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View Full Version : Seen the never-started '83 Triumph on Trademe?



robinm
3rd January 2010, 14:56
Can't be many world wide that have never been started http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Classic-vintage/auction-263401090.htm

rwh
3rd January 2010, 15:06
Hmm. 10 miles is a lot of pushing. Or will it have been tested on rollers or something in the factory?

Richard

dogsnbikes
3rd January 2010, 15:10
Wouldn't say its never been started,10miles on the clock thats along way to push the bastard but they have had 27 years to do so...and the chrome coating is almost gone of the right hand side cover badge so certainly had a few arse's in the saddle

but hey its still a nice bike a end of an error so certainly collectable

YellowDog
3rd January 2010, 15:10
Just saw it.

Amazing!

If you are buying it for your private museum, then great.

But when you can get a 10 times better brand new machine of the same model (that doesn't leak oil) why would you?

jellywrestler
3rd January 2010, 15:12
Its little wonder that this brand had such reliability issues if they didn't even bother to start and test ride them at the factory!!!!
hey you wouldn't want to ride a Triumph powered microlight would you?

Edbear
3rd January 2010, 15:27
Wouldn't say its never been started,10miles on the clock thats along way to push the bastard but they have had 27 years to do so...and the chrome coating is almost gone of the right hand side cover badge so certainly had a few arse's in the saddle

but hey its still a nice bike a end of an error so certainly collectable

You could be so right in a way, even though I'm sure you meant 'era'... :yes:

The Everlasting
3rd January 2010, 15:33
Yeah certainly looks nice,I'm starting to rather like the Triumph Bikes!

Motu
3rd January 2010, 15:41
Looks like they were trying to copy the Yamaha XS650 special....not a bad attempt,but I'd rather have the Yamaha.

Insanity_rules
3rd January 2010, 16:09
Thats pretty hot. How many would you see like that?

neels
3rd January 2010, 16:17
That's one shiny rear tyre!!!

Paul in NZ
3rd January 2010, 16:27
The TSX is maybe the rarest Meriden Triumph made but - back in the day it was not wildly successful either. Too little too late and it did have quite a few differences from a normal old T140.

Triumphs were run on rollers and checked for hot spots and sometimes road tested so yes, it could have been started but its still almost unique.

The reason I would never buy one though is I dont like the TSX much and what use is it? You can't ever ride it without ruining its value so it is only ever a display piece. Just not my thing but wonderful to see a piece of history...

RDjase
3rd January 2010, 16:28
Thats one mint Triumph !
Whats the TSX model? Different to a standard Bonnie ? or a last of the line parts bin model? I see it has mags(Lester?, but no triple light weight calipers like the 8 valve) the same as a TSS 8 valve and electric start and painted gaurds (and Yamaha RD/XJ stripes)

Paul in NZ
4th January 2010, 06:11
Yes - very different. 16" rear wheel, return to the teardrop tank, different details like headlight / mounts, side covers, shorter fenders etc and of course a unique exhaust. Really, this was the last days of Meriden and there was not enough money to do it properly and honestly, it was 4 or 5 years too late.

The other bike that came with it was the TSS which was an ungraded bonnie with a 8 valve head developed with Westlake and jack Wilson of Big D Cycles... It was really the 5th generation westlake top end kit and to cope the bottom end was redesigned with bigger crank journals ans it was much more rigid. The TSX was going to get that engine too as it was so much better but it was not ready in time, in fact it was never really ever ready and thats a shame because it could have been the best thing Triumph ever made. The surviving TSS bikes are fixable and highly sought after, the TSX is a curiosity....

cs363
4th January 2010, 06:32
[QUOTE=Paul in NZ;1129596768]The other bike that came with it was the TSS which was an ungraded bonnie with a 8 valve head developed with Westlake and jack Wilson of Big D Cycles... It was really the 5th generation westlake top end kit and to cope the bottom end was redesigned with bigger crank journals ans it was much more rigid. The TSX was going to get that engine too ......QUOTE]

Here's a pic of the prototype TSX/8 for those that are interested

http://www.fedrotriple.it/agg_2008_03/1983-t140-tsx-prototipo.jpg

Apparently they were going to market both bikes as the TSX/4 & TSX/8. Makes you wonder why they'd bother with the 4 valve when they had the 8 valve head available. :crazy:

Bender
4th January 2010, 08:00
Horrible, horrible horrible.

Why would you do that to a Bonnie, one of the nicest looking bikes Triumph ever put out?

You'd have to go out and buy a special velour "leisure suit" to wear when riding the thing.

Motu
4th January 2010, 09:26
Why would you do that to a Bonnie, one of the nicest looking bikes Triumph ever put out?


