Video

I am glad Mike did this video. Without it I would have had a harder time installing the kit based on the provided instructions. Shropshire should compensate Mike in some way.

IMPORTANT INFO, I'd discovered I'd put the clutch together wrong! I should've re-used the original thrust washer, NOT the tab washer I used in this vid. That tab washer should have been for the alternator rotor. That tab washer had completey turned itself into a cone and resulted in the shock absorber coming loose. Fortunately we realised before any damage was done to the clutch

I’m disapointed at the number of kit caused issues. Locally a friend installed this kit on his T120R and had a similar problem with the hole cutter. That’s a shame for the money spent

No, don't like all the cutting and for the price I would expect a better design. You makes your own choice but taking drastic measures like that. Why didn't you look at the original triumph electric start design first?

Why do people these days want a bloody starter? I am 70 now, & found the T140 was very easy to start with only one kick. You are not going to the cause of your problem of bad starting! If you have electronic ignition & your carbs are set up right, then electric starters are not worth the bother. Also: the Kickstarter, tells you how even the compression is, thus pre-waring you of a pending service.

Hi mate, very nice video of the Ark Racing electric start conversion. Nice bit of work there, well done it must have been pretty stressful doing a conversion like this that cannot be reversed back easily. Like you I am suffering from the arthritis in my knees and feet and starting my old T140v became almost impossible. So like you I looked around for an electric start kit that would get me back on the road again. I chose to go with the Williams version that fits on the timing side and have to say it did not work well at all. Massive gear wine and lubrication issues so I had to re engineer there design quite a lot, thankfully now its working well after three months work. The difference of having an electric start on the bike is amazing as you will no doubt have found and stopping at the side of the road now for a cuppa is no longer a dread for that restart kick that caused so much pain. My bike fires up first kick every time but the agony was still mind splitting, and was putting me off riding again. Now I have the electric start running its been a breeze and im using the bike more than I ever did now im retired. I did not go with the Shropshire Classics Ark Racing design because I did not like the idea of cutting holes in the casings and the belt conversion. Now yours has been on some time can I ask how well is it performing and are you getting any issues you would like to share. Has the new cover arrived for instance and are you happy with the result of your electric start now.

Latest update: I had trouble with the pushbutton that operated the solenoid. I just couldn't find a handlebar button that was able to handle the current, the solenoid would sometimes work, but not all the time. I kept the original push button as supplied with the kit and in addition purchased one of these 80A automotive relays, they also sell 40 amp versions which would likely be adequate. www.amazon.co.uk/Ehdis-Truck-Normally-Socket-Automotive/dp/B01KHRPJGA/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=relay&link_code=qs&qid=1695120518&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1 The relay comes with a matching pre-wired socket which is handy. I kitted it out with sturdy old school brass bullet connectors, I had to drill these out to 2.7mm for the larger diameter wires, and soldered them all on for a good connecton. You can see how the wiring goes because the circuit is in the Amazon page for the relay. The pushbutton goes across the small white wire and the large yellow wire and the ignition power wire using a double female bullet, the large red wire goes to the solenoid wire, small yellow wire I connected to ground via the horn spade terminal and a short adapter wire. I concealed the relay above the horn in the “V” of the front frame tubes in front of the tank and secured it there with a cable tie, although it was quite snug in there anyway. No starting issues now. I had fitted a lucas 12A ammeter to my T140 so that I could monitor the battery charging, although it is not original it is a useful thing to have. The solenoid pulls a full scale 12A deflection when activated and those little push buttons with skinny wires just can’t take the juice, but they are OK for the small current needed to flip the relay so I did not have to change the button. I have a 20A fuse in the relay start button circuit which seems adequate. Hope this helps anyone else who has done the conversion.

Mike,buying an extra cutter & nearly burning out your drill; wouldn’t it have been easier to let Schropshire Classics do the work ? Then if you do have a problem with anything, atleast you have a warranty on it 🤷🏻‍♂️

Nice looking wheels, but are you sure about the spoke angles for the rear wheel? My 78 T140V has 90 degrees for the inners, but 85 degrees for the outers, with the extra 2mm under the head to allow for the extra bend. These are the same for both long and short spokes. I've always stuck with the Dunlop TT100s for mine, 4.10-19 and 4.10-18, as factory fitted. Those Roadrider 2s are good tyres, though, I've got them on my GS550. Those discs look interesting, I'll have to look into those for mine. I replace the original chrome front disc on mine with a plain cast iron one about 20 years ago and it's a bit better, especially in the wet, but nowhere near as good as modern brakes. One upgrade I did to the front brake was replacing the original 5/8" bore master cylinder barrel with a 13mm, stainless steel version. Externally, it is identical, with the same fittings, but it gives much better feel and 50% more leverage. I hope the new parts resolve the starter issues.

Hi, Mine is a T140D which has been left garaged for 15 years + and needs afair bit of work done. Likewise, its my arthiritic knee will probably stop me from kicking it over so I have researched the electric start option. Having not made any decisions yet about the conversions long term reliability at the price , I found your video exceptionally interesting and relevant, having a knowledge of the T140 s, having worked on them some. So thanks Mike for the cool video and one handed filming , I do hope you get the enjoyment of riding this certainly practical classic and that it proves reliable for you. JC- WsM

More info on this? I just picked up a 78 T140E today.

I have always dreamed of an electric start for my Bonnies but the cost is prohibitive, I'll just have to teach my kids how to start them for when I get too old. I'm definitely not a rivet counter and I have made several improvements to the bikes over the years. Aside from the cracked case issue which is easily resolved by the manufacturer I'm not a fan of the starter motor and solenoid setup. I think a smaller solenoid under the seat would look better which would also leave easy access for the crankcase timing plug. Main thing is you can get out and enjoy your bike without that niggling doubt in the back of your mind that you will struggle to kick her over... 👍👍👍

I did consider this conversion for my 1978 T140V, but, aside from the cost, cutting a hole in the crankcase was what put me off. All the upgrades I have done to mine over the years have been reversible, if someone wants to return it to original spec, but there is no way back once you start cutting holes. I decided to get a second bike with electric start instead, and bought a 1980 Suzuki GS550 for half the price of the kit, and I still have the unmolested Bonneville. Having seen your experience here with it, I'm not impressed by the engineering of the kit and I think I made the right decision. I hope you can get yours sorted.

Saw the same thing about the same time between 9.30pm - 9.50pm on 27/4/16 in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. It seemed to curve upwards before disappearing!