Triumphrat

lunus

I've lived with my Bonnie for a year now. I still think it's a great bike but it could be so much nicer with a bit of thought and design work and an increase in quality components.

I'm not sure why Triumph position the Bonnie as a "budget" model if it means they have to skimp on things like locking seats, use plastic choke knobs, horrible bits of bent metal on the clutch etc. Most of us in this forum have spent $100's on after-market add-ons to sort out these little nasties.

Triumph could improve all of these for a small amount (it doesn't really COST $25 for a nice choke button), add a little to the price and position the Bonnie as a better quality item.

Instead we get tacky, overpriced, accessories. Sorry Triumph, you're letting the marketing & accounting guys have too much say in the engineering.

It isn't a "lifestyle accessory" it's a motorcycle.

Great bike, once you get it sorted.

Cheers

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WaltZ

Trade it in on a Harley, a Jap crotch rocket, or perhaps a Royal Enfield - maybe you'll like those off the showroom floor.

[ This message was edited by: WaltZ on 2006-05-09 06:44 ]

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eagle

Sorry - but I think Triumph got it about right (with maybe the exception of a locking seat - it's not expensive - which means you can spend some dollars / pounds on getting it how YOU want it. Hmmm.... a bit like a Harley only half the price (well it is in the UK). Anyone working on a lockable seat? If not maybe I'll email Jenks Bolts and see if they can some up with something.

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sweatmachine

quicher bichin, go buy something else.

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904cc Custom Bonnie Cafe Fighter!

DJ

my only complaint is the spoke issue, which worries me. but everything else on the bike is fine with me. quite good for $7,000 :-D

Opa

:razz: After 15 years of ridin' a harley,I'm just simply happy with my Speedy! You can modify your bike if you don't like something in it... at least that's what I did. :hammer: The engine and character of these triumphs are great!

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Thunder_Forever

Don't cry....We modify our bikes in all sorts of ways to make them our own. I like this technique and I think Triumph is doing it just right. I haven't seen another bonneville that looks just like mine at all due to my mods....sure things are similar but our bikes should be like snowflakes....no two are alike.

Lunus will be far fetched to find anyone agreeing with the argument. :cry: :razz:

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DrEnglish

If you read Lunus' post carefully, he's not really complaining that much--just asking for a few tweaks here and there. My guess is that Triumph saves a little money here and there in order to get the bike into people's hands at a low price, assuming that customers will modify their bikes anyway...

I think that's a good strategy. Would be nice if triumph themselves provided a more comprehensive line of add-ons, but the aftermarket does fine too.

It's true that aftermarket stuff is a little pricey. Ah well.

BTW, I think a plastic choke knob is a GOOD thing. Doesn't get hot. You were thinking, maybe, a nice English walnut burl or...?

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jimmything

I agree to a point with lunus. I'll bet if you asked the workers at Triumph what they'd like to see on the bikes they build(and ride), the bikes would probably have better features and components. But you know who makes the decisions in companies, it's the bean counters and CFO's looking at profit margins. Don't get me wrong, I think my speedmaster (Triumph in general)rocks, but give lunus some slack, hell, he bought a triumph over the cookie cutter wanna-be harley bikes. Hell, everything made these days would be better if they kept out the bean-counters ideas and took the advise from the guys that really work on the stuff. I love the choke knob. :-D

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Normandy

Right on man, loved my old chops too.