Limited Edition: 1977 Unboxed Triumph Bonneville!

If you’re one of our Twitter followers (if you’re not, you can follow the UK's leading bike trader, here), you may or may not have noticed that we re-tweeted a particular post about an unboxed Triumph Bonneville from 1977. If you haven’t noticed, then, of course, you don’t have to worry! Motorbike Trader, WeBuyAnyBike is here to tell the tale. Oh, I forgot to mention that it is a limited edition model too! We’re not sure when this particularly exciting unboxing happened, but what we can tell you is that on the 21st June 2018 – Yes, just a few days before this post, the internet went crazy! It all started when a user named Twinky of the popular re-blogging website, Reddit posted just one picture of the bike already in the packaging, and fellow Reddit users absolutely loved it.

Where did it come from?

It seems a pretty simple story really! Up until recently, the bike in the box originally came from a little old Yamaha dealership all the way in Ohio, US.  Earlier this year, the Bonneville appeared in the Chestnut Mountain Ranch; a children’s home situated in West Virginia, by a very kind donation from Gerald Pacholke.  This donation was actually one of 5! But it was quite evident that the Bonneville was the star of the show. The remaining 5 were not listed at the same time, and the eBay account seems to be a mystery, so it’s unknown whether these following models have now sold...

• A Honda CB450 from 1966
• Another 1966 model Honda CA 72
• Sandcast, formerly known as a Honda CB750 from 1969.
• 1969 Triumph and original sidecar with 490 miles
• A classic Honda Goldwing 1000 from 1976 with just eight miles!

A bit about Gerald Pacholke

Believe it or not... he’s not just your average bloke! Gerald Pacholke, if you haven’t heard of him before, was a famous motocross racer during the 60’s. So you may be wondering, why did he end up collecting and donating these bikes? Well, his collection actually fabricates from his family history. Throughout his life, his father actually owned a dealership; H&H Cycles, based in Ohio from the 50’s for a further 30 years. The shop is still open today, but we’re unsure what ties Pacholke still has with it. Understandably, his father enjoyed collecting old vintage classic bikes, and it’s quite evident where Gerald’s passion for bikes came from.

Chestnut Mountain Ranch

It all happens in Ohio... we don’t need to say it again! This Christian Boys Children's home was established by Steve Finn, and their story for their project started some point back in 2004. Their mission is to welcome boys who come from underprivileged homes and change their lives to a point where they can experience a positive family background and good schooling. They rely on donations to continue the growth of their ranch.

About the Bonneville!

This 1977 limited edition T140J was just one of 2400 built to commemorate 25 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. The Silver Jubilee model was understandably one of the 1000 creations made for the American market... The other 1k was submitted to the UK, and the remaining 400 were distributed for Commonwealth export. The internet is a world of wonder, but I’ve managed to find a bit of info on the bike itself. From what I understand, this hefty machine weighs 387 pounds and can reach a speed of 120mph, which isn’t too bad for the age! You can read a lot more statistics on the bike over at The National MC Museum.

What happened then?

When the bike was in the hands of the Chestnut Mountain Ranch, they decided to sell the bikes on eBay to support the charity. I mean, I’m not sure what you think, but I doubt 6 vintage motorbikes would be much help for underprivileged boys hoping to improve their lives! We now know that the bike with the Sidecar aided the charity for $10k, this doesn’t seem a lot for the minimal miles! We’re not too sure about the other bikes, but the main character... the ’77 T140J Bonneville sold for an astounding $20k! The person who bought it was good old Twincky... for all we know, that could be his real name! But he certainly doesn’t hesitate to tell the story over on his Reddit post, where it made the news! The bike now resides in Coventry, where Twincky and his team are sprucing it up... We’ll keep you updated if anything else happens!

About Us!

Based in the UK, WeBuyAnyBike is the UK’s leading bike trader. We’ve been buying so many bikes from our Yorkshire-based office for over 16 years. So, if you want to sell your motorbike, find out how much your wheels are worth today with our FREE instant valuation system, or come and visit us at our Bradford office (address below), and we will collect your bike for FREE, too!