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Naked Motorcycles

1981Triumph Bonneville 750 T140 D

30 fields on record

The 1981 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140 D is a British roadster. It uses a 744cc air-cooled parallel twin making 54 hp and 56.6 Nm, driving through a 5-speed gearbox. It weighs 200 kg dry and has an 18.2-litre tank and an 813 mm seat.

Capacity: 744.0 ccm
Engine: Parallel Twin
Gearbox: 5-speed
Dry weight: 200.0 kg
Seat height: 813 mm
Power: 54.0 HP (40.3 kW) @ 6200 RPM

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

Other years 1980 1981

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail10%

Cornering65%

City riding55%

Daily riding55%

Touring30%

Two-up35%

Track45%

Best for: Naked bike built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A naked bike from Triumph, built around a 744cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 813mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1981 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140 D, with a moderate knee angle of around 110 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Average

The 1981 Triumph Bonneville 750 T140 D passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 87.4% of the time, 2.0 points above expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 56% of models.

All years of this model: 50 / 100 (average) from 5,765 tests.

87.4%Passed first time

6.5%Failed outright

6.1%Fixed during test

15,000Typical miles

1,354Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

85.8%

10-20k

85.3%

20-30k

85.6%

30-40k

85.3%

40-50k

87.3%

50k+

89.5%

All years of this model.

Score by year first registered

1979198019811982

Against its rivals · ranks 2 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	BMW R65	53 Average	7,835
2	Triumph Bonneville 750 T140 D	50 Average	5,765
3	Suzuki GSX 750	43 Average	40,936
4	Honda CB 750 C	31 Below average	126
5	Suzuki GS 550 L	28 Below average	1,048
6	Kawasaki Z 750 LTD	17 Poor	246

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 744.0 ccm
Power: 54.0 HP (40.3 kW) @ 6200 RPM
Torque: 56.6 Nm (5.8 kgf-m) @ 5500 RPM
Engine type: Parallel Twin
Power/weight ratio: 0.2700 HP/kg (dry)
Bore x stroke: 76.0 x 82.0 mm
Compression: 8.6:1
Cooling system: Air
Fuel system: Carburettor
Starting: Electric & kick
Ignition: Battery / dual coil / dual points / Lucas

Transmission

Gearbox: 5-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate

Performance

Top speed: 190.0 km/h (118.1 mph)

Dimensions & weight

Wheelbase: 1422 mm
Seat height: 813 mm
Dry weight: 200.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 18.20 litres

Chassis & suspension

Frame: Tubular steel, double front downtubes, oil bearing large tube backbone
Front suspension: Telescopic forks
Rear suspension: Swingarm, Girling shocks, 3-way spring preload adjustable
Rake (fork angle): 28.0°
Trail: 109 mm