead spot'
that kills motor every time if I slowly roll through it.
Motor dies randomly in traffic. Real drag. Runs fine 'at
speed'.
I need to mark my throttle handle 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, etc. to
help locate faulty carb component(s):
Oil change 61,100
Before leaving for Magog SAAQ I readjusted valve clearances. The new allen head adjusters are so much easier than the original square locking screws. The allen wrench makes it easy guage adjustments while loosening or tightening the lock nuts with a Whitworth boxend wrench.
Got my new registration at the SAAQ at the same cost as last year - $469. That's with the discount of later registration.
Returning to the Bonnie Castle, I felt inspired to finally fix the broken brakelight wire. Lots of fun fishing around and removing the wire cover on the inside of the rear fender.
Good to have working tailight and brakelights though.
Beginning of Season 2014
Bike back on the road after a couple of weeks intensive
efforts. Lots of issues experienced this spring.
Even though I set the valve clearances wider than spec, the valves were getting tight after several minutes of running.
I checked torque on headbolts. Will let the engine cool off until this afternoon and readjust the valves.
Re-set valve clearances, about a thou over spec for intake and exhaust. Will readjust tomorrow if necessary for .002 and .004".
And the rear brake works great - gone is the "pulsing" effect when braking.
May 2014 Replaced front and rear wheel bearings with sealed units from MAPCycle 59,518 miles.
Draining the crankcase oil I found the metal bits missing from the two intake tappets I replaced.
I gave the crankcase and oil reservoir screen filters a careful cleaning, installed a new oil filter, and topped up the oil.
Before refilling the oil I replaced the inside oil line - it was chaffed from rubbing on the frame (center stand I think) and I had one already measured and cut from the last time. Replacement was 3/16 short of ideal length, but should be ok.
Also refilled fork oil and drained and replaced gear box oil.
Placed a third order with MAPCycle. Washed up triple tree and brake back plate to make them more presentable when I take them for powder coating in Magog.
Pulling out the rocker spindles I discovered that I didn't even fit the intake spindle with an o'ring the last time I put it together. Back to Triumph Mechanic School for me! I even kinda remember being so pleased about how easily one of the spindles went in at the time. Moles are cool people, but I should really get some glasses.
But here's something else interesting. The intake spindle with no o'ring didn't leak oil. The exhaust spindle (with o'ring) was the leaking one!
Put away tools that were scattered all about and cleaned up work areas and parts.
Pulled parts from inventory and organized them along with new parts to be ready for installing them.
Ordered wheel bearings (4), fork oil seals, speedo gearbox, and rocker spindle o'rings.
59,518.7 (interval: 1,477 miles)
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Found the source of all the mess on the tinwork behind the
left hand carb, and also the constant smell of gas I've had for
the past 1,000 miles, and the really crappy performance for the
last 24 hours:
Float in left hand carb was full of gas. Put in one from the
old carbs and the Bonnie's very happy again.
Also checked the ignition timing and found both cylinders
spot on.
On trip with Bob B. to White Mountains, the speedo died. Or
at least the speed indicator. The odometers seem to be still
operational. Tach is also looking pretty sketchy.
58,041 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
L'Amis Denis couldn't get a new rear tire for Bonnie until
mid-October so I had them mount an old, less-worn out one from
my shop.
After I returned home and re-installed the tire, including
alignment, L'Amis Denis called to say their mechanic had left
out a bushing. So, back to Lennoxville and another wheel
removal and installation. Mechanic kind of acted like it was my
fault he left the bushing out.
Disaster. The second time I didn't correctly install clip on
master link and chain flew off on Vallieres, ruining the new
Reynolds chain and sacking the chain guard.
56,700 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter (interval 1,200 miles)
Shell Rotella T 10W-40 diesel oil in crankcase. $28 US a
gallon inc. Vt tax.
56,000 miles
Push rod tubes have been leaking more and more, so I bit the
bullet and started wrenching.
Removed rocker boxes and head and replaced push rod tube oil
seals (except for bottom exhaust o-ring and seal because the
wedding band was really tight and that joint didn't seem to be
leaking).
I'd used a red high-temp o-ring at top of exhaust and it was
totally deteriorated, coming out in little pieces. Other two o-
rings on intake tube were flat, but integral.
All replacement o-rings I used were black ones.
Had trouble tightening domed nuts on rocker spindles because
they kept turning, especially the intake spindle. Finally used
contact cement (household goop) between spindle head on drive
side and screw of a wood vise - with other end of clamp blocked
off rocker box fins with small piece of plywood. This gave just
enough friction to tighten the nut sufficiently that it didn't
leak.
