Triumphrat

Repeater · 04-17-2006, 03:49 PM

Good afternoon, all! My, this is a busy forum over on this side of Triumph Town, isn't it? :-D

You can see by the sidebar that I'm a T509 Speed Triple rider at the moment. My EX250 has been laid up for the past few months (stripped drain plug... still trying to sort it out) so I've had a lot of mileage on my Speed Triple as of late.

It's a terrific little bike. It's loud, fast, obnoxious, smells like raw hydrocarbon emissions (FI needs badly to be tuned - she's a bit rich), and is generally a total blast to ride. For about an hour and a half. At which point, I start to get sore spots on the inside of my legs (from the sharp tank sculpting) and hot spots on my kiester from the seat that is super on short trips, but certainly isn't made for long ones! She's only returning about 37mpg (which isn't much better than my car!) which may change for the better with a new FI tune, but it seems most S3 riders seem to get about 40. And there's not enough room on the tail to put my soft saddlebags across.

Though, I'm only 27 years old, the Speed Triple doesn't seem to be all too well-suited to the type of riding I want to be doing. I have my 250 for short trips, but I'd really like to do more long (350+ mile) rides. It seems at this point that the S3 would kill me in that distance. So I've been seriously considering selling the Triple and buying a Bonneville instead. The Bonneville looks like a great bike. While sitting on it, I really like the seating position. It definitely has to be more efficient than the Triple. So Bonneville riders, help a guy out - what is it you most like and least like about your Twins? In specific, I'd enjoy hearing about the following:

1) Seating position - the Triple cramps my legs badly... how do you guys fare on 6-10 hour rides?
2) Vibration - The Triple is ultra-smooth. But my EX250 will numb my thumbs after a few hours. How smooth do the pegs and bars feel at speed on the Bonnies?
3) Fuel Economy - Do most of you average around 50mpg?

I know insurance costs are an easy win for the Bonneville over the S3. But I also know the Bonneville is a slug compared to the S3, which won't bother me at all. I'd like to keep my license so I can continue to enjoy riding. :-D

Sorry for the long post, fellas, and thanks for any info!

-Shaun

sweatmachine · 04-17-2006, 04:12 PM

For starters, you won't get a lot better gas mileage. I get around 40mpg on the highway and worse depending on my right wrist. I just got my 19t front sprocket in the mail and that should help some.

The handlebars will vibrate the blood from your fingers at 70mph (4300ish rpms) but again, the 19t front sprocket should help that too.

I have predators and an airbox removal kit installed, and 150 mains, which will account for some of that bad gas mileage (and rich exhaust). I've never done more than about 5-6 hours in the saddle, but your butt will get a little sore. It is a comfy bike compared to what you're riding though. Being a young man you'll have no problems. I'm 26 and I can outlast my old man who's 50 and he's on a touring bike with a nice Corbin saddle!

You may miss the speed, but you're going to enjoy that insurance break!

InfX708 · 04-17-2006, 04:17 PM

Seating position is good enough for me - I'm 6'1".
Vibration on the Bonnie is less than the Thruxton. It's still there, but can be decreased or eliminated with different bars and grips.
Fuel economy varies. Change the pipes, increase the size of the jets, and it goes down. Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. To get more horses, you need more fuel.
The only downside of the Bonnie on comfort is the seat. It gets uncomfortable after about 3 hrs. There's various fixes for this as well. I wouldn't say the Bonnie is a slug compared to the S3. It won't beat it in the 1/4 mile, but it ain't exactly a scooter either.

Repeater · 04-17-2006, 04:22 PM

Thanks for the quick replies so far, guys!

As an additional tidbit, if it helps at all, I would pretty much keep intake, exhaust, and carb jetting stock. I don't mind quiet at all, especially after my attention-whore Triple. :-D "Performance" isn't nearly as much a factor in this choice as "my ass falling off after 6 hours on the Triple."

ETA : I'm 5'9" and about 155 lbs.

[ This message was edited by: Repeater on 2006-04-17 14:23 ]

sweatmachine · 04-17-2006, 04:57 PM

Trust me, you'll want to mess with it. I promise. Get it and call me in 6 months. You'll have some money in it by then. I'd bet on it.

You'll at least want to do something pipe related, and that means messing with the carbs, and that means airbox elim, and that means AI elimination, and on from there...

Have fun. These things sound amazing with loud pipes, better than a HD if you ask me.

Moggy · 04-17-2006, 05:03 PM

Sounds like you've nearly sold yourself ! Go on DO IT !
You will love it.

dazco · 04-17-2006, 05:09 PM

350 miles at a shot? No question.......speedmaster or america. Nothing i've ever ridden comes close to them for long distance comfort. Like crusing down the road in your favorite living room chair.

Repeater · 04-17-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

On 2006-04-17 15:09, dazco wrote:
350 miles at a shot? No question.......speedmaster or america. Nothing i've ever ridden comes close to them for long distance comfort. Like crusing down the road in your favorite living room chair.

Thanks for the suggestion, dazco. The only reason I wouldn't is that I really haven't liked the "foot-forward" seating position at all. It feels awkward, and I think it would bother my lower back after long distances. That's the only reason that they're not part of the equation at this point. Is there a kit or something one can buy to put the footpegs further back, under the rider for those?

Another FYI to those that might ask, here are some other considerations. Money is a big issue at this point, so they must be available used for around $5000-$7000. So here's what I'm at right now.

-Moto Guzzi Breva V750 - I love this one, but it's hard to find good info on them!
-Triumph Bonneville/T100/Scrambler - You guys are filling me in right now. Cheers!
-Triumph Tiger - might be expensive. Are always hard to find. But it might be a good way to go; I love all the leg space!
-Triumph Adventurer/Legend/Thunderbird - These are another dark horse; they're just not widely available anymore, no matter how lovely they are.
-Buell Ulysses XB12X - If I somehow come across a spare $11,000. :wink:
-BMW F650CS - pracitcal and available, but expensive and I worry about the single-cylinder vibrations...

dazco · 04-17-2006, 05:46 PM

Don't be too sure about the forward foot position. It feels wierd to everyone at first including me. But now i can't imagine going back to mid pegs. It's really comfortable. But the problem is that you won't know till you've had it for a while, so i suppose it's taking a chance. I love it tho, and it doesn't hurt my back at all even tho i'm almost twice your age !

d2mini · 04-17-2006, 05:57 PM

Here ya go. Best place I found.
http://www.wildguzzi.com/forum/