Triumphrat

evand

Trying to figure out what to do? I need more speed. I am torn about what to do. Should I drop more cash into the bonnie, I would need heads, hsr's,bill mayer or russell seat and 904 kit. Then shop around for a shop to do the labor. How much would this cost$$. Do I just keep the bonnie for town and buy a v-strom for my trips. about 100hp and tq, they sell adaprtors for my hepco stuff and it offers nice level of wind protection.

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Mods= hepco's with topcase, parabellum, k/q seat, great bay highway bars, norman hyde pipes, bellmouth,progressive rear hagon front susp, ird plugs. Looking into russell day-long seat.

modre

you want a Hayabusa or the new BMW K bike for blood and guts.

The Bonneville is for Sundays in the park.
the age of squeezing hp out of it was 40 years ago...why reinvent the wheel?

However optimistic, the story always ends the same way...a screwed up bike and you didn't go anywhere.

bonnieblackinfl

That's why it's called a hobby, you don't have to go anywhere doing what you like, as long as you are happy with it who cares.

BTW, go with the HSR's, you'll love them.

Greg

[ This message was edited by: bonnieblackinfl on 2007-02-13 07:18 ]

sweatmachine

Wow, you sure know a lot for a guy that's done no motorwork on a new bonnie.

Evand, go for the 904 and some HSR carbs, aftermarket exhaust etc. It will be a very rewarding ride, with more torque than a stock speed triple up to 6-7,000 rpms.

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Who says being a tool is a bad thing? I have more use for my tools than I do for most people.


Click for a picture of my slightly modified Bonnie

Brooksie

evand-if you use the bike for commuting, I would leave it as close to stock as possible. You do not want to get into the jetting and tuning fun unless you are just having fun tinkering. If you like to tinker, go with the 904. Just bring $$$$$ if you have somebody do it for you. At that point you are into a 675 0r Speed Triple price range, with enough left over for pipes! A SV is a good bike, and spec has more power than the Bonnie. The Bonnie will do very well on trips. The only thing that needs to be upgraded on the bike is suspension. After that, it is just a matter of preference.

FattRat

You can iron your Levis and slip on a pair of dress shoes for a job interview, or you could buy a pair of slacks better suited for the occasion.

Same with motorcycles:
You can hang all sorts of luggage off your retro bike, or just get another bike that's better equipped to do the job.
- and/or -
You could pour a couple thousand dollars into upgrading a bike that will ALWAYS be 60's technology, or put that money into a used 100+ hp modern day sport bike.

I had Hepco Beckers on my BonnieBlack, and LOVED them. But modern day plastic on my retro machine defeated the 'look' I enjoyed so much about my Bonnie. I then replaced the Hepco's with some fantastic leather bags and a matching tour pack; add a sheepskin seat cover, and I was good to go the distance..... and look tough-n-fine doing it!

Was it worth it? Apparently I felt that it wasn't.

Long story made short:
I am sooooo much happier with a naked retro café racer Bonnie
- AND -
a used $5,000.oo 124 hp modern UJM that I can ride in as sporting a fashion as one could EVER want, or in two minutes simply attach my Krauser hard bags on it for a cross-country adventure.





Believe it or not, I would saved one hell of a lot of money if I had thought this through. But sometimes we just gotta find out for ourselves. Another case in point, is how I sunk all sorts of money into a naked BMW R1150R, trying to make of it an RT (touring) model. The more expensive R1150RT would have been far cheaper in the long run.......
had I thought it all through.

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- 'Rider' -

Click here for a view of my Member's Album.

d2mini

Ditto what FattRat said.
I decked out my bonnie to touring levels but in the end I sold it and bought a V-strom 650. It's soooo much better for the long haul and two-up. It's lighter and quicker than my T100 was and handles like any modern day sport bike. Made the bonnie feel like a tank when i got back on it before selling it.

Of course now the reality of NOT actually doing much touring is making me rethink and looking for a Thruxton for all the around town riding. :roll:

So this time I'm hoping I can keep the strom and have my thruxton too.

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-dennis
2004 Triumph Thruxton

Brooksie

V-Strom is a great bike that never gets it's due, d2. Looks like a baby Tiger several years before Triumph gets around to it. 675 engine is just dying to find new purposes like a baby Speed Triple. That Zuke 650 twin is a great engine.

SCCTrim

Looking at your signature you already have a fair amount of jack invested in the bonnie, and would appear to be prepared for a trip. You have the luggage..( I also have h/b's and like them alot )..and while I've never been on a bike with a parabellum it would appear to offer something more than a little wind protection..


..as others here mentioned you could get either a 904 kit or just get some mikuni hsr's...( I have both and combined they made a world of difference )...and be cheaper than purchasing another machine.

Either alone will net you roughly 70/75hp when properly jetted and with free flowing exhaust. My bike is making about 83hp and 61lbft of torque with the mod's I've done and I do not have over sized valves nor major head work.

Those mod's are coming in the future :-)

The bike is great fun to ride, and comparing the photo's presently posted...which of these look's like a honest motorcycle? IMO the answer is Pat's old black bonnie or D2's creamsicle.

That's the great thing's about motorcycle's, there's something for everyone. If a classic looking modernized machine is what float's your boat, by all means keep the bonnie and press forward with your mods.

...if not, buy something else.


Pat's old black bonnie proved to be inspirational in modding mine, and while a small part of me feel's somewhat...( lacking the proper word here )...guilty? of building my bike to look pretty similar to his old one, I love it and would do it again.


1 final thing, the new bonnevilles are not 60's technology. Sure, the suspension is lacking, and the overall appearence is from a bike of that era, but these bike's are far and away different than the bonnevilles of the past.






[ This message was edited by: SCCTrim on 2007-02-13 11:06 ]

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Hated By All....cause thats just how it is.

modre

I haven't had to. there's under 600 miles on the bike.




I've been in lots of engines... here's one... I did the Fageol in that Flxible Visicoach with no parts available. 8 ton of pull a rabbit out of the hat.

this Bonneville engine is a toy. I did my first Briggs at 10 or so, and my first Chevy manual trans at 14...I was in the English bike engines and transmissions by 16 or so, and I'm now closing in on 55.

"do you really think you can di-sect me with this blunt little instrument Agent Starling?"