Triumphrat

02-22-2006

There's been much talk about increasing engine horsepower but many years ago I recall a veteran rally driver saying that you should first upgrade suspension, then the brakes and only then sort out the engine. With the Bonnie, suspension is easy but anyone have comments about upgrading the brakes?

Gary

FattRat · 02-22-2006

The Bonnie brakes are effective...... nothing more.
They work..... but not "effortlessly".
For an average guy...... about perfect.
For a Ricky Road Racer...... left for wanting.
For a guy who likes to modify....... there's better stuff out there for our Bonnies than what the bike comes with from the factory.

My Bonnie brakes felt inadequate because I came off a 120 horsepower performance bike with triple discs that required very little effort on my part, ESPECIALLY when they warmed up!

I've grown used to the brakes on a bike that puts out one third of the power as my prior "performance" bike. I'm also learning that trying to ride like, and expect my Bonneville to handle like a performance machine..... is like ironing your faded jeans, or "making a purse out of a sow's ear".

There's always room for improvement, just be selective where/how you want to improve upon.... a cruiser. The Bonneville is not a modern high performance machine. A Thruxton woulda been a better purchase if you wanted to pretend Ricky Road Racer "performance"....

Bryan · 02-22-2006

Quote:

On 2006-02-22 07:46, FattRat wrote:
The Bonnie brakes are effective...... nothing more.
They work..... but not "effortlessly".
For an average guy...... about perfect.
For a Ricky Road Racer...... left for wanting.
For a guy who likes to modify....... there's better stuff out there for our Bonnies than what the bike comes with from the factory.

My Bonnie brakes felt inadequate because I came off a 120 horsepower performance bike with triple discs that required very little effort on my part, ESPECIALLY when they warmed up!

I've grown used to the brakes on a bike that puts out one third of the power as my prior "performance" bike. I'm also learning that trying to ride like, and expect my Bonneville to handle like a performance machine..... is like ironing your faded jeans, or "making a purse out of a sow's ear".

There's always room for improvement, just be selective where/how you want to improve upon.... a cruiser. The Bonneville is not a modern high performance machine. A Thruxton woulda been a better purchase if you wanted to pretend Ricky Road Racer "performance"....

Agreed! Their good brakes for the bike.

dazco · 02-22-2006

The notion of upgrading brakes when you mod may be a good idea in cases where you gain huge power. But in this case i think it's senseless in that the difference between a modded and stock bonnie isn't enough to make better brakes any more or less important than they'd be on the stock bike. We're not talking about going from 60 to 100 HP here. Even highly modded twins probably don't gain more than 20 HP, and the mods most do here with intake and pipe mods gain maybe 10 HP which makes the bike a little spunkier, but certainly nothing like what would require better brakes.

02-22-2006

The "better brakes = more speed" equation, for me, has always been about average speed around a track, etc.

The idea is that if you can brake harder, you can achieve the same reduction in speed over shorter distances. This means that you are traveling at speed for longer, and therefore your average lap times should go down.

The way I see it is: upgrading suspension highlights weak braking (ie. you can travel more quickly because the bike is more stable etc), and upgraded brakes highlights weak power. The bike can now go 'faster' with better suspension, and brakes; therefore it can handle more power than before.

It could also be argued that tires are the first thing you should try. I see tires as a modifier that effects all of the above. Positively or negatively.

The problem with trying to make use of better brakes in the above context, is that you have to be willing to brake later into corners. This might or might not be a problem depending on your riding ability, or mental state.

Of course if all you want is better brakes, and/or some bling ignore everything above, and the below links should get you started:

http://www.newbonneville.com/html/hy...brake_kit.html

I don't know if these are compatible:
http://www.newthruxton.com/html/ebc_brakes.html
:-D

[ This message was edited by: pwbyrne on 2006-02-22 10:36 ]

SCbonneville · 02-22-2006

The stock Bonneville isn't bad as it comes.... But! it can be so much better....

As far as the suspension goes...I know alot of people like the Ikons...I went a different direction..I put Progressive Suspensions dual rate fork springs and their 440 series shocks on my Bonnie and it absolutely TRANSFORMED the handling, stability and comfort of it...The Ikons don't come close...

Brakes...install Spiegler braided ss line and EBC HH pads... A good improvement on the stock set up...

Another comfort upgrade you can do that is not very expensive, if you like the stock seat, is to have to have it refoamed with a quality foam. I had mine done by Sargent Cycle Products in Jacksonville Fla. with their "super cell" foam and it is worlds better than the stock stuff...

The neat thing about doing mods is that they can be done in steps... But after pipes and rejetting, you'll get the best bang for the buck on the suspension...Have fun and enjoy

bennybmn · 02-22-2006

I have a floating rotor on mine and upgraded pads. Made a noticable difference in feel! Good place to start. Just be carefull with the rotor bolts!

02-24-2006

Quote:

On 2006-02-22 08:49, dazco wrote:
The notion of upgrading brakes when you mod may be a good idea in cases where you gain huge power. But in this case i think it's senseless in that the difference between a modded and stock bonnie isn't enough to make better brakes any more or less important than they'd be on the stock bike. We're not talking about going from 60 to 100 HP here. Even highly modded twins probably don't gain more than 20 HP, and the mods most do here with intake and pipe mods gain maybe 10 HP which makes the bike a little spunkier, but certainly nothing like what would require better brakes.

Hey Daz,

Don't forget you've got two on the front of yours. The Bonneville has one disk.

You're comment about the HP difference might be fair enough but good brakes give you time and distance that you can't buy when you need it. Just changing the pads should be encouraged because it is an issue of added safety.

Obviously there is a performance gain and that is why most guys make a change but safety is an even better reason. Who cares if performance pads don't last as long - they're not that expensive.

I changed to an EBC floater and HH pads after 800k's on the bike and love the difference. I was very dissapointed with the standard pads and constantly found myself only just pulling up in time around town - I no longer have this problem.

Your commentary and opinion is valued by many, including myself, so don't let anyone make you feel any different.

Nang · 02-24-2006

Quote:

On 2006-02-22 12:51, SCbonneville wrote:
The stock Bonneville isn't bad as it comes.... But! it can be so much better....

As far as the suspension goes...I know alot of people like the Ikons...I went a different direction..I put Progressive Suspensions dual rate fork springs and their 440 series shocks on my Bonnie and it absolutely TRANSFORMED the handling, stability and comfort of it...The Ikons don't come close...

Hey SCB,

I have Ikons on my Thrux and to be honest I didn't notice much difference from the stock shocks. Have you ridden a Bonnie with the Ikons so you can directly compare with the Progressives? I'm happy with the Ikons but curious if something else is significantly better (without having to mortgage the house to buy them).

SCbonneville · 02-24-2006

Nang, yes I have ridden a couple of Bonnies with the Ikons on them, including the fork springs. And yes I believe the 440 series shocks are definately noticeable superior. In terms of comfort, stability and handling.

The guys that have Ikons that have ridden my Bonnie agree with me too. My ridding buddy loves the suspension on my bike. He recently upgraded shocks to what I thought was going to be the Progressives. He thought he would save about $50 by going with the Ikons. He thought they would be a big improvement over stock and be close to what I have. Let's just say he's not happy with his purchase.... He had not ridden a Bonnie with Ikons on it before purchasing them. He has been trying to return them so he can purchase the Progressives.

Shoot me your e-mail address if you want me to send you the links to Progessives site and the vendor I used to purchase them and any other info you might want or need.

Tom scbonne@gforcecable.com