Triumphrat

GaryParky

Looking for a little info. Still trying to decide which triumph to buy. I love the look of the Bonnie's but wonder about the performance.
Currently ride a Harley and ride with a crew who have mixed bike's, but they do tend to nail it and cruise at about 80 - 85.
How does the Bonnie perform?
I weigh about 220
i assumed there would be a thread on this but have not seen it

sweatmachine

I weigh 240-270 depending on the drinking season.

My bonnie hauls my fat ass around just fine. Granted, mine is heavily modified now, but stock it did well too. You're probably familiar with the "harley tax" of pipes and rejet, the bonnies are like that too.

You'll have no problem hanging with the harleys, but coming from an HD you might not be used to wringing a motor's neck up into the mid-upper RPM range where the bonnie really sings, which is from 5,000-8,000 rpms. Plus they handle wonderfully.

It will make a nice garage partner to your HD. Which Harley do you have btw?

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Macgruber!


Click for a picture of my slightly modified Bonnie

GaryParky

Thanks for the reply
I have a 2000 wideglide with apes etc. Really impractical but coming from the UK a bike like this was always sort of an urban legend. I had triumphs back in the day when they were leaky unreliable heaps of junk. Now the new ones are reliable,, they are atractive because theyseem to have retained the old appeal
Like the scrambler too
Gary

sweatmachine

I say test ride both the bonnie and the scrambler, people seem to really take to both. Take the Thruxton for a ride too.

I think you'll find it a tad higher-strung (but not 15,000 rpms high strung) compared to your wide glide. You will really enjoy the departure, but the two bikes (bonnie and wide glide) will complement each other well. These things handle like dirt bikes.

Good luck, have fun, and welcome to the forum!

[ This message was edited by: sweatmachine on 2007-06-15 00:18 ]

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Macgruber!


Click for a picture of my slightly modified Bonnie

BeastInBlack

Now I tend to ride more agressively I totally agree with you about the dirtbike feel of these bonnies. Bloody good fun too :-D

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Every sunday is mad sunday.......

road_dog

Gary,

I wouldn't be surprised if you were leading your pack on a Bonnie.

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I ain't as good as I once was. But I'm as good once, as I ever was.

sponger

Gary,

I still have a Harley and owned a nice '01 Dyna Superglide. You probably will need to do the tax thing just like the Harleys. I don't think my new '06 Bonnie would outrun my Superglide (it was 1450cc with full stage one) but it would keep up plenty easy on the road rides. The Bonnie easily takes the 883 with the Harley tax. May not be able to take a 1200 though. The Bonnie handles a lot better and is really fun. However, having only added TORs, jet kit, and K&N Air filter (no snorkel) I find the Bonnie not as comfortable for longer rides. The two bikes, in my mind, are for two completely different riding styles. If I want to cruise and be comfortable for long distances then the Harley wins hands down (at least to my current Bonnie configuration). The Bonnie is no sports bike but it has plenty of acceleration, handling, and braking for me.

I just received some IKON rear shocks and Hagon front fork springs, and will order a K&Q seat today. Hopefully that will make the Bonnie a little easier on the back and butt for rides over 45 minutes long.

Her is a pic of my missed Superglide..

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'06 Bonnie Black - AI and snorkel removed, TORs, K&N, IKON rear shocks, Hagon fork springs, Pingel, Tach added, K&Q seat, centerstand, Lucas Style Sport lights

meatwagon

The bonnie performs well at cruising speed ,it seems that it is just getting 'on the cam ' at about 75 or so ,that means (properly jetted) great acceleration from 80 to 100 or so .A bonnie will feel like a sport bike compared to the HD;nice to have both !

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ivar

With the stock handlebars and upright position, I found the windblast at speeds over 60mph tiresome.
I added a Dart flyscreen which helped a lot, smoothing the air flow and relieving my chest. I also bought some lower handlebars (Motottwin sport touring bars) to let me lean into the wind more, but not put them on yet

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02 Bonneville - Originally green/silver , now going black. Dual headlights/black fly screen. Emgo Shortys, rubber bellmouth, Uni, AI, 120/42, thrux needles, no shims. Thruxton seat and low bars. Ikon 7614 shocks, renntec rack. A Bonnie Cafetourer..

webonnielad

Hi Gary

I rode from London UK to the bottom of Italy and back.
3500 miles in 13 days when my Bonnie was stock.
I was travelling with my friend who was riding his HD 1440.
We too were doing about 85 - 90 mph on the motorway/ highway, some days for 4 hours between breaks, excluding gas petrol stops.

The bikes high end performance was about the same if you take the rpm out of the equation, but the Bonnie accelerates quicker, handles a lot better and because it doesn't have a big heavy flywheel the engine braking is more efficient so she pulls up to a stop quicker too..

He bought one when we got back.

Jon (UK)

P.S. You can always go up a tooth on the front sprocket, that'll lower your high end revs and the drop in acceleration is negligible if non existent.

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790cc 2003 T100 Bonneville. 18T Front Sprocket, AI Removed, 125 Mains, 40 Pilots, Thruxton Needles, 1 Shim,3mm Air Hole, Mixture screws 3 1/4 turns out left carb, 3 turns out right carb, Unifilter, NH Belmouth, NH Classic Togas with no mutes inserted, Stock Ignitor Unit. Hagon 320mm rear shocks & progressive fork springs. Last measured. 61.60 hp, , Max torque 48.40 in 5th gear at the rear wheel at 7200 rpm, 105 mph in 5th at 6500 rpm.