1964 Triumph Bonneville - Jay Leno's Garage

If you asked a 10 year old to draw a motorcycle, this is what they would draw. And to me, the most glorious sound in motorcycling is still a 360 twin; that growl cannot be duplicated in any other format. It just makes you feel good, kind of like a Sportster - we used to say, yeah, it's not fast, but it makes your balls feel big!

I think you are so fortunate to have this '64 Bonnie. I absolutely love this motorcycle and Triumphs in general. Classic never goes out of favor.
I'm curious as to if you ever purchased a Speedmaster. Thanks for sharing this beautiful bike with us, Jay.

I had a suzuki in the 70s and it had plenty of power but didn't handle well. I now have a Thruxton 900 and I love it! It's a real motorcycle with lots of power and handles superbly. It's a beautiful bike...best looking, It's a Bonneville on steroids.

Loved my ‘74 Bonnie…. when it was running. I kept a pan under it when it was parked and every few days poured the oil back into the frame. Yeah, no oil tank, it was oil in frame.

Weighed 295 pounds dry.

I'm an old guy now, but back in 1964/65 I'd go down to Ted Evans' Motorcycles in Venice after school and practically beg to take a 650 Bonneville for a test ride. Occasionally they would say yes, knowing that I could never afford to buy one. But they took pity and fulfilled my request. Everything you say about the Bonneville is true if my memory is accurate. Thanks for bringing back those pleasant memories Jay.

I sold mine 34 years ago wile running into an old friend and talking about the bikes we had back in the day he came out and told me I know who has your bike now who you know him and he is only in the next county and I think he would let go Got the address and went over after a phone call seen it was a bit of a letdown it was in boxes this was a blessing really because it was all there for the most part got it back to my shed and after all winter working on it and a few heavy colds out of it all, went for a blast on it the other day it was better than I remember and yes MR J Leno they are very special motorcycles.mine 1969 T120.Triumph Tiger TR6R .. what a blast ..

Very good review. Thank you for sharing it.

When you broke down you pushed it home

The Triumph Bonniville of the 60s is untouchable.

Old but gold❤❤❤

I bought a used 1959 Triumph 350 twin with money from my paper route at about age 14 so about 1963. I rode it off road until I got my license at 16. It was my 12 month transportation in PA. through high school. I truly loved that bike. My best friend one upped me with a Bonneville 650, & we swapped often. The Bonneville is all you claim and more. While mine struggled to top 80 MPH, his would easily top 100, and keep on pulling.

To see jay riding that bike in all its rawness is like a statement in the face of modern day comfort and imposed control

Thing sits just right must be a blast to ride makes you look cool. Ever find the owner of the missing shoe hahaha

Great lines and paint. Vintage bikes are just cool

Triumphs are beautiful because of their symmetry and beautiful wheels.

69 year old Scotsman here. I now ride an 800cc Suzuki intruder. At 17 years old I rode a 350cc 4T Francis Barnet ex police bike. I have never owned a better bike since and wish I had kept it. so I know exactly what you mean by your best bike being your Triumph. I see you seem to have overlooked the wee quirky Hillman Imp which was made very close to where your mum comes from. It might interest you to take a look at it Jay?

One Of My Favorite Motorcycles, merci.

Gloves

More than you want to know……In 1950 I was 15 years old dreaming about Triumph motorcycles thanks to a local dealer Al STUCKEY, who let me ride his Speed Twin around the driveway in a gas station near Hutchinson Kansas. Probably thanks to an expenditure my folks had to make on my sister my folks apparently felt I deserved equal treatment and bought me a Triumph Thunderbird one of the first 40 cu. In.Triumphs made in 1950 I was still in Junior high school. I had been riding a Cushman motor scooter delivering news papers so that was an amazing change. I have always if they knew how fast the Triumph would go - a little over 100. I road that Motorcycle for years, to California with my friend,Bill Hart, who had bought the first Triumph Al sold and I bought the second. Al subsequently traveled the country working for Johnson motors then had the Triumph shop/dealership in Hutchinson. I was still in high school when I road to California, saw first mountains in Colorado, the ocean in California, only a dream for a kid in Kansas. I put 1000’s of miles on the Thunderbird then disaster - maybe you know, a mistake Triumph made on the first 40 cu in motor, they used the same crankshaft diameter as the 30.5 cu in Speed Twin and it subsequently failed in fatigue while I was on the highway, pulled the clutch, didn’t crash. Subsequently had several motorcycles’ BMW, Honda CB900f (smoothest ever), Honda 650, 500, 110….Suzuki 1000 (WOW).