Re-torqued head bolts after about 6 miles and re-set valve
clearance. Drove 82 miles (around Lake Memphremagog) and re-
checked bolts, which were ok. All four valves had zero
clearance.
Also checked timing - ever so slightly retarded in both
cylinders, a little more on timing side.
When putting carbs back on I used PL's method - slack idle
screws right out - adjust cables for slides being all the way
down and synchronized. Then set idle with idle screws.
Bike is very responsive and smooth to throttle control and
idles very nicely at 600.
56,033 miles
Repaired wiring to center lug of selenium rectifier. I
recently used a side-by-side two-to-one connector to connect
the brown/white and (other) wires to center lug. The rectifier
got loose and turned evidently, shorting to the fender. The
resulting heat burned my under-the-seat rags and the blue tool-
kit pouch. Totally charred. Lucky I didn't have a fire.
Very thorough ignition timing job pays off. Did static
timing first. Forgot to advance the autoadvance with
screwdriver, but it all worked out ok when I made adjustments
using the strobe. Used an old lawn tractor 12v battery as
external power source for strobe - timing mark seemed to jump
around a little less.
Timing is right on the spot now and Bonnie is quieter with
less vibration, and has more power and smoother acceleration.
Adjusted drive chain.
55,500 miles
Oil change with filter. (interval 1,223 miles)
Replaced gaiters.
54,717.7 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
New primary chain adjusted
New fork oil
Reset timing for timing side cylinder (it was retarded).
Went really well using my points photo as a guide
Oil and filter at 54,277 miles
53,310 miles
Started first kick.
Overheated on way back from Ayer's Cliff, but after re-
adjusting valve clearance everything's been fine.
Bike's much quieter without rattle from loose chain guard.
Handles better with new shocks and adjustment of steering head
races (loose all last year).
No oil or gas leaks!
End of 2012 Season at 53,310 miles
5,460 miles during 2012 season.
Oil change . 53,100 miles
Oil change. 51,800 miles
Oil change. 51,040 miles
Found ignition coils loose (again!)
50,680 miles.
New K70 rear tire mounted by L'Amis Denis
50,300 miles.
New drive chain installed and adjusted.
Changed center stand spring and replaced nuts, bolts, tab
washers holding the stand to frame. Replacement bolts don't
thread into the threaded holes of center stand the way the
originals do, but they seem to do the trick.
The method I finally used to get the new spring on works
really well ? no strain! Fold about a 6? section of 1/4" nylon
rope and pass the folded end from front to back over the frame
member where the spring anchors. Hook the spring over the loop
and then pull the spring on from the front with one foot on the
drive side footpeg for a brace. After the spring is on, pull
the rope out the back way.
Installed new parts for the steering damper.
49,400 miles
Oil change.
Pre-Ormstown check-over found about 8 bolts or nuts loose to
some degree.
48,607 miles
47,550 miles
Slacked off valve adjustments and loosened all head bolts to
hand-tight.
Found bolt missing from forward head-steadies. That's the
bolt I found at Crooks car wash just before the end of the
season!
Also found rocker box and head bolts not very tight -
perhaps 2 were not much more than hand tight.
Removed gas tank, carbs, head steadies.
47,550 miles end of season.
47,550 miles
Oil change: crankcase and primary chain case.
Replaced cracked headlight lense with new Lucas ($55).
46,700 miles
Oil change: crankcase and primary chain case.
Been hearing a noise over the past week - kind of a rattle,
or sound of a wind-up clock's spring suddenly releasing.
Hearing this mostly at a stop at idle as rev's decrease.
This morning I tore down the transmission completely,
removing the engine and clutch sprockets. Found nothing loose
except for the primary chain being quite slack.
Those econo chains from BSC really stretch a lot!!
Put everything back together (3 1/2 hours to tear down
transmission and re-assemble) and put more tension on the clutch
springs.
Went out for a two-hour road test - the noise seems to be
gone and the clutch no longer is slipping - what a difference
in acceleration!
I did notice that the left-hand ends of the rocker spindle's
are moving around a bit. Checked the dome nuts at the other end
and they seem quite tight. Maybe this is normal, I'm not sure.
Or maybe I have too little clearance for the valves? Doesn't
seem so though.
46,200 miles
New spark plugs - Autolite N3 equivelent (but copper)
Checked points - left them alone
Re-set timing (right cylinder was out a little)
Valve adjustment using this method:
Oil change: 45,315 miles
Oil change: 45,075 miles
Installed new rear tire: 44,730 miles
44,250 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil/filter
Clutch slipping less since I changed oil and used 30W non-D
and less (~300 ml)
Installed replacement oil filter head - no leak!
