The 1976 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle was conceived during one of Triumph's numerous periods of financial strife. The influx of high-performance, low-cost Japanese rivals in the 1970s was taxing the British company on every front.
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Due to the cash-strapped position of the company, changes to the T140V Bonneville for 1976 were few.
In the most notable change, the drum brake on the rear wheel was finally replaced with a modern disc. The previous year, the gear-shift lever was moved to the left side to conform to U.S. government mandate.
Rubber fork gaitors were not usually seen on European-spec Bonnevilles, but were standard equipment on T140s bound for the United States. Color choices were restricted to blue or red with white accent panels.
As a historical landmark, the 1976 Bonnevilles were the first to be built under the new Meriden financial cooperative. The cooperative folded in 1983, but the Bonneville stumbled on into 1988, the final years of production being handled by Les Harris under license from Triumph.
Go to the next page to see more pictures of the 1976 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.
For more great motorcycle articles and pictures, check out:
- Classic Motorcycles
- How Motorcycles Work
- Triumph Motorcycles
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