I think old bikes are really cool

classic

Gotta luv Trumpets! Some slogans from the day: Lucas, the king of darkness! They got so much class it drips on the floor! Positive earth and Whitworth tools! Zener Diode! Slippery Sam! The Fonz! Drain primary case oil before adjusting chain tension! Don't look at crankcase gearshift indicator while in motion! Tickle Amal carbs - Ha Ha!

I'm now 81, mostly blind and deaf, had the love of my life 1962 BSA Super Rocket and stupidly sold it and bought th3 Bonneville you have. I was in last two years of college in Virginia, took the BSA to 120 and can verify it and the Bonneville would hit that. They were the pinnacle as you say, and I was blessed to have had them. Was a premed student. failed first semester organic chemistry and that eliminated me going to medical school, avoiding Nam. Cloudy, cold, spitting rain, early spring afternoon, road by the lab and looked up to see the guys with test tubes through the windows, took a deep breath, said "screw" it (medical school), twisted the throttle and went on with my life, didn't do bad as a businessman. Anyway, Jay, loved this video and agreed with everything you said, just wish I could go back and be 21 again, ride like the wind on those two bikes.

No it’s not just you Jay, the Triumph Bonneville is THE “quintessential motorcycle”!

I have a 1966 Tyiumph Bonniville 650. I’ve had it since I was 16 years old. I bought it in 1975 for $650. I love it. It’s my baby. And I appreciate this video.

Seriously philosophical! Its what i like about this show (and the motorcycles ;-) )

Fantastical show, I just traded my Gixxer in for a Harley streetbob. Complete change of pace. I think you favorite choice in riding motorcycles changes throughout you life like anything else, but what you're riding should always put a smile on your face when you go from 2'nd to 3'rd and twist that thing ;-)

just picked up a 67 tr6r in april 2024,hi rize z bars,custom tear drop tank,custom seat,chopped front fender,alot of chromed items,chain guard,center stand,fork top covers,smaller headlight,got from a dealer who got it from original owner,had original tank and seat with the bike,needed misc items to get running and within about 6 weeks ordered parts and put back to original condition,all but headlight,may do that next,i agree with jay that these are beautiful motorcycles,slow in todays world,but have the nostagia factor,probably only for us old guys that rode them 50 years ago

Bar none, best handling bike. Indian Larry would agree

It wasn't just that British bikes were shipped incomplete that let Honda dealers beat British bike dealers. They couldn't get parts either. And there were the long duration strikes in British factories. You could receive a Triumph or BSA and it would be missing, say, the kick-start lever. It might be 3 months before the factory sent any. The local BSA/Triumph dealer in my city in desperation started to steal parts from bikes they had in for repair to fix other bikes in for repair. Owners used to steal parts off other guy's parked bikes.
A friend discovered the tappet adjustment cover (screw-in) was missing on his Triumph. He went to the dealer to buy another one - the parts counter guy just laughed at him, saying they had them on back order for a year.
And of course the Hondas were smoother and far more reliable.

Edward Turner's genius shows in the outer cases of the lower end and the tapered cylinders and wicked heads. The engine is a work of art, and light weight to boot. Then the exhausts, splayed out a bit, swoop gracefully down the lower sides to simplistic, perfectly shaped mufflers. The whole bike is that way.
Minimalized to perfection but done artistically at the same time. I know, blah blah blah, but I rode a 67 TR6 when I was 13 and my brother gave it to me when I was 16- and that thing to me was the perfect motorcycle.
Once I got my permit I was all over the place on it. Jay's right about the sweet spot- - on the TR6 it was between 45 and 60 mph. $1140 bucks brand new. They were everywhere back then. Their main rivals were from BSA and of course, Sportsters.