Beginning of season issues:
Ordered new front and rear tires today.
Start of season odometer reading: 43,3841 miles
Installed Norton oil filter head
Replaced:
42,530 miles odometer reading.
Installed new clutch friction plates. No more slipping clutch.
Also, checked cylinder compression:
42,497 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (485 mile interval)
42,015 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (1,236 mile interval)
40,779 miles
Went through a period of backfiring and missing after
initially running quite well. Eventually, after fretting over
valves, timing, and carb, I put the battery back in after
having replaced it with a capacitor. Bike instantly began
running normally again with the battery in the circuit.
Bike definitely has more power than before the rebuild.
Had used a bit of oil - about a quart in 500 miles. And the
clutch has been slipping occasionally on two of my last three
outings.
Bonnie back on the road
40,397 miles
Retrieved motor from Costa Zarifi.
CZ changed (40,397 miles)
Issues
Valve job by Frank Holmes
Mileage, 2007
Installed new speedo cable but the speedo still doesn't
work. Speedo works with electric drill, cable has no "flitches"
in it, but output from cable from gearbox is pulsating. Guess I
need a new gearbox.
Oil change (crankcase, chaincase), new rear tire, new chain
(Reynolds), and new sprocket.
Occasion for another new chain being that I cut the first
one a link too short.
37,079 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (cleaned sump filter only)
Checked points - gaps and timing are right on.
Adjusted idle screws on carbs.
New chain (Reynolds) put into service. Aligned rear tire
(twice with new chain, once with old).
Melted down ground leads by shorting out battery (-) with
oil dip stick. I should turn battery around so terminals are
further away. Put insulated booties on?
Removed front brake lever assembly (from Waldridge I'm
pretty sure) due to cracked and broken screw mounting. Replaced
with - original? Replacement is upside down (cable inserts into
lever from bottom and not top).
36,630 miles
Replaced front wheel bearings.
Changed crankcase/primary oil (no filters cleaned)
Lubed points fluffs and cables.
Changed crankcase/primary oil (cleaned sump filter)
Lost left muffler returning from East Hereford.
Lower mounting bracket on chain guard broke weld to chain
guard. Brazed by welder in Magog.
Left front mounting stud on gas tank broke off. Repaired by
Atelier des Profs with their brand of liquid steel.
33,750 new miles (18,000 miles total).
Maiden voyage to Ayer's Cliff and then around lake
Memphremagog. Sixty-eight miles in all. Issues:
Front forks work:
Lower leg replacement from Hutchinson had a different type of drain plug (elongated tip - for
sediment?) and also had threads in the mounting lug for the rear front fender stay.
I also ordered a new dust cover but it was not a good match with the other original so I put back the original one. I did note that the new
dust cover threaded on quite snugly while the old one threaded on fairly loosely until the last little bit.
When I took apart the forks I found that the circlip had come off of the shuttle valve on both sides. One of
the check valves is a bit beat up but I put it back in because replacement was not immediately available.
Replacements
Cables
Things done/not done
Have stripped Bonnie down to engine in frame, fenders, front
end, front tire, oil bottle.
Issues/things to do:
First run (2 miles - Chemin Vallieres)
Second run (5 miles - Ayers Cliff)
Third run (28 miles - Tyson's Corner)
Fourth run (50 miles - Sherbrooke)
Fifth run (50 miles - Katevale,Magog,Gendron,GVille,Brown's Hill,
Ayers Cliff)
High revving problem was due to such poor condition of o-ring for
idle adjustment that the idle screw had no friction and just
kept screwing itself in (higher revs) each time i adjusted it. A
new o-ring fixed the problem right up.
Although cable friction was not to blame for high-revving, i nevertheless
decided to eliminate the cable tie I'd put around upper member
beneath gas tank to hold throttle cables as well as clutch cable
tight to the frame. Without the tie they take a larger radius arc and
seem more "relaxed".
Severe miss and dead battery due to
I corrected above and timed the engine first using Hancox's static
method and then using the strobe. Running really well!
33,629 miles
(interval 929 miles)
Crankcase: Quick Change (filters not removed, sump not
drained)
32,700 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil
31,884 miles
Rear tire flat.
Installed new K-70 tire and tube (D'eauville)
31,700 miles (new speedo)
Changed crankcase/primary oil
Cleaned and lubed chain
Also, installed new cables for carbs and clutch and adjusted
timing and idle. Bike is running like new!
