Triumphrat

05-23-2007

OK, pretty inexperienced rider here doing some in depth research.

I'm planning a 2 month trip to Alaska and I'm leaning hard toward a Bonneville Black. The trip will be mostly asphalt but I'll be camping most nights so there will be some puttering down dirt/gravel roads.

My big concerns are:

A) Going down a 2 lane blacktop at 65 when a semi goes by, will it be too light to deal with the wind shear?

B) I can't find any hard and fast data about the fuel economy, and can it be improved from the stock performance?

C) Would I be better served by putting fatter tires on it as far as stability, comfort, etc. goes?

and most importantly,

D) How comfortable is this bike on extended journeys? I'm 6'3" 200lbs and will be carrying about 50-60 pounds of camping gear/food/etc. with me.

I won't be in any great hurry, but I'd like the option of riding 6 or 8 hours at a stretch (not including fuel stops) if I want to.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, seriously. Thanks.

:???: :???:

zaqtronic · 05-23-2007

Hi Mate,

I do quite a bit of long riding on my Bonnie Black. It's completely stock standard, other than a windshield, horn (still not loud enough) and better Hella headlight. The current tyres are stock size Avon Roadriders. Check my blog if you like, for a general idea on my riding - www.zaqtronic.com.

Comfort:
My riding style is quite relaxed, and I find the bike and seating position excellent. The stock handle bars (tilted back a bit) are a little awkward on long straight roads, but fortunately, there aren't too many of those in NZ. Make sure you leave enough space to move about the seat a bit. I sometimes push back little bit and sit at the edge of the strap. Though, if you find yourself moving about a lot in the seat, it's probably time for a break. You do get gel and air-cell pads, and sheep skin covers which are supposed to be good, but I've never tried these.

Wind:
I do sometimes brace myself when I see an oncoming truck. I've found that as long as I am going at a steady clip, the bike is just fine - it's my upper body that gets caught in the turbulence. It's not too bad though - I just lean in a little bit. The same applies to windy conditions. The windscreen does a good job in mitigating the wind-chill factor, and I haven't noticed much of a "sail-like" effect.

Fuel economy:
I get about 145 miles upto reserve (using mostly 96octane or 98octane). I've got upto about 165 miles with reserve, and then took on about 13.5litres of fuel.

Make sure you don't pack your gear too far to the rear either, or the front end feels too light and skittish.

Overall, I love travelling on this bike, and you can't beat the talk factor - there's always a bloke at every town you stop in with some great bike stories to tell, and these Bonnevilles trigger them off really well!

The most important things are - ride safe, stay alert, and take lots of pics to post here!

Cheers,
Zaq in NZ

ivar · 05-23-2007

What I found last year, when riding 2000 miles in 4 days;

I found the bike stable even when meeting semi's.

Drove 200-240kms between refueling. Hit reserve once. Usually drove into the first gas station that showed up after around 200kms.

Tires; I'd think the stock tires should do ok, if riding a lot of gravel maybe some dual sports..?

Comfort: I'm 5'11" and 220#, was also carrying around 40# of luggage. I put on a Dart fly screen, helped a lot by taking windblast off my chest. Could cruise for hours at 60-75 miles, without the screen I think anything over 50 mph would have been tiresome. Also bought some lower handlebars but not put them on yet.

Stock seat feels too soft for me, hampering blood circulation. Found that these things helped: Moving around on the seat, hanging the feet on the passenger pegs , letting the just hang behind the footpegs. I'm considering getting a Thruxton gel seat to improve comfort.

Stock suspension IMO needs to be upgraded, while nice&soft going slow on smooth surfaces, on potholed roads it transmits way too much energy into my back and arms. Have just put on Ikon 7614 rear shocks and also will install matching front springs.

Luggage: I have a Bagster tank bag which is suprisingly roomy. Also have the Triumph soft panniers. and a Renntec rear rack, where I put a waterproof bag. I can carry quite some stuff with this setup.

05-23-2007

I am also a pretty new rider with a new Bonneville, buy I have put quite a few miles on my bike in the last few months.
Two things- First- For a long trip, the factory seat is not going to work. In 75 to 100 miles I feel like my but is going to fall off. I am currently looking for a replacement seat myself.
Second- I am about 6'2'' and while I love my bike, my legs do start to ache quite a bit. You might want to look for a bit larger or different riding style bike, if you are planning a lot of extended rides. One of my riding buddies has a Triumph Tiger that he has taken coast to coast and also has fun with off of the pavement. He is over 6' tall and he loves his tiger.
For what it's worth
Good riding.

TB-T100 · 05-23-2007

Here is a chap who rode Oslo (Norway) - Dakar and back again in only four weeks. That is 16690 kilometers! www.reiersenmotor.no

I do not know if there is any info in English on his site, but you could possibly email him for some.

lindsayt · 05-23-2007

I've never done a trip like you're describing, but I'm 6'2", 200#, and have ridden 850 miles in a day and a half, and here's my opinions:

Quote:

On 2007-05-23 00:58, nakedtao wrote:

A) Going down a 2 lane blacktop at 65 when a semi goes by, will it be too light to deal with the wind shear?

I never noticed any trouble, even at high extra-legal speeds. You *do* subconsciously brace for it of course, but I find the bike to be incredibly stable, especially considering its relatively light weight.

Quote:

B) I can't find any hard and fast data about the fuel economy, and can it be improved from the stock performance?

I was getting a little under 50 mpg on my trip. That translates to about 140 miles to reserve *IF* I was diligent about filling it to the neck. Once I ran it to 165 miles and put in 3.5 gallons, if that gives you a clue.

Quote:

C) Would I be better served by putting fatter tires on it as far as stability, comfort, etc. goes?

Personal choice. I find the rear tire to be plenty wide; it's the front that sometimes follows cracks and stuff, but of course that's the character of a Brit Twin. If you're looking for incredible stability, this isn't the right bike; but IMO it's certainly stable enough for a long, protracted trip if you don't have especially bad balance or something.

Quote:

D) How comfortable is this bike on extended journeys? I'm 6'3" 200lbs and will be carrying about 50-60 pounds of camping gear/food/etc. with me.

I won't be in any great hurry, but I'd like the option of riding 6 or 8 hours at a stretch (not including fuel stops) if I want to.

I found it incredibly comfortable for an 8-hour ride. After riding 400 miles the day before and spending all day walking around downtown Chicago, I left Chicago at 3:00 PM and rode to Minneapolis, arriving at 11:00 PM, 450 miles later, and I wasn't sore or uncomfortable the next day. I found the stock seat to be fine - a little stiff, but then, it motivated me to get off the bike every 150 miles or so, and after fifteen minutes off the seat I was fine getting back on. It's no Goldwing, but it eats miles like a champ, all the while maintaining the high maneuverability and agility that Britbikes are known for.

Just a few comments though:
(1) If you're buying the bike for this trip, and presumably you'll be riding on the Alaska Highway, which can be rough at times, have you considered a dual-sport, or if you like Triumph classics, at least a Scrambler? You might at least put dual-sport tires on the Bonnie Black - it'll cost you a little gas mileage and a little comfort, but it'll be much better on gravel you *WILL* encounter.

(2) The stock seat is fine for me but I'm young (30). If you and the seat don't get along, you might want to get another one. They're easy to change.

(3) If you're going THAT far, maybe consider buying the H&B hard cases - they'd really help on a trip that long, I think. And they'd keep your clothes dry to boot.

badrufus · 05-23-2007

I'll just make some comfort and safety suggestions.
1. Unless you are one of the few riders who is fine with the stock seat, replace it. Consensus seems to be that the Triumph Solo Seat is the most comfortable. It's available at MADSS for $228 with free shipping if you order on Fridays
Solo Seat at MADSS
If you do go for the Solo, but still need to use the passenger portion for a tail bag, consider a Wolfman Enduro or one of their other tank bags. You just have to reconfigure the mounting straps a bit, but they are designed to fit sloping tanks and thus work on the slope of the solo seat. See my photo album to see a Wolfman Enduro on the back of a Bonnie solo seat. The little Enduro won't hold a great deal, but they have others that look like they would work on a sloping seat
Photo album
The Thruxton gel seat has the advantage of being flat across the passenger portion, and several folks have commented that it is more comfortable than stock. It's also available at MADSS.

2. Upgrade the stock suspension, front and rear. You don't have to spend a fortune on this, but get something at least like the Hagon rear shocks and new front fork springs.

3. Install a set of riding lights. The stock headlight is inadequate, and while you will probably try to not ride after dark, in the event that you have to, you will outrun your headlight at 60 mmph. I replaced the headlight with a Cibie unit from Daniel Stern and installed fork mounted MotoLights
MotoLights
Daniel Stern
While you're upgrading the headlight, you might want to get some kind of headlight protection
Headlight Protection Film

Other than that, check out Aerostitch's site. They have one of the best selection of camping gear for motorcyclists
Aerostitch

[ This message was edited by: badrufus on 2007-05-23 16:09 ]

ohiorider · 05-23-2007

Here's two Bonnevilles (an 01 and an 03) that were ridden from Cleveland Ohio to Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming this time last year. Total mileage in 14 days was approx 5000 miles. As you'll see, both bikes were outfitted quite differently.

The Lucifer Orange/Silver T100 is my bike. I rode it with stock saddle, low handlebars, RennTech Rack, and home made hard bag mounts. I'm 5'8" tall and weigh approx 165 pounds. Age at the time ... 63.

My buddy Tom had his bike equipped with higher bars (lower than stock), windshield, K&Q saddle, and larger saddlebags. Tom is probably 6'2", and probably weighs in at 185-190. Age at time of trip approx 60-61.

Tom's bike was undoubtedly the more comfortable and functional of the two. However, we were averaging no more than 325-375 miles per day, riding 60-65 on mostly two lane roads, so both configurations worked nicely.

To address your specific questions:
Too light? No. We rode in really windy conditions (Kansas in particular) The bikes were rock steady.

Fuel economy? When the wind died down, and we rode in the 55-60mph range, we were averaging better than 45 mpg. For some reason, the T100 required 3 or 4/10 of a gallon less at fill up. Riding at 70 against a strong headwind, mileage dropped into the mid to high 30's.

Fat tires? not necessary. Both of us were running 501GT, and we both did have the 150/70-17 tires on the rear end, but I doubt that made any difference.

However, we had both changed from the stock shocks, which probably were a better ride than the stockers. Both bikes carried approx 40-50 pounds of baggage.

Comfort? See rear shock comment above. After Tom and I split up in Minnesota. I put on one day of 570 miles. Long day for a guy my age on any bike (IMO), but overall, I couldn't have been happier with the bike.

Off road? No, but we mucked through several miles of wet mud and gravel once we left Yellowstone National Park. There had been several places where the road had simply slid off the side of the hill, and a new road was being graded and graveled for miles. Not fun, but I was happy to be on a smaller bike like the Bonneville riding thru this stuff. She handled fine.

Summary - it isn't a new twin cylinder BMW R bike, but I think the bike surpassed both our expectations. She's a great do anything bike.

Bob

Bob

[ This message was edited by: ohiorider on 2007-05-23 16:32 ]

lindsayt · 05-23-2007

Quote:

On 2007-05-23 02:38, zaqtronic wrote:
(using mostly 96octane or 98octane)

Just thought I'd point out for those who aren't aware that pretty much everybody but the US and Canada use Research Octane (RON) for gas measure, and we use the equation (RON+MON)/2 for our measure, so as a general rule of thumb:

Euro 98 Octane = US 93 Octane
Euro 96 Octane = US 91 Octane

mecscc · 05-23-2007

I honestly don't think any of your issues are issues. The bike will be fine. The issue is will you be? And the only way to know that is to do a few rides first. You don't say where you live but it has to be somewhere that you can get a feel for it. Pick a spot 150 miles from where you live. Pick roads to and from that are similar to the roads you will travel, load up the bike a bit with stuff like you will take and then ride there and back. When you get back you will have a list. Work on it.

Finally, try not to think and plan too much. Makes you nervous and you forget that all this was supposed to be fun.

I have ridden 250cc bikes all across this country before there were many interstates, many roads were not paved, etc. and done just fine with them. Remember, in was IN MY LIFETIME (yes, that long ago!) that a "big" bike was 650ccs, weighed in at under 450#s and that the creme de la creme of touring was a 600cc BMW boxer that came in under 500#s.

Rule #1 for touring: Try to have fun. That's what its all about.

Monte :-D