Love this one Jay, particularly because I am a happy owner of an identical T120 (UK example...DU 5947) I have sold two bikes recently to make space (working on a CL160 Honda project) and will be putting the Bonnie on E-Bay as soon as I have suitable videos of start-up and run. Lots of pics - no videos yet. Thanks for a great show detailing the finer qualities of the '64 Bonneville! Keep 'em coming! -Chris in Canada

They just have something which no other bike seems to have.

I'm 37 and grew up learning to ride on vintage Triumphs since I was 14.

My father just gifted me a 1969 TR6R, so I'm just browsing fun videos on them before I have a chance to get out and about on my new to me motorcycle.

I've owned several Japanese sports bikes in the past, and rode some of my father's vintage HD's, but never hesitate to hop on an old Triumph above all.

A Bonny cemented my desire to ride motorcycles when I was fifteen.
I had been going mad for a moped once I reached sixteen.
Mom and dad were against the idea.
Their friend Gary had a Bonny and was told to take me out on it to scare me off the notion of motorcycles.
It obviously worked the opposite way.
That nightime fast ride through the Blackcountry in 1984 made me ride bikes until now.
Current bike after all the Japanese fast machines is a Royal Enfield GT Continental 650.

I had a 1969 BSA Lightning in 1972 and rode with a friend who had a Bonnie. They were just fun to ride. And at that time certainly handled better than the Japanese bikes. Looks? My BSA was great looking, but the Bonnie won the looks contest hands down. I still believe the Brit vertical twin, and especially the Bonnie, were and are the best looking bikes bar none. I ride an Indian Scout. Great bike, nice looking, but not a cool looking as the Bonnie. I would love to have one to ride for a day. Our roads in Kentucky are a dream for a bike like a Bonnie.

I bought a 64 Triumph TR6R in 1976, when I was a young Marine stationed in Memphis. I sold it in 83 after Beirut and have regretted in ever since. I've currently have a 78 Bonneville, half a dozen Harleys and two 61 Triumphs, a 42 WLA, and a 73 Triumph tiger, I just wish I could keep them all registered and legal to ride. Maybe someday I will reduce to one or two that I just ride and let the rest collect dust.

The first motorcycle I ever rode.

I had bought a NOS 2014 Bonneville SE about a year before triumph introduced the water cooler models, traded it in for a T120… fast forward to 2024 and I’ve gone back to the air cooled Bonnie, this time a 2012 T100 with less than 1500 miles on the clock. This is just my opinion but I think they lost something when they revamped the lineup with water cooled engines and made other changes.

Parcel grid i loved em for tank bags

I had a 1970 Triumph 250cc Trophy. It cruised at 55mph and zoomed up to 80mph.
It kept breaking down, but I liked it and it was beautiful.
It was fun to sit on a milk crate and work on the engine.

old school cool

For methe difference is simple. Modern bikes are technically superior in every way but they have no soul. These old bikes ooze soul from their crankcases and leave a spot of it on your garfage floor.

welljay i used to road race a bonny in the sixties. best bike ever made. they could not catch me.

I’m only 50 mate, I have (among more modern others) a ‘72 T100R Daytona, it is the prettiest and loveliest thing to ride that I own. The little Triumph 500 starts 1st kick, handles like it’s on rails, stops well on its twin leading front brake and pops and bangs on the over run, it is an absolute riot to ride (and very light to push..😂).
I don’t think that the British firms could have competed as they were destroying themselves from the inside out (they also didn’t have Ronnie to protect them like HD..). It is better that Mr Bloor brought Triumph back from the ashes with modern machines then seeing the firm struggle on..
Great video mate, a bloody lovely Bonnie as well!

The irony is that Triumph are beating the japanese now.

Why don't you have s look at Triumph cars ? TR250 or STAG for example. Lovely things.

this bike has soul can't find that in the new garbage barges and crotch rockets

Jay, you are right about the old Triumph mufflers. They have a very appealing shape, much like the calves on an attractive woman. They are the first thing I look at when seeing a vintage Triumph. I heard a designer say the reason Italian cars are so sexy is that often in Italian households before air conditioning females went about the house w/ few clothes on, breastfeeding babies in front of male boys who were amazed at how appealing the female form was. As an auto body designer they drew from what was imprinted in them as beauty. I guess the same could be said for whoever designed the XKE.

The bike is art form at it's finest. There isn't a bike built before or since that carries the beauty and style. My dream bike maybe one day..