I have been riding my 2007 Bonneville every day for the last 2.5 weeks, racking up about 1,000 miles in that time. I am a new motorcycle rider, with MFS course right before riding the Bonneville.
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Originally Posted by pxlmxr
[*]Are there any typical issues with the bike- any known or common problems?
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Gas cap can be a real pain in the neck to get off. There are a number of possible remedies for this.
Make sure your spokes are periodically tightened. This is an often-discussed issue that you can learn all about through the search facility here. The service manager at my local dealership insists that this problem is statistically insignificant and I have no reason to disbelieve that but it's something to keep in mind and stay on top of.
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[*]What's great about it?
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Even though it has carbs, it starts easily in all weather conditions as if it were fuel injected. It runs well, it runs smooth. Almost too smooth, like a swiss watch. For me it was great to learn on because it is lightweight and has very smooth and predictable power delivery. But it is a well-designed bike and powerful enough that I'm growing into it and the bike has plenty more to give.
But when I start wringing out more than the bike has to give, it is a very upgradeable bike. 100+ horsepower is just a few clicks and a saturated credit card away.
The bike is gorgeous, and very much honors its forefathers. I get stopped all the time at gas stations, coffee shops, even at red lights by people who can't believe it's a 2007 an not a 1967.
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[*]How does it do on the freeway? speed? stability?
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I'm still getting used to riding on the freeway. My first experience was a little harrowing but it's getting easier every time. I did have it out on the freeway over the weekend when we had wind storms with gusts to 50+ MPH and there was one time I got whacked really good from one direction and then the wind suddenly changed direction and hit me even harder from the other way. The front wheel wobbled a bit, and I was going 70MPH at the time. But it recovered just fine with some correction. I've had absolutely no problem exceeding 80MPH and passing from that speed doesn't require a downshift.
The bike is naked, and it is very lightweight compared to even the lightest Harley-Davidsons if that is your point of comparison. It would probably benefit quite a bit from a windscreen if you plan on spending a lot of time on the superslab. But the 865cc vertical twin has plenty of power for it. On windy days I do feel pushed around a bit but that could be my inexperience talking more than the bike.
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[*]How does it handle in the canyons? nimble? confident? in the city?
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Coming from Raleigh, North Carolina I couldn't tell you about canyons but we do have twisty back roads here and I do quite a bit of riding out there and also in our more urban downtown area.
Any hesitation I had about the capabilities of this bike on the freeway are more than compensated for by its capabilities in town and out on the country roads. This is the kind of environment where the Bonneville really shines for me and always has me smiling.
As a noob, I haven't always gauged the turns right so the bike has always impressed me with its nimbleness and relative ease at taking correction in mid-turn. The first day I rode it, I took it on the freeway and getting off the freeway I misjudged a tight cloverleaf exit. Instead of panicking, I just leaned over harder than I wanted to, big head turn to the right to see where I wanted to be, rolled the throttle to keep my speed, and hoped for the best. At that exact moment, this bike saved my noobie arse with no doubt in my mind. I think if I had been riding a bigger bike or a less nimble bike I would have been tangled up in the guardrail (or worse). My riding has improved a lot since that first day, and I've done that same cloverleaf a few more times since then, but I think this bike is a whole lot more nimble than I am really willing to push it towards.
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[*]How many miles can you typically go on a full tank?
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This is one area where I haven't been impressed. I'm averaging 100-120 miles before hitting reserve, hovering somewhere in the vicinity of 35MPG. I had one tank yield a bit over 40MPG but haven't been able to recreate those conditions. Part of the contributing factor is likely that I'm a big ogre of a guy (6'2" 280lbs) so it would be like normal sized people riding 2-up in terms of the load on the bike.
My fuel economy results are atypical for Bonneville owners on this forum, and I'm almost certain my riding style is at fault for this.
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I'm asking these questions because I think if I had taken a similar approach I could have avoided the headache that came with my Ducati purchase last year.
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Last night when the odometer flipped 1,000 miles, I sent an email to some friends & family members who wanted to hear about my impressions of the Triumph as I grew into it. One key sentiment that I wanted to convey to them was that in hindsight I would buy this bike again and again if I had to do it over again. Coming from me, that means a lot. I have been through cars like Paris Hilton has been through lovers. No car has really made me as happy as this bike, and I've always had a fair amount of criticism and buyers remorse with the cars I've owned over the years.
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(except above note).
Very stable at all speeds, as long as tires pressures are in spec. 
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