1964 Triumph T120 restoration

**swamy** · 11th January 2011, 20:47

Good job on the restoration!

Did you have a Lucas K2F magneto prior to installing the Boyer ignition unit? If yes, was the bike running on 6 volts (standard) or 12 volts (modified)?

**stormtrooper** · 11th January 2011, 21:40

Originally Posted by swamy

Good job on the restoration!

Did you have a Lucas K2F magneto prior to installing the Boyer ignition unit? If yes, was the bike running on 6 volts (standard) or 12 volts (modified)?

I had a Boyer ignition fitted( running on 12volts) by Classic Cycles prior to that it was stock.
One of the best mods i have had done, runs sweet plus i can see on the nightime rides.

**swamy** · 12th January 2011, 08:30

I inherited my dad's 1961 T120R, which is currently being restored overseas.
The mechanic in charge of the restoration decided to convert it to 12 volts causing the K2F magneto to overheat and stall the bike once it heats up.

Was considering the Boyer ignition but my dad wanted to keep it original. Got the magneto refurbished to our needs by a company in the UK. The bike apparently runs fine now.

**Paul in NZ** · 12th January 2011, 11:33

Originally Posted by swamy

I inherited my dad's 1961 T120R, which is currently being restored overseas.
The mechanic in charge of the restoration decided to convert it to 12 volts causing the K2F magneto to overheat and stall the bike once it heats up.

Was considering the Boyer ignition but my dad wanted to keep it original. Got the magneto refurbished to our needs by a company in the UK. The bike apparently runs fine now.

Um - I think you are getting a tad 'confused'...

Stormtroopers bike is a unit construction model. 12v alternator from day one and never ever fitted with a magneto from the factory. (aftermarket ones, joe hunt etc made some)

A 61 is a pre unit model. From memory a 61 T120 had an alternator but ignition was magneto. A magneto is a totally self contained ignition unit and not connected to the 12V (or 6v) system in any way shape or form. Its failure was due to age and the heat from the engine running (common) and nothing to do with a 12v upgrade.

Early alternator systems on these bikes were pretty 'basic' and output contol was done via coil switching via the lucas PR8 switch. It was state of the art then but its complicated and failure prone so if you and not after 100% originality and want to actually use it at night I'd suggest upgrading to a modern rect / reg plus relays on the lights.

BTW - nice bike (61 T120R), you are a lucky guy but I would have had it restored here, probably cheaper...

**swamy** · 12th January 2011, 15:00

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

Um - I think you are getting a tad 'confused'...

Stormtroopers bike is a unit construction model. 12v alternator from day one and never ever fitted with a magneto from the factory. (aftermarket ones, joe hunt etc made some)

A 61 is a pre unit model. From memory a 61 T120 had an alternator but ignition was magneto. A magneto is a totally self contained ignition unit and not connected to the 12V (or 6v) system in any way shape or form. Its failure was due to age and the heat from the engine running (common) and nothing to do with a 12v upgrade.

Early alternator systems on these bikes were pretty 'basic' and output contol was done via coil switching via the lucas PR8 switch. It was state of the art then but its complicated and failure prone so if you and not after 100% originality and want to actually use it at night I'd suggest upgrading to a modern rect / reg plus relays on the lights.

BTW - nice bike (61 T120R), you are a lucky guy but I would have had it restored here, probably cheaper...

You are right, I am a tad confused. All this is new to me as I only know the bike from riding as a pillion when I was a kid. It was in storage (with occasional use) for about 20 years before being re-restored from last year.

Yes, it is a pre-unit model, with an alternator and magneto ignition. The bike used to run fine when it was 6 volts. I am aware of the K2F magneto issues but it only started to play up when the 12 volt conversion was done. Either way, it is fixed now

Trying to keep it as original as possible and wont be using it at night.

Thanks, the restoration is way cheaper than it would be over here. Hope to have the bike in NZ sometime this year.

Here is a picture of what the biked looked like when I last saw it a few months ago: