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contemplating Triumph

3K views 23 replies 22 participants last post by  luckyduck 
#1 ·
Presently aboard an '93 R1100RS...daily ride for years...Remembering my long gone brother's and father's Triumphs I'm considering coming to the Triumph brand. That said: carb or EFI version? Also what mods need be done from stock to provide acceptable performance as daily rider? And as an aside :can a 70's model Bonneville be updated enough to serve as a reliable companion? And although a great deal of the attraction is esthetic, should I be looking at the Sprint instead?
Many thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
I was in the same boat. Looked for used Bonnies and finally bought a '12 for a good price. I love how these bikes sound and the relaxed riding position. I hate fiddling with carbs so the EFI was a no brainer to me.
 
#3 ·
Now then , it all depends on if you want out and out speed or if you want a nice usable Bike for every day use . I use my Bonne all week and at the week end also . A 70"s Bonne will do it but you would have to keep on top of it all the time . :D
 
#4 ·
The modern Bonneville is simply fantastic. I ride mine all day and come home, adjust the chain ( if it needs it) and wash it. Thats it.

With my '74 T140V I would spend about 1 hr tightening up bolts, looking for replacements of things that had vibrated off, etc

Riding position is comfortable, the bike is reliable, they are cheap to run and easy to repair.

And there are heaps of cool mods out there:D

I also dont like fiddling with carbs, so if you can get an EFI model I would go for it

Happy decision making::D
 
#5 ·
I had a 2005 bonne t100 for 2 years here in the city of Chicago, downtown, and rode it daily, put on 8000 miles in 2 years...flawless, comfy up to 3 hours, and a stunner, had the black and red, only added rear seat sissy bar and a chrome chain guard.
 
#6 ·
As Lewis Black said of drinking in Ireland, "It's 9am in the morning and I told the guy next to me I wanted a beer. He replied to me, 'Why wouldn't you want one?' That is when I knew I was in heaven."

Go with a modern Bonneville for less maintenance. That bench seat is universal. Ride it like Thorton in "Pushing Tin". (Yeah, I know that was another Triumph.)
 
#8 ·
I have a 2010 EFI Bonnie SE as a daily commuter. I purchased a power socket and a mount for my phone and radar detector. It's a very well balanced bike for commuting, great torque, good handling. A well behaved motorcycle. Visually a thing of beauty...
 
#10 ·
I think you need to test ride both of them and evaluate your wants versus needs accordingly.

The Sprint will be a newer replacement for what you're currently accustomed to, the Bonnie may not meet that current demand you have set with the R1100RS.

A Bonnie with 67 bhp vs. a Sprint with 113-130 bhp, depending on what year you go with, is a huge difference in performance.

Stage one mods on a modern fuelie Bonnie would put you around 64-66 bhp with say a set of Dominator Touring cans, 02 removal, DNA pods (hack air box or purchase a kit) and Pieman tune is a stage one set up.

You can choose ignition advances for more pep and if that still isn't enough you can go with a stage two by installing 813 cams. Figure 70-75 rwhp depending on the dyno.

After that you get to be more expensive with high compression pistons or a whole stroker kit.

However, this bike is not designed to mimic an ST by any means.
 
#11 ·
A modern Triumph is more durable then a modern BMW...and better looking. A 70s Bonneville is weekend bar hopper, not bad for what it is...you can throw all the money you want at it....a new one gives you the style with NONE of the problems.
 
#12 · (Edited)
the R1100RS and a Bonnie are very different bikes, if you work locally and want a commuter and a little fun at the weekends the Bonnie is a good bike and a great way to atract conversation where ever you park. If you do 300 mile days the the sprint would be a better bike for your needs.

I have an R1200GS and a Efi Bonnie. I work 360km away from wher I live, and often ride the GS on my weekely commute, the Bonnie ads over an hour to the journey, its simply is not comfortable cruising at anything over 65-70mph, and 60 is better. The GS dosent get used at weekends, the bonnie is way more fun.

Can a 70 bonnie live with a new Bonnie, yes, but it needs TLC and a few changes like electronic ignition and other modern bits to help reliability, and it needs to be ridden like a 50 year old girl freind not an 18 year old stripper.

Have fun.
 
#13 ·
Presently aboard an '93 R1100RS...daily ride for years...Remembering my long gone brother's and father's Triumphs I'm considering coming to the Triumph brand. That said: carb or EFI version? Either are great. Carbs if you like modding engines, EFI if you just want to push the go switch and go.


Also what mods need be done from stock to provide acceptable performance as daily rider? None. It comes out of the box with "acceptable" performance.


And as an aside :can a 70's model Bonneville be updated enough to serve as a reliable companion? Absolutely- they can be a great daily rider.

And although a great deal of the attraction is esthetic, should I be looking at the Sprint instead? If you want more than twice the power of a bonnie, sure. It's not necessarilly more fun though.
Many thanks in advance
You're welcome:D
 
#14 ·
Since I'm retired, I can't say I commute on my T100. I can say, though, that I use it running errands all the time. I travel on it every summer, as far as 2000 miles. I've ridden it 400 miles in a day and with my Russell Day Long Saddle it was no problem. I've owned a number of BMW's and enjoyed them, too, but I must say the maintenance costs on BMW's is almost unbelievable. Frankly, if I hadn't found an independent BMW motorcycle mechanic I wouldn't be able to afford to own the '99 BMW R1100RT w/EZS sidecar! The Triumph is not nearly as expensive to own and ride. If I were to buy another cycle, it would be another Triumph!
 
#16 ·
Thank you gentlemen, I am convinced. An EFI Bonnie will be the addition. And here's where it gets ironic considering the comments in this thread. I had a flat, hadn't had one in several years; after riding on my Stop and go "emergency"plug for a few hundred miles I went in to reluctantly "re-tire". Along with that purchase I said yes to and oil and filter change as well as I reside in a downtown condo and have to "hide" between cars to do any service myself ; the condo bylaws don't permit that sort of activity. I'm old enough that I'm embarrassed to NOT do my own service, sort of bruised ego territory. The good side of that is that I have become able to do my valve adjustments in 45 minutes if I limit myself to one frosty adult beverage. So tires and oil & filter. Then came the inquiry as to my last ABS brake fluid change; "that fluid looks amber". Those Beemer mechanics are so thorough. Well during the test ride the mechanic must have tried to lock up the brakes to test the ABS; no go; ABS pump failure and now replacing lines (Speigler) and doing an ABS-ectomy (replacement pumps go for 2grand if you can find them). Never really cared for BMW's ABS systems anyway. So "adjust the chain and add gas" sounds very attractive as a mode of operation. One question on the EFI models; what is the hose and device nextto the spark plug on each cylinder head? Emissions?
 
#18 ·
Think of a T-100 as an R90/6 replacement; in other words a "standard". It's mostly less fuss but you'll need to swap out the shocks, tweak the forks and find a better seat. It's ~ 50 lbs overweight too for what it is.

As for the air injection, just stuff a plug in the hose which leaves the air box. Simple..., and it works. If you get a flat though, forget patching it on the side of the road like a /6.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I have access to three bikes and a scooter on a daily basis. I choose the Bonneville 95% of the time, regardless of the type of ride I'm doing. Mine is EFI. I find that it provides exceptional performance. I have 5000+ miles on it and have had no mechanical or other issues.

That said, if sport touring is your passion, get the Sprint.

Take either for a test ride and you'll ride it home.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The Sprint is an exceptionally capable bike and will do anything and go anywhere. If I was doing any long distances, carrying luggage, carrying a pillion or concerned about MPG I would have one over a bonnie any day. However if you were leaning towards a Sprint I would personally start looking at blackbirds and alike instead.

However with a bonnie, scram or thruxton you are getting a bike with real charisma that doesnt just function as a tool. My thrux has been 100% reliable and a blast to ride and I wouldnt hesitate to recommend anyone to buy one.
 
#21 ·
The Bonneville's not like your BMW at all, but you knew that!

Carb or EFI? My carbed '03 pulls like a draft horse, and I've never needed to even touch the carbs.

The Bonneville is a really nice 3-4 hour ride. After that I want OFF, mostly because of the terrible stock seat and utter lack of protection from wind blast. Guys will tell you that they ride their Bonneville from coast to coast, but this is rare indeed. It's a great bike for for commuting and day trips, and it has good, predictable handling that inspires confidence. At about 450 pounds, it's no lightweight, but it handles like one because of its low seat height and center of gravity.

For me to keep one motorcycle for almost 10 years is something that's never happened before, but this one scratches all of the itches. It does everything well, and has that classic look to boot.

Mine's been completely trouble free except for a slightly leaky fork seal early on. I was advised to wait until the bike had 5,000 miles on it before I ever even considered fixing the problem. Sure enough, at exactly 5,000 miles on the odometer, the weeping stopped and the fork seals have been perfect since.
 
#22 ·
Bonneville Fork Seal Leak/Seep/Weep

My T100 Bonneville's been completely trouble free except for a slightly leaky front fork seal early on. I was advised to wait until the bike had 5,000 miles on it before I ever even considered fixing the problem. Sure enough, at exactly 5,000 miles on the odometer, the seeping stopped and the fork seals have been perfect since. Good advice indeed.

The rest of the bike seemed to be well run-in at this mileage, too.
 
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