1978 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE 750cc Genuine Vintage Ad ~ The Legend Lives On

Triumph has never been a motorcycle for everybody. Never was meant to be.

It's always taken a special breed of man to fall in love with a Triumph.

The kind of man who appreciates hand-crafted styling in a world of mass-produced look-alikes.

The kind of man who appreciates the difference between being a part of the motorcycle and merely an accessory.

The kind of man who appreciates motorcycles designed, built and ridden by men, not computers.

The kind of man, in short, who appreciates a Legend.

Our two newest additions to a long line of Legends.

Triumph began over 70 years ago in Coventry, England, holding strongly to the notion that there was an enormous difference between simply building a product and building a product well.

And that tradition lives on.

Our two newest models, Bonneville and Tiger for 1978, share the same timeless lines generations of riders have come to recognize as a Legend’s.

They also share Triumph's famed handling, the product of nearly five decades of attention to engineering detail.

Triumph's handling begins with the leanest 750 in the world, an incredible 395 pounds dry. It continues with a contoured seat positioned only 32 inches off the ground for a lower center of gravity. And finally, it gets its power from 750 high-way-hungry cc's built to muscle their way through anything imaginable, from rain-slick asphalt to snaking mountain roads.

Triumph for 1978 feels great. The knees virtually become a part of the motorcycle on this narrowest of the 750 frames. Hugging the cycle as it hugs the curves is a feel you'll never duplicate on a bigger, bulkier 750 that rides as if straddling a barrel.

And imagine the thrill of riding one of the world’s fastest responders as it hooks up tire to pavement and sends you blistering down the straightaways. Triumph's light weight and low-end torque combine to make it happen.

Consider the craftsmanship.

In the British tradition, Triumph has chosen to nurture quality, not quantity.

Every inch of chrome is triple plated. Every weld is done by hand. The workers' devotion to detail and craftsmanship shows.

The engine is a lean 750 cc OHV Vertical Twin that hasn't been bested for sheer efficiency and ease of maintenance since its introduction over forty years ago. (It remains an engine so easily tuned, you can almost do it by ear alone.) It's lighter than an OHC and rides compactly in the frame for a lower center of gravity.

Part of the rigid double-loop cradle that holds it all, doubles as the oil reservoir. The motorcycle's weight and mass is reduced,and the oil cools as you ride. A racing-bred innovation that furthers the simplicity and reliability of a Triumph.

Sheer engineering genius. A separate splash system keeps the transmission lubricated with its own hypoid gear lube to keep gears shifting longer, smoother than shared lubricant systems.

We've also included Lockheed hydraulic double-action disc's fitted front and rear, double-action front forks, and Girling Gas Shocks in the rear. All standard equipment that spells the difference between simply taking a curve, and taking a curve on a Triumph.

It's all part of a craftsman’s philosophy that began over 70 years ago. And a philosophy you'll still find in every 1978 Triumph Bonneville and Tiger we build.

Right down to the painstakingly hand-painted pinstriping.

All of which comes down to this singularly important fact: Of the millions of motorcycles that will be built and offered to the world this year, only a limited few will be Triumphs.

And although any man can own a motorcycle, few men will own a Legend.

Displacement: 744cc (45 cu. in.) 

Engine Type: 4-stroke vertical twin 

Bore & Stroke: 76x82mm (2.992x3.228) 

Engine RPM: at 10 mph 5th Gear: 627 

Compression Ratio: 7.9:1 

Carburetion: 2.30mm Amal (Bonneville) 1,30mm Amal (Tiger)

Limited Warranty: 6 months or 6,000 miles (see dealer for details)