Replace speedometer with a rebuilt from Frank. Old
speedometer stopped at 31, 493 miles (see table above).
Bonnie popped out of 4th gear yesterday and left me in
neutral with no gear changing action from the foot shift (no
clicks, just up and down).
Coasted back to Dave's driveway where foot shift still
didn't work, but then it started working about five minutes
later. Went on to ride for several hours with no problems.
I was cranking pretty hard going up the hill at 70 when she
popped out.
31,003
Changed crankcase/primary oil
Before leaving on trip down to NH to meet Richard Swartwout
Stopped at Frank Holmes Brit Bike Barn, former home of
Bonnie. Frank was effusive in praise of the bike. When he heard
about the top end job and subsequent oil burning he ran into
the shop and came out with spark plug wrench and compression
test in hand.
Both cylinders measured between 165-170 after 5 or 6 kicks.
After the rebuilt they measured around 135, but I didn't
hold the throttle wide open the way Frank said to.
After a spate of headlamp bulbs breaking I solved the
problem by putting a small dab of grease on both contacts of
the last bulb I put in. The contact assembly twists on quite
stiffly and evidently without the grease it had been stressing
the bulbs base with respect to the glass, resulting in breakage
in quick time.
Replaced exhaust pipes after striking rock in the wake of a
road grader.
I asked for 'skinny' pipes this time instead of the 'fat'
pipes I got last time from Don Hutchinson. The first set had a
bad bend in the right-hand side pipe and I had to return them
for a second pair.
I'm not totally happy with this set either - they go on but
I think the angles between the pipes and the jugs are not
completely right - I have a hard time sealing the exhaust
gasses in at that joint.
28,675 miles. Completing winter 2005/2006 maintenance at 28,675 miles
Compression after rebuild: 135/135.
Top end rebuild, including:
Wheels
Gas tank
Oil tank
Frame and most brackets and tin
Fasteners
Wiring
Lubrication
Greased:
Pre-rebuild top-end spec's (Patrick Degens') at 28,675 miles:
Results:
Part: Note: the following part numbers reflect the sealing
condition found from '70 until '73, to which Bonnie was
evidently upgraded previously.
Picked up powder coated frame, brackets, and tin.
28,675 miles
Last ride on 1 December.
Tearing bike down for winter maintenance.
Received replacement left-hand carb and it works just fine.
Now that both carbs will tickle, Bonnie starts right up on
two cylinders again.
Installed new Amal concentrics.
A few issues: 1) left carb won't tickle (just like old right
carb) and 2) can't properly thread air cleaner onto the left
carb.
Idle screws are right out giving no idle unless throttle is
held open at the twist-grip - however, it started on about the
third or fourth kick and on a short test run down the hill, and
a way past the Stanstead county line it ran very well:
No coughing and missing as before and pinging has subsided
greatly (gone except under stress?). The formerly jerky low and
mid-range (2,000-3200rpm) throttle response is now very smooth.
I've never been able to come up the hill as slowly and
negotiate the first corner with no engine ping.
Top end? Had no helmet on and only took her up to just under
70 on the winding turns of gravel road. It did seem to have a
bit of a dead spot up there, but hard to tell.
Replaced front stay. New one broke in less than two hundred
miles.
23,750 miles
23,045 miles
Began readying Bonnie just about a week ago. Had a new rear
tire mounted and replaced the wheel with lubed chain.
Then I checked the valves - exhaust seemed ok, but the inlet
valves seemed to have no clearance at all so I readjusted them.
Reassembled everything and gave her a kick outside - started
right up on the first kick, but only on the left-hand cylinder.
Spent four days working on the electrics because the right-
hand cylinder's spark looked weak to me - ordered new coils
from Moto Montreal and they arrived next day by express mail
but they were the wrong ones so I drove to Montreal and
exchanged them.
After reassembling with new coils she was still hitting on
only one cylinder so I pinged the BritIron mailing list. Pete
Chartrand was first to respond and he was right on when he said
to check the two small holes in the needle jet. Passed a
slender wire through them, reassembled once again and Bonnie
roared to life on both cylinders on the first kick.
Took a short spin down to AC and back and then took a ride
to Magog today after first going to Crook's car wash in the
village. It was about 5 degrees C but I had on two pairs of
pants and my riding jacket with winter liner so I was very
comfy.
23,045 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (1,200 mile interval)
Cleaned and lubed drive chain(530 mile interval).
22,980 miles
Dip switch died this week - shorts out battery and blows
fuse on high beam.
