Triumphrat

Flanman · 11-03-2012, 03:34 AM

No problems riding two-up. My wife likes the fact that I mounted a luggage rack and a Shad topcase, which has a back-rest pad. The top case is very handy but pops off with the press of a lever when it isn't needed. She likes the fact that she can lean back and enjoy the ride.

Our combined weight is about 360 pounds, but the Bonnie has plenty of low rpm torque and a low center of gravity making it an easy ride. Much better two-up than my V-Strom.

SlowPocono · 11-03-2012, 07:29 AM

When my Ducati's regulator rectifier left me standing by the side of the road I got a ride home as pillion on my friends T100.

I'm alive to tell you about it.

That's good enough for me.

grumpy_1944 · 11-03-2012, 07:14 PM

MLW and I loaded the Bonnie with a weekends worth of "stuff"for a long weekend and rode double 240 miles from Hanford, Ca to a resort near Sacremento Ca. Went up Ca highway 49 through the gold country. Bike ran/handled perfect for the whole trip up and back.

A K&Q seat and hagon rear shocks with intiminators in the forks are the only mods to the bike. I Rx the suspension upgrades as the first mod to these bikes.

They definitely can tour two up with no problem. Alas, MLW now has her own bike to tour on, so we can carry even more "stuff" when we travel.

Trophy4 · 11-04-2012, 07:27 PM

Tour two-up on a Bonnie? Why not? Those of us on this list who are nearing (or have passed) social security age and who have been riding for most of those years can probably remember touring on 450's & 500's. A 650 Bonneville (or Trophy/Tiger) was overkill for most of us. And when the 750's arrived on the scene -- what were we going to do with all that power? Why would anyone need that many cc's? I know I've toured many, many miles, two-up, on 650's (BSA, Triumph, and Yamaha), and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, if anyone still made 650 twins!

I think I missed something -- when did a 900cc Triumph Bonneville become a "starter bike"?

SlowPocono · 11-04-2012, 10:14 PM

Trophy4 has it right. A 650 was BIG. A 350 was more than adequate.
You learn a whole lot more about riding when you have to use every bit of performance a bike can give.

sick boy · 11-05-2012, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trophy4

Tour two-up on a Bonnie? Why not? Those of us on this list who are nearing (or have passed) social security age and who have been riding for most of those years can probably remember touring on 450's & 500's. A 650 Bonneville (or Trophy/Tiger) was overkill for most of us. And when the 750's arrived on the scene -- what were we going to do with all that power? Why would anyone need that many cc's? I know I've toured many, many miles, two-up, on 650's (BSA, Triumph, and Yamaha), and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, if anyone still made 650 twins!

I think I missed something -- when did a 900cc Triumph Bonneville become a "starter bike"?

RickMcCl · 11-08-2012, 09:08 PM

I finally got my wife to take a ride with me last Sunday (she'd never been on a MC before).

She loved it, and I didn't even have to sit further forward than I usually do riding solo.

The Bonne is plenty big enough for the two of us, with a combined weight of @330.

AFAIK; stock suspension. I just cranked up the pre-load on the rears as recommended in the manual (went from two to five).

Rick