Uncommon Motors

When ordinary just won't do

1976 Triumph Bonneville Restomod

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1976 Triumph Bonneville Restomod
1976 Triumph Bonneville Restomod – looks like a ’72 doesn’t it?

Suppose you like the old British bikes, the looks are just right, the sound of the twin is perfect, but let’s face it, if you’re used to riding current motorcycles, shifting on the right is easy to get wrong, especially when touching what your brain believes is the rear brake and you unceremoniously downshift with a crunch. And then there’s the slight matter of drum brakes, they work well enough, but when you’re used to discs, they’re just not the same, and who wouldn’t appreciate a bigger engine? Well, what if you could have the looks of a beautiful ’72 Bonneville, but have the amenities of a ’76? That’s what this owner did with this 1976 Triumph Bonneville restomod.

1976 Bonneville looks like the earlier Triumphs untill you look closer and say, "hey, wait a second."
1976 Bonneville looks like the earlier Triumphs until you look closer and say, “hey, wait a second, didn’t they shift on the right?”

This bike is spotless, it’s looks right from every angle, but there’s a 750cc engine in place of the 650 you’ll find in the earlier model, it has disc brakes on both ends and the shift lever is on the left where most of us feel at home. When you pick up the pace and you have to react quickly, that extra second when you brain has to reverse feet for shifting and braking can get you into trouble. Of course if you’re on classic British bikes all the time, it’s no big deal, but the disc brakes and 100cc bigger engine still make this restomod an appealing ride.

Who wouldn't like more displacement? A 750 instead of a 650 sounds good to most of us.
Who wouldn’t like more displacement? A 750 instead of a 650 sounds good to most of us.

This 1976 Triumph Bonneville was for sale on eBay, but the sale has ended.

Comments

  1. I once owned a Harley Sportster and a Norton Interstate Commando at the same time. One shifted on the left. The other shifted on the right. I decided to sell one before I got myself killed. I sold the Harley.

    • It was bad enough when I had a Harley Low Rider and a Ninja ZX-10 at the same time, both shifted on the left of course, but one with a little “snick” into gear and the other with a big “ka-chunk,” if I hopped from one to the other it was easy to miss a shift for the first mile or so while my brain recalibrated. Change sides and there’s no telling what would happen.