22,516 miles
Chain cleaned and lubed
New chain's master link came off very easily using a small
drift to punch the connecting link out of the cover piece. Used
the needle nose vice grips to put the cover piece back on far
enough when replacing and I think it went a bit easer than the
first time, but still very thight.
While checking tire alignment after replacing chain I
noticed that the rear tire is practically finished - just a tad
better than when I replaced it on July 23 at 21,100. That gives
me 1,400 miles on the tire - can the gravel be that hard on
tires? I think something?s wrong here. I?m estimating that the
last tire (put on by Frank) lasted in the vicinity of 7,000
miles.
Also noticed yesterday that all Bonnie?s lighting was out.
Thought it?d be a connection on the lighting switch but instead
it was the feed to the lighting switch from the ignition
(brown/white wire on ignition switch connection the farthest
forward).
21,845 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (1,259 mile interval - oil was
quite dirty)
21,108 miles: chain cleaning and lube.
Replaced metal cover on drive side which I lost several days
earlier on a ride around the west side of Lake Memphremagog in
Vermont.
20,568 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (833 mile interval)
Cleaned and lubed drive chain.
Adjusted the ignition timing using a stroboscope. Hard to
see but then I marked it with black magic marker and waited
until dark (bike was outside).
Also managed to turn both headers yellow (even some purple
on the drive side) - 2,000 rpm while stationary is enough to
overheat the bike.
Once I could see the timing mark under the strobe it only
took four or five seconds to check a setting. I think trial and
error is best because my arms aren't eight feet long. It would
be good to note adjustments in terms of advance and retard for
future reference.
20,100 miles
New rear tire and tube.
19,911 miles.
Cleaned and lubed chain
19,825 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil (1,060 miles interval).
Also installed new oil hoses between oil tank and oil pump
junction block. New hose is softer, more pliable than the old.
New clamps seem to tighten it right down and there is no longer
any leakage from the oil pump side connections where there
definitely was before. There still, however, seems to be some
oil leaking from somewhere.
Since 'completing' restoration reassembly I have lost, or
nearly lost:
Lost a chain in Rock Island. Evidently I didn't snap on the
master link clip after replacing fresh chain. Had none to fit
at home, got towed home by Dodge dealer. Picked up new link
next day at Moto Montreal.
19,400 miles
lubed chain (medium chain bar oil overnight and drain).
18,765 miles
First ride of the season.
Did a lot of maintenance this winter, but details are missing - notes say "see separate document".
Changed crankcase/primary oil
Changed gearbox oil
Mileage: 18,764.
Last ride of the season.
18, 200 miles.
Changed crankcase/primary oil (inc. filters)
Failed to tighten primary oil level screw, evidently, and
lost it on first 30-mile ride. Doesn't seem to be any damage to
chains or clutch, though. Found a screw with thread close
enough (might be a tad loose in the thread) for a temporary
replacement.
Aligned rear wheel using a straight-edge (1 x 4 pine) but
was way off. As soon as I rode (same ride as above), I could
feel the bike tracking to the left and acting weird. Re-aligned
using instead a piece of mason line - much better!
Went to Moto Montreal. Talked with Chris. New concentric
carbs are $200 apiece. A damper would run about $60 in parts.
Picked up headlight and speedo bulbs (bayonets) as well as a
set of new footpeg rubbers.
Oil change 17,150 miles. Includes primary chain case and
crankcase. Washed all filters in kerosene.
Adjusted clutch - just right now at a little under a half
turn out from plate lift. Doesn't seem to be slipping now, but
gear changing is smoother. Noticed today that going very slow
and easy from neutral to first at a standstill seems to go
quite easily.
Thought I had tracked down the dead RH cylinder problem to a
bad condenser (points for RH side seemed to be arching - a
faulty condenser according to Haynes), but after replacing both
condensers ($36 plus tax from Moto Montreal) the problem
persisted.
I went over everything again - hooked up the ignition switch
correctly, etc. Finally switched plug wires and watched the
problem move from Right to Left cylinder as I turned over the
engine with plugs out and grounded, watching for spark.
Got two new wires made up by Magog Auto Elentrics
(Sherbrooke street) and Bonnie started right up on two
cylinders.
Meanwhile I have removed the ugly bracket that held the horn
and the condensers and mounted the condensers directly to the
frame there instead of to the bracket. Of course I also removed
the horn relay and all the extra baggage wiring.
Starting to look a bit cleaner.
Couldn't go for a ride afterwards due to rain, so I cleaned
the air filters instead.
