Triumph BonnevilleTriumph Bonneville Era's: Meriden (42 - 83) Harris (84 - 90) Hinckley 1990 onwards
Limited Editions, One-offs and Memorabilia Click Here
August 21 2008. My "Dream bike". Swapped TT for one below. (Not a bad Birthday present at all :-) Have wanted a Bonneville since I can remember. As an experiment (and because I want to), gonna continue diary with the History of the Triumph Bonneville. August 31 Joined a few Triumph Forums. Now realise know nothing about Bonnevilles! Thanks for contributions Doug, Steve and Pete. this History is gonna keep getting revised!. Who knows, enough input we may eventually have a comprehensive best seller (and I can retire)! Picture above is my dad aged 4, in a Sidecar with his parents. Anyone know what bike it is? (Answer @ bottom of page)
HISTORY OF TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE
1959 Triumph Bonneville The beginning of a legend for 50 years. Named for Johnny Allen's 214 mph World Record run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1955 on a 650cc Triumph powered streamliner. The Triumph Bonneville would be the basic platform for many other land speed world record attempts and for setting several other world land speed records on a motorcycle.
Bonneville world speed record "AGAIN "on 50th Anniversary !
Part of email from Doug: Attached is a piccie of my Bonneville, No.39, produced on the first day of Bonneville production on Sep 5th 1958. Re The Bonneville shown as 1959 in red and black on this page "NO Bonneville, left the factory in 1959 with the colours shown". Regards Doug Triumph. And another myth also broken The 1959 model was produced in two colour schemes. Blue and grey and orange and grey. None were produced with black oil tank and tool box (Pic below) Silver Jubilee 1977 (Total of 2400 made, tho may even be 4400, as records still being counted) and Golden Jubilee 2002 (Total 699 without screen A9708013-ZGG. 120 with screen A9708015-ZGG). T120 1959 (Note wrong colour cover) next to 2009 Anniversary. The golden Jubilee 02 model was a seller installed kit. With special fuel tank paint job, fenders, side panels and optional extra headlight flyscreen. 
Triumph Bonneville 120 RV 1973 & 1980 T140 Introduction of Left hand gear Shift. July 1975 saw the Introduction of the T140V and production with the left hand foot gear change required by US legislation, as well as NVT who marketed the Co Op's product. " The change was carried out by running a simple steel rod, cranked to provide clearance round the clutch, from the gear pedal. which was shortened, to the back of the gearbox. This involved revised inner and outer gearbox covers and joint washers , and a suitable spindle bush, operating quadrant and kickstart axle." Steve Wilson Triumph bonneville. He also states the left hand shift made this bike a NO No for years for a lot of riders who were stubbornly conservative and nervous about the change. Himself included.
Triumph production is discontinued in 1983 and John Bloor buys the name and the manufacturing rights in the same year. In 1985
Les Harris of "Racing Spares," a Triumph parts supplier in Devonshire, South West England,
under contract by John Bloor, continues production of the Triumph Bonneville.
Because of this, Triumph remain the oldest manufacturer of motorcycles (1902 to present) and transportation (1886) in the world. No actual production of motorcycles occurred in 1984 (pics) Harris 1985, Meridan 1969 T120 next to Hinckley 2002.
T140D 1981 Royal Wedding Edition (Black & Chrome 156. Blue & Chrome 276. Total 432.). 2000 Triumph Bonneville After a 12 year absence from the Triumph line-up, Triumph reintroduces the Bonneville with a re-engineered 790cc 360 degree crank parallel twin. In the following several years Triumph would also introduce two other motorcycles based on the basic Triumph Bonnie that would have a "retro" look to them; the Thruxton, a cafe racing style bike based on the late 1960s style street racers in England & the Scramber, an enduro style bike based on the street/dirt racing bikes of the mid-late 1960s in the United States. February 2002 (100 years of Triumph) March 15 2002, a major fire hit the main factory and it took the company more than six months to recover and get fully back into production. Hinckley Triumph Bonneville 2000 - 2008 1997: Design prototype initiated. 1998: Prototype engine bench tested. 1999: First 6 development bikes built. 2000: Testing completed in July. Production of 790cc 360 degree DOHC twin starts. Model launched at Intermot, Munich, Germany in September. 2001: Available in 'scarlet red'/silver and forest green/silver. 2002: Polished and lacquered engine cases. Sky blue/silver colours added to range. (Also release an Orange/Silver Centennial Model & Golden Jubilee Blue Hinckley a dealer fitted 'optional kit' ) 2003: Colours now jet black or cardinal red. No engine changes. 2004: New black engine covers. No engine changes. T100 Bonneville is introduced (jet black/opal white or saphire blue/opal white or Goodwood green/Aztec gold). 2005: New colours scheme introduced for all models. 2006: Introduction of the accessory laden 'Sixty-Eight' Bonneville T100 gets silver crankcase. 2007: All models now with 865cc engine. Adjustable clutch and brake lever.Two Hinckley Triumph Factories opened in Thailand for production. 2008: All models now equipped with electronic fuel injection (due on US models in 2009): Colour options include all black standard model. Introduction of Anniversary Model Orange/grey and Sky Blue/grey.
CENTENNIAL T100 BONNEVILLE Pics above: 2002 790cc Golden Jubilee, 2002 Lucifer Orange/Silver Centennial. This Bonneville is the only model ever produced in one colour scheme, and the first 790cc T100. C.E came with metal side covers (showing T100 for 1st time), Speedo/Tacho, and chrome engine crankcase, 1061 produced.
2002 C.E model First one engine no. 156125 28th Jan 02 - 600 made (pre fire)
2003 C.E model Last one engine no. 165881 26th Nov 03 - 461 made (post Fire) A total of 1061 2006 865cc T100 Cardinal Red/Black, 2002 790cc Scarlet Red/Silver 2009 Triumph Bonneville T100 & SE Triumph's iconic nameplate, "Bonneville", celebrates it's 50th anniversary. Only 650 Anniversary models are produced. In conjunction with the Anniversary model, Triumph releases the Triumph Bonneville SE series with Seventies-look 17-inch cast alloy wheels (from 19" This I believe would be a great bike for the shorter rider.) at the front and rear, shorter mudguards and revised ergonomics for manoeuvrablity, the Peashooter exhaust is replaced with megaphone silencers and a new tank badge is used. All 2009 models now have EFI. Aniversary shown is owned and modified by X-Chopper
Click on links below (this will open a new page, so wont lose this page):
Triumph History with must see video!!
1969 TT Video, actually states the Bonneville was named after Bob Lepan. This is "Not True" It was named after Johnny Allen's 214 mph World Record run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1955 on a 650cc Triumph powered streamliner.
126 Years of Triumph History Author S. Winslow
(CLICK HERE) TO SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID, AND ADD YOUR OWN 
Triumph bonneville Triumph Rocket Triumph Speedmaster
Triumph Trident Triumph Tiger Scrambler Thruxton
If anyone has a Triumph and would like their picture included, or would like to make any revisions to the History.
Contact me.
September 2 A Bonneville forum are running an "Ultimate Bonnie" quest at the moment and I thought this email, and my reply were very relevant. "Don't know and I certainly cannot be held out as a typical example of anything. Excepting perhaps only madness and the lasting effects of a public school education.I have had old Triumphs (they not really all that Old to me! and I have had newer Triumphs, and I have had a Hinckley. If I could only have one - I would not even hesitate before choosing the Hinckley. As much as I love the past - I would choose the Hinckley. Now if the question was: any of them brand new - the answer would be more difficult. But the Hinckley is a damned fine motorcycle.
And the fact that I can have a new one just puts it over the decision-making top to me. I love an old workshop, I love fondling tools, I love the smell of old greases and gasoline, and oil soaked wooden workbenches. But . . . do I like them more than I like riding? No. I don't want to give up either one but the shop would be easier than riding the bike. I worked on a set of four carburetors which were not really "old" - 1981, for more than a week and never got them all working right at the same time. Over the last four days I have been tinkering with reviving another smaller bike.. Much of that time taken up with carburetor work. Just an hour ago I figured out that the slight fuel leak was due to the tiny brass internal overflow tube having a microscopic crack in it. I have stacks of parts bikes and so set about finding and cleaning and prepping and testing a suitable replacement fuel bowl. But imagine that I didn't have that advantage. Of course I could have fixed the leak if it came to the bowl being irreplaceable. For that matter; I could have fabricated a new fuel bowl. But do I want to? In preference to riding? No. Triumph has made some really fine motorcycles over the last hundred years. If the first one had been perfect there may never have been a Hinckley. But the fact is that there is. It came about through the search for a better bike and to my mind, in an overall sense; they have achieved it. It is genuinely an excellent unit. It is head-turningly handsome, silky smooth, comfortable, pleasant, and does everything well. It is rock-solid reliable, never leaks, and I can buy oil filters in any auto parts store. And it is new. And so it more easily and smoothly supplies more of the single indispensable reason for the existence of motorcycling - the riding. Stephen" My reply This is my final choice (I promise) Stephen has converted me and my choice is my 800 cc Hinckley. My 1st choice was the Les Harris but it was pointed out that the ES has Electric start and looks the same. So I changed to ES. But would I get rid of my Hinckley if someone offered a straight swap for the Les or ES? The answer is NO. I am no mechanic and I love my baby 2002 that is reliable and I can take to a mechanic. What would I do with an old style bike? Simply nothing at all. I have never not loved Triumph Bonnevilles, but My baby is my choice. The 2002 800cc. The bike I have and will never sell. ( unless a newer model with kickstart is introduced :-)
Triumph Phoenix (AKA Diana ) Picture of Doug Mogano of Italy next to the Triumph Phoenix at the Triumph factory in Meriden in 1983. This bike was never produced and this example, the only one, was made of wood & clay. It was displayed on March 1983 at the Birmingham motorcycle show. Wonder what happened to it?
For anyone interested "TBHMCQ" will be holding a rally at Dayboro Showgrounds. There is camping available and meals and drinks will be available. It is for 50yrs of Bonneville and all Triumphs are welcome. 
August 21 2009 Triumph Bonneville Birthday Party (T.O.M.C.C)Friday 21st August 2009 - put this date firmly in your calendar - we are all off to the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the most iconic bike in the world - THE BONNEVILLE - the rally starts with a hog roast (on the club) on Friday and finishes with a run to the Meriden factory site on Sunday. be there or forever sorry. August 22-23 Bonneville 50th Anniversary Celebration Motor Heritage Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire. Potentially the biggest Triumph event ever, August 2009 will be 50 years since the Bonnie was launched and we'll be making the world know about it. We want 50 Bonnevilles for each year of production, so get your entry in now. Trade stands also invited. email: info@bonnevillecelebration.org. website: www.bonnevillecelebration.org Answer: Motorbike BSA 350 B31 OR B32 NOT sure. Fuel tank green and silver remainder black. love to you all Dad. No DAD! That was your bike! The bike with Sidecar was owned by Uncle Jack. :-) Actual Answer provided by Jim: Uncle Jack's hack looks to be a 1932 Douglas Model H32. Footnote. I believe the sidecar is a Douglas 600cc supersport with Dickey seat, trunk and door. Bike may even be a 1932 600cc Douglas D32 Greyhound?
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