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Triumph obscurity
Dr Morton's vibe-free Meriden
Bonneville
May 29, 2026
Guy ' Guido' Allen
If you have ridden a Meriden-era Triumph Bonneville 750 (circa 1973-83), you'll know the vibration can be teeth-rattling. Triumph looked at a serious attempt to solve the issue, designed by engineer Dr Paul Morton, and the British National Motorcycle Museum has just added the prototype to the fleet
From the museum: we’ve just welcomed an incredibly rare piece of engineering history to the National Motorcycle Museum: a 1980 Triumph T140MF anti-vibration prototype.
This isn't your standard Bonnie. Back in the late 1970s, UK police forces wanted the power of a British twin but without the numbing hand-shake. Enter Dr Paul Morton, a brilliant mind seconded to Triumph (Meriden) from industrial giant GEC.
Instead of just using rubber engine mounts (like the T140AV models), Dr Morton went a step further. He engineered the "Morton System" – an internal balancer shaft that ran forward inside uniquely modified crankcases.
Above: a close-up of the front crankcase, showing the
heavy custom weld work required to house the
revolutionary balancer shaft.
Above: Dr Morton’s original demonstration models showing how the system counteracted those massive reciprocal forces.
This incredible machine was generously donated to the museum by Morton’s grand-daughter, Sarah. Along with the bike, she handed over a treasure trove of history: all of his original design drawings, handwritten calculations, factory meeting minutes, and newspaper clips.
After the project ended, Morton kept the bike and rode it on the road for years. Right now, the museum restoration team is hard at work recommissioning it so we can get this smooth-riding piece of history back on the bitumen where it belongs!
The UK National Motorcycle Museum
Ed's note: if you happen to be in the UK, the museum is a
must-see. The displays are extensive and can be fluid. It
runs events, serves as a function centre (and, yes, it
will do weddings...) does raffles, has a significant media
profile in its homeland and is a destination worthy of
putting aside plenty of time.
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