Well, I may have fixed the intermittent ignition switch
problem, but now the right-hand cylinder is completely missing
at low revs. I went out twice since cleaning up the switch
corrosion and the problem gradually got worse and worse to the
point that the r-hand cylinder hardly fires at all until rpm's
are way up and even there it bogs.
Yesterday I could see that the spark on that cylinder is
very weak. I cleaned the plugs and points and checked all gaps
- .020 plugs, .015 points (they were both very tight, plugs
were a nice light chocolate brown).
I also checked the ignition switch - I think it's connected
correctly, but I'm not 100 percent sure.
I pulled off the tank again today and looked at all the coil
connections that I re-did the other day before discovering the
corroded ignition switch. Everything looks ok.
Could be capacitor or coil? Wire? The spark was weak from
plug end of plug wire to ground with the bike running (on left-
hand cylinder).
Tomorrow I need to check origins of the brown/white and
white/brown wires to ignition switch with VOM to see if the
ignition switch is truly hooked up properly:
I'd swear that before I played with the ignition switch the
first time (below), the lights would not come on until the
ignition switch was turned on, whereas now the lights will
remain on after the ignition switch is turned off.
Bike was stalling two nights ago when LA and I went for a
ride to Magog and North Hatley and today it died completely when
I got to the bottom of our hill.
I found the problem - bad contacts (corrosion) on the
ignition switch. Cleaned them up and its working fine - this
should also fix the anomaly that I noticed when I drove to
Sherbrooke the first time this summer- bike stalling when making
a left-turn from a light. This was because turning the front
wheel to the left moved the big plastic-covered part of the
wiring harness that goes up to the headlamp shell and that was
what was making the ignition switch contact intermittent.
16,500 miles
Changed crankcase/primary oil
Tried adjusting the clutch again - to about 2/3 of a turn,
clutch still drags.
Clutch was slipping. Manual says to back 1 turn off of where
plate lifts, bike was adjusted right to where the plate lifts.
I backed it off one turn and the clutch is now dragging a bit
too much - gear changes are a bit chattery.
15, 768 miles.
(Last entry by Frank)
New fork seals and gators.
Re torqued head, set valves, changed gear oil.
190cc 30w oil in front forks.
New front tire and new front fork gator.
De glazed front brake drum.
New 20" (or 15 thousandths inch) over pistons and new valve guides.
New K70 rear tire.
New rear brake shoes.
New center stand spring.
Adjusted primary chain.
(Start for Frank)
Cleaning.
Disassemble carbs, replace needle jets, check floats, clean airways.
No sign of oil leakage past guides.
# 3 slides
# 190 mains
Rear speedometer drive: [3 or B]65330/168
Rotor: 15/12 =1.25-1
"The Bonnie Ref" is an outgrowth of my efforts to maintain and repair "Bonnie", my 1969 T120R Triumph 650 Bonneville. From the very beginning I have been the beneficiary of much help and information from fellow CVMG club members, the BritIron mailing
list, and classic Triumph forums such as Britbike.com and TriumphRat.net.
To organize the information and make it accessible, I used HTML and lots of hyperlinks. Tired of the dark, blurry photos in workshop and repair manuals, I included my own digital photos and illustrations created in Fireworks 2.0 (I own it, it's mine - screw Adobe!). Eventually I began linking to useful information from around the Internet.
I am not a mechanic or expert by any means, but I hope you'll agree that this "manual" provides quick and easy access to volumes of interesting and useful information on the late 60's Triumph 650 motorcycles. Enjoy!
Corrections, suggestions, or comments welcome:
tmc at hermit.cc.
Cheers! and Happy Trails 1969 Triumph Bonneville T120R
The Triumph Meriden factory began production for new model years in August of the prior year. In October 1968, during the 1969 model year,
Triumph changed to a new serial number system. The new serial numbers used two letters to designate the month and year of production, and a 5-digit serial number, beginning at either
00100 or 00101, depending upon what source you read. So, in October of 1968, Bonnie was either the 24th or 25th Triumph twin to use the new serial number system.
I purchased Bonnie from Frank Holmes at Frank's Brit-Barn in New Hampshire on June 28, 2003. There were just over 14,000 miles on the clock. She came in very original condition and complete except for Windtone horns.
I re-styled Bonnie to look more like the 1966 models I had 'back in the day'. Things like fitting '66 retro tank badges, stainless steel fenders, and steering damper, moving the zenner diode from the headlight back to the side panel, and dispensing with the exhaust pipe balance tube. All of the original parts - tank badges, fenders, seat, exhaust & mufflers, handlebars, carburetors, points, and many others, I've kept, so possible to restore to near-original condition.
