...a motorcycle was just a motorcycle - two wheels and a motor and a tank and a big round headlight, and not much more...
Why did
I Buy a Bonnie? I had a 14 year hiatus from bikes. Family responsibilities. My choice, and one I'm glad I did take. However, when I returned to bikes, everything had changed. Most bikes had an alien, insect form, or gave impression that it would unfold into a robot on the occasional Saturday morning. Either that, or way cruiser-ish.
My first bike choice, was a HD '48. But boy they're pricey. Even used. My only other choice, a Bonnie. Mostly because it was relatable
and affordable.
The first bike I ever 'fell in love with' was Yamaha's little
SRX-6. Had one that was race-built. This bike lacked nothing. Impressed upon me what a properly built single was capable of. Thus began a love-affair with singles.
If someone, anyone, would build a 60+ horse aircooled reliable big single, traditionally road-styled, relatively light bike with good road-manners, I'd have been window-licking their store-front every morning waiting for them to open in order to hand them my money.
Favorite bikes hand's-down are the
Manx Norton singles. But they're a little too impractical to really ride anywhere or daily, not unlike a
Velocette, (which I also covet) especially in congested traffic. And then there's parts allocation and costs. Not to mention the emotional damage that will occur if it goes down or is taken. (And if it is taken, I
will find you, and I
will... *ahem.*)
So exactly what
is available? That I like? Hmm.
There's the
R.E. Conti GT. Great lookin'. Too expensive for what you get though. If it reliably possessed heaps more power one would be sharing a stall with my Sporty as I type. (Still keeping eyes out for an inexpensive used one. Be fun around town.)
Yamaha's SR-youwanthowmuchforthat!?!-
400? (cue Grumpy-cat) No. ThankyouverymuchYamijustwhatwereyouthinking?
Honda? As cool as it is, the
CBR250/300 is just too... little. C'mon Big Red, 650/700 ala'
GB500. IDC if it is water-cooled. Wish I could have afforded a GB in the day. Oh well.
Suzuki. Outside of dirtbikes, do they even know what a single
is anymore? I mean, this
was the company that built the
DR Big for cry-aye... Now it's all '
Haya this-n-'
busa that.'
Kawi. Well, I guess I could buy another
KLR650. But why? My old one still works. Slow as it is and liquid cooled, it will. not. die. Not a roadie anyway. Good commuters.
So that leaves me with... twins.
HD's own, now no longer US bound,
XR1200R. I like these. Sitting on them reminds me of my old
VF700 Interceptor. But slower. Not fussy to own a daily-driver that's essentially a discontinued niche model either. Parts start to increase. Also the afore-mentioned
'48. Low miles used they still fetch quite the price. Usually as much as a
new Thrux.
Victory kept showing promise with the
Judge. Great motor, but still too 'Ness-ie' for my tastes. At least it had a round headlight.
'New'
Norton's 961 racer is
The Hotness™. Forbidden-Secks-on-wheels Hotness. Love the bike. But at over
20k USD The ™ Hotness... cools a shade. Apparently I'm also a
cheapskate as well. So no Hotness for me.
Love the
Guzzi V7 Racer. For a mass-production bike it's jaw-droppingly visually stunning. I've seen 'em. Don't know where you get 'em though. Like the Norton, UPS will be your favorite parts-guy.
The new
Ducs? I want to like the
Scrambler series. I really do. But they're too... edgy. Or maybe I'm just too. damn. picky. Or old. Or not. I'm edgy, but more in the 'TSA agent will pick you out of the line' edgy than cool edgy. Think Barney Fife meets Tommy Chong.
The only bikes left that are even close to comparable to my old SRX-6 that have everyday reliability, durability, nationwide parts availability, fits my criteria and is affordable, is the Bonnie series. I was prepared to pick up a new previous-year Mag-wheel Bonnie to start. An 'M'-bar, Thrux seat cowl, fender eliminator, little signals, rear-sets and I'd be good.
Turns out I didn't even have to cafe' one. Adopted a pristine sub-1000 mile with mods, used Thrux.
It was a plus that I like old Brit-bikes, which the SRX was tribute toward, and all that made this decision easy. I could have bought a
CB1100 for a pretty good price, but it just didn't speak to me. As nice a bike that it is, and it is, I don't think I would be happy with it. It'd be like having a toaster.
The whole Bonnie lineup are just great, solid, unpretentious little bikes with character.
I didn't buy it to make happy the neighbors or other riders. Just me. And it does that quite well.