Paul’s GSF Triumph T140

It’s a Bonnie 750… but then again, it isn’t. The engine is 1978 Meriden, the frame somewhat earlier. But the tank is Hinckley and the running gear is a combination of 1990s GSX-R750 (the forks) and Suzuki GSF K1 (swing arm, wheels and front brake).

Paul bought the bike from the engineer who built it, who I have to say is a most ingenious and determined fellow. The frame’s been refinished and modified, and there’s a whole host of parts adapted from other bikes: VFR750 front master cylinder, GS250T  clocks, Royal Enfield ammeter, Suzuki Wolf 125 throttle, Harley silencers, an extra oil tank to boost capacity, Honda CG125 rear footrests, and on and on.

All these ingredients have been skilfully incorporated and painted. The one thing the bike didn’t have was good wiring, which Paul noticed last year on the A11 when what appeared to be smoke started coming from under the tank. He decided it needed looking at.

He had already bought Tri Spark ignition (arguably the best for an old Brit) with 6V coils, and what he hoped was a quick bolt-on left handlebar switch from eBay. The headlamp was a mix of 1970s warning lights (but using LEDs) and an ammeter for old-school fun.

The handlebar switch turned out to be a bit of a sod, because it used tiny little cables that could not manage the 5-6amps which a headlight bulb requires. We faffed about looking at different switches, but Paul’s bike has inch bars which he is fond of, and none of the switches would fit. In the end I hit on an Axel Joost headlight relay, which sends the heavy current straight to the bulb without troubling the switch.

The warning lights worked nicely, but of course you need to make up a little diode pack to get an LED indicator warning light to work. It only takes 20 minutes, or you can buy one from Goffy.

The most intriguing thing on the bike is an electric start conversion by Shropshire Classic Motorcycles. It’s quite a lot of money, but as Paul says: “You’re only here once.” Despite a lifelong fascination with Buddhism, I tend to agree. He’d made a couple of adjustments to get the electric start engaging properly but, by the time I saw it, there was no problem. The bike started easily.

Most people would just think this is a normal old bike, but if you know your onions you will go out of your mind trying to figure out what is original, and what is something else. I loved it.