Triumphrat

clamp007 · 03-02-2008

Hi. Well I'm buying my 1st vintage bike this coming week. There's an older man who's selling his 69 TR6 R. I took it out the other day & man did it smoke. Out the pipes & the headers. He is 77 & has not really ridden it in a number of years. He is original owner & is asking a lot. Firstly, it wouldn't kick, so I jumped it & it kept wanting to die. Lights didn't work at this time. Speedo & tach not working. It has had a rebuild by Jack Simmons in Idaho who told me was from the bottom up & he re-ground the cranks. It's had a repaint, but the side covers/oil tank are red & not black. It seems to have Dunstall pipes, which are not stock. So what is something like this worth? I don't know what to offer him, as he wants a whopping 10K. My local dealer thinks about 4000 to 4500. It's gonna need some servicing for sure, but it is 1 owner & has the above rebuild. I'd really appreciate feedback.

Emanthehorse · 03-02-2008

$2500 tops, but that's just me.

abmar · 03-02-2008

He's trying to hose you. A fully restored Bonneville of that year goes for less than that. From what you describe I would walk away unless you really know how to work on them, because after sitting for years I wouldn't even be confident about the state of the motor. Do some research before parting with your cash and get something that won't be a moneypit.

Red1959 · 03-02-2008

It may have been rebuilt a number of years ago, but it will need to be disassembled and the internals cleaned down to the sludge trap, It may not cost much more than the cost of gaskets to open it up and clean it out, but I'd make sure the original owner understands that and let it go for 1/4 of the asking price, especially since it smoked right off the bat. It isn't that unusual for a bike to smoke after sitting that long, but it shoul clean up and the smoke should stop. Ignoring the sludge trap, It'll probably blow. 69 is a good year. I bought a 69 a few years back, dissasembled the motor and cleaned it out. It's still running. It had low miles and parts were in specs, but the trap was crappy. If I didn't clean it out, It too would have blown.
Spend more time than big bucks. Get to know how it works, That's most of the fun! You can learn a lot by joining a local britbike club. Members are happy to share their knowlege and lend a hand.

clamp007 · 03-02-2008

Thanks, that's good information. I'm taking it to my vintage dealer(garagecompany.com) & he's going to evaluate the bike. I'm really keen on this 1 owner bike & hope it works out. I'm quite excited to start working on it at different stages.

KADUTZ · 03-03-2008

ya know anthing I would reallly like to say here would get me banned again. By reading your post & looking at the web site you mention I am not sure who is giving you the bigger jobing ( my choice of words start with a F).
abmar
welcome to the forum it is obvious you do not sit on you brains.

quagmire · 03-03-2008

I agree with K, Abmar, where can you find a fully restored 69 T120 for under 10 grand??? I need to get me some of those.

Now by fully restored I mean a quality factory correct restoration. I was going to search Ebay and see what people are asking for these things but there isn't anything on Ebay right now. A 69 TR6 and olny two 70's. Funny. Wonder where the bikes are?

By the way Clamp, if your looking to spend 10 K I'll sell you my 70 TR6, that's about how much money I put into it to get it restored correctly. I bought mine for $1500 and it came in 7 boxes completely broken down. I think emanthehorse is about right a few grand is what I would say. From the sound of it, the bike needs a complete overhaul.

you might want to think about spending a little more and getting yourself something that doesn't need the work. Unless of course, you want to do the work.

abmar · 03-03-2008

By fully restored I'm not talking museum quality but rather a good solid rider's bike with mostly original equipment, matching numbers and repainted in factory colours. I just finished looking at a website showing a 1970 Bonnie in that condition which had been sold for $8500US. Other ads I've seen (I have been looking for a 1966 Bonnie) show similar prices. For a post 70 model, prices should be even lower.

10 grand for what could be a heap is outrageous unless clamp007 can prove otherwise with photos. I also think that if you are unfamiliar with these machines you should think long and hard about buying one, good condition or not. They are maintenance-intensive, self-destruct at sustained speeds of over 110 kph (70 mph) and should not be considered if you don't have a fair degree of mechanical knowledge or a healthy bank account.

As a hobby, if you want something for casual use, if you have time to work on it and a secure dry place to keep it, a Triumph can be fun. I had a 71 Tiger 650 that I put 30 or 40 thousand miles on. While I enjoyed the bike at the time I could never get over the feeling that it could quit on me at any moment. It took me 15 years to get back into Triumphs again, and only because I can rely on my 900SS for fast roadwork.

If you want something different, reasonably reliable, fast enough to keep up with traffic and not too expensive, buy a newer Ducati. If its a hobby machine, try to get something as original as possible - unless you intend to chop or bob it - and make sure it runs properly.

clamp007 · 03-03-2008

The bike has had a top to bottom rebuild, which counts & I think I've warmed him up to the fact that it's maybe only worth 5K. He is a well known old actor & has had the bike since new in 1969. He's just not ridden it at all since the rebuild 10 years ago, so I think it's just been sitting for 10 years, only being started every 6 months or so. Funny thing is that I just sold my only other bike, a Triumph Scrambler, in order to go vintage. I dunno what it is, maybe a gut feeling, but having now had an 04 Bonneville & an 06 Scrambler, I just cannot stop thinking about an old bike. I would like to work on it & have it run as a strong daily rider, which is possible. I'll know by end of week where I stand with required work & a price. Hopefully I'll post pics too. Thanks.

aceaceca · 03-03-2008

Sit tight for a few more months. Keep looking. The economy is taking a dive and people are trying to unload for some cash. Good deals on the horizon. I watch a lot of different areas with stuff for sale on and off the net and I see the trend. It's not just housing that is taking a dive.