Because it was what the (American) market wanted.Check out what other bikes and cars 1983 had to offer on the American market.

tri boy
4th January 2010, 09:53
80's era TSX etc Triumphs were hideous beasts that, if it were an animal, it's mother would eat it live just after giving birth to it.
Will be remembered as a last gasp attempt by a dying factory. I'm mean mags, on a Meridan Triumph??????????

James Deuce
4th January 2010, 09:57
I feel like buying it to ride, just to piss some collector off. Including the seller.

Anything I buy appears to be inherently valueless, so why leave it sitting around?

vifferman
4th January 2010, 10:10
$25K? There are other bikes that would be more collectible for that sort of money, and for intrinsic worth (good engineering, classic good looks, race pedigree, etc.) than this one.
Jim2 - love your comments. :D It'd be a laugh to buy it then customise it or whatever, but I'm sure iffen you had that kinda coin spare there are lots of better things you could spend it on.

cs363
4th January 2010, 10:32
$25K? There are other bikes that would be more collectible for that sort of money, and for intrinsic worth (god engineering, classic good looks, race pedigree, etc.) than this one.
Jim2 - love your comments. :D It'd be a laugh to buy it then customise it or whatever, but I'm sure iffen you had that kinda coin spare there are lots of better things you could spend it on.

I agree with both yours and James2's comments and I think at $25K it's well overpriced, most of the other ones I have seen have sold for considerably less (OK, none had 10 miles on the odo, but most if not all were low mileage) average price being around US$6500-$7000 (NZ$8900 - $9600) Here's the last one I saw on EBay: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Triumph-Bonneville_W0QQitemZ270505324785QQcmdZViewItemQQpt ZUS_motorcycles?hash=item3efb5fb0f1

RDjase
4th January 2010, 12:48
80's era TSX etc Triumphs were hideous beasts that, if it were an animal, it's mother would eat it live just after giving birth to it.
Will be remembered as a last gasp attempt by a dying factory. I'm mean mags, on a Meridan Triumph??????????

The T140D specials looked good with there mags , Black and gold and the cool 2 into 1 with the screw in the head header flanges, Was heaps of them in HB in the 80's.
Different style to the TSX/TSS mags,Specials had H shaped 7 spoke and 6 bolt rotors too(look like yamaha), all the other triumphs had 4 bolt.
I like the 8 valve mags better tho (look like late 70's early 80's kwaka?), look good with the triple alloy calipers

Were the T140D mags made by Lester? or is that the TSS wheels?

78 Bonnie still looked he best, Splayed head and disc front and rear, Close 2nd is the 73 with the cool rear drum(conical?) and right hand gear change

What were he mid to late 80's Bonnevilles? A mate had one with Brembo Brakes, 86ish? and another guy had a 650 something? with drum rear(QD) and no tacho, the key and idiot lights were where the tacho should have been, was a 80's model. I think it was a short stroke engine and differnt to the old 650 but not sure

Kickaha
4th January 2010, 13:09
What were he mid to late 80's Bonnevilles? A mate had one with Brembo Brakes, 86ish? and another guy had a 650 something? with drum rear(QD) and no tacho, the key an idiot lights were where the tacho should have been, was a 80's model. I think it was a short stroke engine and differnt to the old 650 but not sure

Harris built Triumphs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Harris_%28businessman%29

They're actually the model I would like to own

Bender
4th January 2010, 13:15
Because it was what the (American) market wanted.Check out what other bikes and cars 1983 had to offer on the American market.

I wonder whether Meridian just got it wong completely. For two decades they (BSA & Triumph) had enjoyed decent sales with their "lightweight and sporty" bikes in the US. The bikes were different to what Harley was producing and Americans liked them. But instead of continuing with a successful and unique formula, they lost their way with bikes like this - no longer unique - and with it went their traditional market.

What they needed to do was forget the mag wheels and vile shouting paint job and focus on making their offering reliable and user friendly. That's all Honda did with its CB350 and CB750, two bikes that slammed shut the coffin lid on the offerings from Meridian. This has all been written a thousand times but they performed OK, were reliable with no nasty design faults, they had electric starters, didn't drop oil and the electrics worked. Started every time (pretty much). Handle?.... let's move right along. It is a measure of how desperate bike buyers were that they were prepared to give up such things as good handling in order to make the gains I mentioned above.

Meridian chose to ignore the clamour. Perhaps all they needed to do was sort out the problems (Lucas electrics etc etc) and give buyers the same as they had always given them, but with reliability and user-friendliness added in.

Promise not to hijack the thread further and apologies to those who like these Trumpies - it's all just a matter of personal taste.