13 July 2018
(Official) Beginning of Season 2018
2 July 2018
Beginning of Season 2018
8 June 2018
Winter 2018 Tear-Down
6 June 2018
Bonnie comes off the table
30 May 2018
Loctite used on:
Winter 2018 Service & Parts Replacement (76,606.7 miles)
March 2, 2018
"What had failed on your speedo was the drag disk.
It is an aluminum disk that is captured by the magnetic field and
transfers the motion to the pointer. The shaft through the drag disk
had become loose. It appears I had used a new drag disk originally and
this was simply a part failure.
I advise against using oil on a cable and recommend grease because the
oil can "corkscrew" its way up the inner cable and into the instrument.
However, your instrument was clean and dry inside with no evidence of
oil entering it."
January 25, 2018
Scheduled Maintenance & Repairs
End of Season 2017
9 November 2017
19 October 2017
7 October 2017
75,943 miles
2 October 2017
1 October 2017
12 September 2017
10 July 2017
3 June 2017
2 June 2017
Service (73,011 miles)
Beginning of Season 2017
5 May 2017
Winter 2016/Spring 2017
No significant work carried out this winter
Note on Bonnie's Gearshift & Gearbox Components
End of Season 2016
22 November 2016
2016
Procedures and Completion Times:
August 11, 2016
July 10, 2016
Service
June 27, 2016
June 25, 2016
Work Times
Procedures and Completion Times:
February 2016
Winter Service & Repairs (68,876 miles)
End of Season 2015
November 15, 2015
September 15, 2015
September 12, 2015
Service
September 5, 2015
September 3, 2015
August 25, 2015
August 17, 2015
August 11, 2015
June 2 2015
Beginning of Season 2015
Winter 2015 Tear-down (65,120 miles)
Winter 2015 Service & Parts Replacements (65,120 mi)
End of Season 2014
EOS Mileage: 65,120
2014 Issues
* Use pipe to hold on brake while tightening axle nut
* Worn out air slides - re-sleeve carburettors
* Problem was a bad spark plug
September 29, 2014
August 26, 2014
August 21, 2014
August 19, 2014
August 16, 2014
August 15, 2014
August 14, 2014
August 12, 2014
August 8, 2014
August 5, 2014
July 24, 2014
July 10, 2014
June 6, 2014 Friday
New Adjusters Tops!
June 5, 2014
The Bad & The Good
The Bad
The Good
June 5, 2014 Thursday
Initial run-in
Gasket Compression
June 5, 2014 Thursday
Valve Adjustments
June 4, 2014 Wednesday
Winter Service & Repairs
June 3, 2014 Tuesday
Cables/Gas tank
May 31, 2014 Saturday
Rear wheel/brakes
Issues
Center those shoes!
May 30, 2014
May 29, 2014
May 27, 2014 Tuesday
Assembly Continues
Metal Bits
Chopsticks
Have finally discovered a quick, easy, and pretty greaseless way to thread the chain back onto the top of the rear sprocket: use a chopstick! Pass the chopstick through the spokes and insert the tapered end into the empty hole at the end of the chain. Makes chain on a stick, and easy to manipulate into place without ever touching it.
May 18, 2014 Sunday
Assembled steering head/front forks
May 17, 2014 Saturday
Assembled front/back axles
May 8, 2014 Thursday
Disassembled cylinder block
April 26, 2014 Saturday
Disassembled front axle 1-1/2 hours
April 25, 2014 Friday
Parts Order
April 25, 2014 Friday
1:30
Disassembled front forks
April 24, 2014 Thursday
Rocker Boxes 3 hours
Interesting Discovery
April 23, 2014 Wednesday
Brakes 4 hours
April 22, 2014 Tuesday
Cleaning & Wrenching 4 hours
April 20, 2014 Sunday
Cleanup & Prop 2 hours
April 17, 2014 Thursday
Disassembly & Cleaning 6 hours
April 11, 2014 Friday
MAP Parts Order #2
Retro Note: This Taiwenese speedo gearbox repro from MAPCyle lasted just under 5 years as it "exploded" into pieces in late summer, 2019.
