In theory, owning an old Brit bike is a great idea. In reality, your right hand will become more familiar with a Whitworth spanner than the throttle grip.
Of course, you could go out and buy a ‘modern retro.’ But if you want a machine with old school charm and modern reliability, a restomod is an equally valid option.
The owner of this Triumph is a racing driver who chose to go down the restomod route, and he had a clear idea of what he wanted.
Just one hour after buying the T140, he was in the Angry Lane workshop in Hong Kong—run by Guillaume Barras, organizer of the territory’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
“My client didn’t want to change the bike radically,” says Guillaume. “He just wanted it restored, and made neater and lighter. It needed to be more reliable, and start on the first kick.”
“I said to him, ‘So you want something that Steve McQueen would ride?’ He said, ‘I’d prefer something like Paul Newman would ride!’”
To be precise, the Triumph is a 1977 Bonneville T140 RV. The RV was an export version of the five-speed ‘V,’ with engine modifications to suit the US market. The gear lever was switched to the left-hand side to comply with regulations.
Guillaume describes the bike as ‘virtually new,’ and he’s not exaggerating. The engine was stripped for a complete rebuild with new cylinders and pistons, and new valve gear.
The most frustrating part was preventing leaks from the pushrod tubes—an issue that will be familiar to many T140 owners. After several attempts with different O-rings and guidance from the British Cycle Supply Company, the tubes were finally sealed. (“Special thanks to our British friend Simon Bollix, AKA ‘Grumpy Old Man,’ for rebuilding the engine three times!” says Guillaume.)
There’s a custom 2-into-1 exhaust handmade by New Zealander Paul Bryant, and the carbs have been upgraded to new Amal MKI Premier 932s, with velocity stacks.
To match the added pep from the new engine, Angry Lane have installed a new (and lighter) brake system. Alloy two-piston calipers from AP Racing bite down on floating discs from EBC, and the lines have been replaced by custom hoses from HEL.
The wheels are low-key: black anodized aluminum Sun Rims, with spokes from Buchanans. The hubs have been ceramic-coated black to match, and the tires are Heidenau K60 Scout dual sports: 4.00-18 on the rear, and 100/90-19 on the front.
The fork tubes are original—but everything inside is new, including a set of progressive springs. New triples and risers have been fashioned out of aluminum billet. At the back, there’s a pair of new Öhlins shocks, supplied by the French specialist Mecadata and configured to match the rider’s weight.
The electrics are a mix of old and new. A modern Antigravity lithium battery provides the juice, and there’s an electronic ignition from the New Zealand company Pazon. But there’s also a new high output 12V 3-phase stator-rotor and regulator rectifier from the original Prince Of Darkness, Lucas.
There’s a Motogadget m.unit control box to ensure everything is communicating correctly, and the German company also supplied the bar-end blinkers, the tiny speedo, and the neat circular bar-end mirrors.
They’re attached to classy new bars from LSL, with controls from Renard Speedshop and Kustom Tech—who also supplied the Grimeca 12mm clutch master cylinder and lever. The headlight is a Bates, and the taillight is a Bates-style LED unit supplied by Motone.
The mods to the frame and bodywork are subtle. With the help of friend and welding whizz Thom Lonnen, Angry Lane have shortened the rear of the frame. And the tank has been modified to clamp onto the frame via brackets rather than the original center attachment system.
It’s topped off with a Monza-style gas cap. All the visible nuts and bolts on the Triumph have been replaced with new stainless steel items.
There’s deep and glossy new 2k paint on the frame, tank and fenders. After checking several shades of green, the choice was set on a lovely Mercedes Caledonia Green.
The front fender, believe it or not, is a modified carbon fiber Ducati item. At the back is a much more conventional stainless steel unit from Daytona Japan.
Angry Lane’s specialty is leatherwork, so Guillaume’s brother Ben has created a magnificent ribbed seat wrapped in Italian vegetable-tanned leather. Matching saddlebags are modeled on the design of vintage postbags used in the US.
The right saddlebag even features a USB charging plug, requested by the client, and the left one contains a toolkit. The handgrips, gear shifter, and kick pedal are covered with the same leather.
And yes, the bike now starts on the first kick.
Angry Lane | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Maxime Champigneulle