Motu
4th January 2010, 14:10
Yes,it's all been said a thousand times before (6 million on the internet),and for those who understand the complexities of the end of the British motorcycle industry....it's not worth talking about.But as I mentioned in my first post,this is almost an exact replica of the XS650 Special (which itself had been almost a replica of a Bonnie,or Lightning I reckon) In the early '80's customs like the Special were being sold by the truck load in the US,all the manufacturers were doing it....even Ducati! Shit,if Ducati could stoop to making an ugly custom just to capture some sales,then Triumph weren't far behind.As the others have mentioned,Triumph were still making some good traditional bikes....this one is just made for that custom segment of the market.For that,being a little bit ''Special'',they can ask what the want for it.

HenryDorsetCase
4th January 2010, 15:53
Horrible, horrible horrible.



You'd have to go out and buy a special velour "leisure suit" to wear when riding the thing.

You could borrow one of my velour leisure suits if you want. Just saying.

RDjase
4th January 2010, 16:06
You could borrow one of my velour leisure suits if you want. Just saying.

What about the headband( mark knoffler special edition) and leg warmers? all horrible 80's things lol

Lucky they made some good bikes aye

Dodgyiti
6th January 2010, 07:08
I do wonder about the chrome on the side cover panels that is worn, of course being a Merriden bike it could have just fallen off:o but there is also a crease in the seat like it has been sat on a bit. Not my cup of tea at all though. It does look a bit like an XS650, even the graphics are '80s Yamaha-ish. A bike that lost it's relevance 10 years before...
Is it collectable?


I don't think so, I have a Guzzi that is one of only 100 ever made totally original with 20,000mls- is that collectable?
No, it's not but a low mile engine is handy;)

triumphnz
17th January 2010, 09:49
check out the hurricane with a start
price of $35,000.

JimO
17th January 2010, 11:08
a mate had a black one, oil dropping dog of a bike

Pedrostt500
20th January 2010, 18:16
10 Ks aint alot of pushing for a triumph of that era, The death rattle for the British Motorcycle industry was the decades of mismanagement, and the Japs getting their act together.
remember British Leyland, and all is clear why Great Britan lost the "Great" in their motor industry.

RDjase
20th January 2010, 20:53
10 Ks aint alot of pushing for a triumph of that era, The death rattle for the British Motorcycle industry was the decades of mismanagement, and the Japs getting their act together.
remember British Leyland, and all is clear why Great Britan lost the "Great" in their motor industry.

Whats wrong with a Austin Allegro compared to a Honda Civic or a Mitsi Mirage? .............

James Deuce
21st January 2010, 06:09
Whats wrong with a Austin Allegro compared to a Honda Civic or a Mitsi Mirage? .............

Surely you cannot be serious?

RDjase
21st January 2010, 06:39
Surely you cannot be serious?

And Marina's ! What a car those 1750 coupes :shit::laugh:

I fixed enough of the British leyland crap doing my appentiship, Rootes group ect
Its scary when the best relieble car out of them was the Avenger

I wonder why there car market fell over

At least there bikes were still Cool

James Deuce
21st January 2010, 06:42
Top Gear's anti-Marina crusade has placed them firmly in my pantheon of minor deities for all time.

The Stranger
21st January 2010, 06:49
Can't be many world wide that have never been started

I thought that was pretty common for trumpets of that era.

JimO
21st January 2010, 08:48
Top Gear's anti-Marina crusade has placed them firmly in my pantheon of minor deities for all time.

there is a bit in the new series where james may is driving a marina that has already had a paino fall on it, its still on the roof, eventually another piano falls on it as well

Kickaha
21st January 2010, 17:05
And Marina's ! What a car those 1750 coupes :shit::laugh:


Dont forget the Marina 6, what a weapon, dont think we saw it here though

cs363
21st January 2010, 17:16
Reliant Robin, now there's a great British car..... :rofl:

RDjase
21st January 2010, 19:17
Reliant Robin, now there's a great British car..... :rofl:

Go Del Boy !

RDjase
21st January 2010, 19:23
:laugh:
Dont forget the Marina 6, what a weapon, dont think we saw it here though

Aussie assambled I think, had the same engine as the P76 , Just a 6 version of the ohc 4 engine , terrible things

I have got a 1972 wheels mag here somewere and it has review af all the Big cars of the year ,Titled "The Big Four"

XA Falcon

VH Valiant

HQ Holden

And ........... Wait fot it








That British leyland Tasman / Kimberly:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Dooly
23rd January 2010, 21:44
And Marina's ! What a car those 1750 coupes :shit::laugh:

I fixed enough of the British leyland crap doing my appentiship, Rootes group ect
Its scary when the best relieble car out of them was the Avenger

I wonder why there car market fell over

At least there bikes were still Cool

Don't forget the Kimberlys.