April 9, 2014 Wednesday
Begin Tearing-Down 2 hours
Winter 2014
End of Season 2013
October 22, 2013
October 11, 2013
October 1, 2013
September 22, 2013
September 19, 2013
August 22, 2013
August 21, 2013
August 3, 2013
July 23, 2013
July 10, 2013
June 28, 2013
Beginning of Season 2013
June 3, 2013
Winter Tear-Down 2013
May 22, 2013
End of Season 2012
October 2012
October 22, 2012
October2, 2012
September 5, 2012
September 12, 2012
August 23, 2012
August 2, 2012
July 12, 2012
Beginning of Season 2012
July 6, 2012
Midseason Service & Repairs (ascending chronological order)
✔
Winter Tear-Down 2012
January 9, 2012
January 8, 2012
End of Season 2011
September 28, 2011
August 27, 2011
August 18, 2011
August 10, 2011
July 26, 2011
July 5, 2011
June 22, 2011
June 8, 2011
June 5, 2011
May 26, 2011
Start of Season 2011
April 2011
Winter Tear-Down 2011
End of Season 2010
September 25, 2010
Cylinder Opposite plug in
Opposite plug out Left 145
psi 150 Right 120 psi
150 September 21, 2010
September 1, 2010
July 23, 2010
Beginning of Season 2010
July 4, 2010
Winter Tear-Down 2010
June 9, 2010
Season 2009 Cancelled
Winter Tear-Down 2008
January 6, 2008
End of Season 2007
Event
Speedo Reading Beginning of 2006 season (original speedo)
28675 Original speedo out of service
31493 2006 Subtotal (old speedo)
2818 End 2006 season (new speedo)
2550.1 2006 Subtotal (new speedo)
2550.1 2006 Grand Total
5368.1 November 14, 2007
October 5, 2007
July 30, 2007
July 15, 2007
June 23, 2007
May 28, 2007
34,979.2 miles
May 25, 2007
May 10, 2007
May 03, 2007
Beginning of Season 2007
March 22, 2007
Winter Tear-Down 2007
March 20, 2007
January 28, 2007
End of Season 2006
2006 Issues
Resolutions
December 25, 2006
Event
Speedo Reading Beginning of 2006 season (original speedo)
28675 Original speedo out of service
31493 2006 Subtotal (old speedo)
2818 End 2006 season (new speedo)
2550.1 2006 Subtotal (new speedo)
2550.1 2006 Grand Total
5368.1 November 24, 2006
October 14, 2006
September 16, 2006
September 10, 2006
September 7, 2006
September 1, 2006
August 25, 2006
August 12, 2006
July 30, 2006
Beginning of Season 2006
Winter Tear-Down 2006
March 15, 2006
Measured
Specs
Action taken Valve stems inlet
.3082 & .3082
.3095-.3100"
Changed Valve stems exh
.3075 & .3097
.3090-.3095"
Changed Valve guides inlet
.3129 &.3132
.3127-.3137
Kept Valve guides exh
.3129 & .3128
.3127-.3137
Kept Tappets inlet
.3100 & .3110
.3110-.3115
Changed 1 Tappets exh
.3110 & .3115
.3110-.3115
Kept Piston clearance
.0062 & .0062
.0046-.0061
Kept Rings (all )
.018 to .025"
.010-.014" Gap
Changed Cylinder bore (+.020)
2.8152 & 2.8151"
2.8148-2.8153
No rebore Part Number
Part Description E-7310
bottom pushrod tower sealing o'ring E1-1283
top pushrod tower sealing o'ring E-4752
sealing ring (white, square-edged ring) E1-1707
sleeve (aka wedding band!) E1-2575
correct push rod tower number January 14, 2006
End of Season 2005
December 8, 2005
September 23, 2005
September 8, 2005
August
May 7, 2005
Beginning of Season 2005
April 14, 2005
Winter Tear-Down 2005
End of Season 2004
October 29, 2004
October 26, 2004
October 10, 2004
September 25, 2004
September 4, 2004
September 2, 2004
August 13, 2004
August 10, 2004
July 23, 2004
July 14, 2004
July 12, 2004
July 6, 2004
June 14, 2004
June 11, 2004
Beginning of Season 2004
May 26, 2004
Winter Tear-Down 2004
End of Season 2003
2003 Issues
November 25, 2003
October 12, 2003
September 26, 2003
August 30 , 2003
August 29, 2003
August 27, 2003
August 24, 2003
August 1, 2003
21 July, 2003
Start my Bonnie log
June 28, 2003
End previous owner log
May 23, 2003
August 12, 2002
August 10, 2002
August 8, 2002
July 8, 2002
June 23, 2002
June 22, 2002
About The Bonnie Ref
Bruce Miller (The Hermit)
About Bonnie
Beginning of log: T120R Engine & Frame NC00125
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