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. ...