Oh, ok.......yeah, forget those fuckers.:lol:

Motu
23rd January 2010, 22:15
Twin carb Tasman....or was it the other way around? 5th gear was a rarity back then,and a few people stuffed it up and hit reverse coming out.I took one such up to Graham Gordon once,and he showed me a few more he had kicking around the floor.One ripped the reverse idler right off the floor of the box,it got drop kicked by a con rod and the gear went for a six out the side of the block.

We can look back and laugh at them now,and how much better the Jap stuff was,but really there was not a lot in it....otherwise the Pommy shit would have died off sooner.I remember doing the 3rd recon engine on a Corona in 1974....it was only a couple of years old! And like the British bikes,those old Pommy shiiters handled much better than anything from Japan.Except the independent rear end Datsuns,they handled real well.

Dooly
24th January 2010, 08:59
Yeah we all used to hate the Brit cars back then but when you think about it, it was a breeze to work on that shit compared to today's techo, cant get your hands or eyes on stuff under the bonnet.
And the hydrolastic suspension was actually quite comfy. And we have the only pump up machine for those in the Bay so we still see the old shitters regularly.

Motu
24th January 2010, 10:47
The hydrolastic was great on the 1800,but were a bit choppy on shorter wheelbases....and not a lot went wrong with them really.On Waiheke we used an old grease pump to do the hydrolastics,not as good as the real machine,but it did the job.Remember putting a sparkplug under the bumpstop to drop a balljoint? I recently failed an MGF on being too low....it was hard getting it through to anyone that it just needed pumping up.The guys at work,let alone the owner had never heard of such a thing.Young guys haven't got a fucking clue about this game.

Dooly
24th January 2010, 19:03
Motu we use antifreeze in our hydrolastic machine as we were told years ago that the 'factory' stuff was'nt available. Dunno if it is now but antifreeze works fine and is easy to show up any leaks.

toycollector10
24th January 2010, 20:02
Then there's the story about the lady who bought a 5-speed Marina off a car dealer. She went back complaining that 5th gear was stuffed. The dealer said that he would fix it. He sourced a 4 speed knob and fitted it on the lever and told the lady he couldn't source a new 5 speed box so they had to fit a four speed one. True?

I don't know but it makes a good story I think.

Motu
24th January 2010, 20:25
The Marina gearbox was total shit....that's because it wasn't a BMC box,but one from Triumph.It worked on the 1300 engine,but on the 1750 and 1800 it gave real trouble.The previously mentioned Graham Gordon had a supply of floor change BMC B block boxes,out of the J4 van I think,and converted Marinas to a good BMC gearbox.

Max Headroom
28th January 2010, 22:16
I see that the allegedly never-been-started Triumph is back on TM.

I have it on good authority that the claim is bogus. The engine has most definitely been run, and the bike has also been ridden.

Let the buyer beware.

Dodgyiti
30th January 2010, 21:46
Thought so...

And it was not just the gearbox that was shit on the Marina, try changing out a steering rack on one...nightmare. They were called Marinas because that's were they ended up, as boat anchors.

Edbear
30th January 2010, 22:17
The Marina only ever had a four speed box, it was the Maxi that got the five speeder. I had a 1980 Marina with the 1700 alloy head motor and it wasn't a bad car, really, went well. The main issues with them were the weak box and the Armstrong front dampers.

Edbear
30th January 2010, 22:25
Dont forget the Marina 6, what a weapon, dont think we saw it here though


:laugh:

Aussie assambled I think, had the same engine as the P76 , Just a 6 version of the ohc 4 engine , terrible things

I have got a 1972 wheels mag here somewere and it has review af all the Big cars of the year ,Titled "The Big Four"

XA Falcon

VH Valiant

HQ Holden

And ........... Wait fot it








That British leyland Tasman / Kimberly:laugh::laugh::laugh:

The Marina six was fast in a straight line but the weight of that motor was way too much for the front suspension which very quickly called it quits! Could do great burnouts though!

Ahh, the Tasman/Kimberley. Lovely cars...!

Motu
1st February 2010, 21:53
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74967

A bit of BMC history.

redangel
15th February 2010, 01:07
yip, awesome bike, would have thought it would be more than that, However, I do know a guy here in CH-CH who owns approx 80 Triumphs, I wont mention his name he wouldnt like it, but he used to own a Triumph dealership years ago, he has quite a number of Bonnies, Tridents and 2 X75, that still have 000000 on the clock, they have never been started.