Triumphrat

Holyman

keo....like I said earlier in the post, the EFI bike was a little snappier than my T100 with TORs. My T100 feels a bit wooly on blipping the throttle - maybe the pilot screw needs adjustment - where the EFI bike with TORs was very crisp and sharp.

As for performance I think Triumph claim 1 bhp and 2 ftlb increase for the EFI bike. So little you won't notice.

To my mind there's nothing to choose between them except price.

GaryD

You think you have an unlimited lifespan? Buy now, enjoy now! I'll race anyone with a Bonnie with my 2003 790. I can pull 155 mains cleanly and my bike revs so quickly its hard to shift fast enough at WFO throttle. If you have no mechanical ability, wait for the EFI, it will always start easily if nothing else.

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Unsafe at any speed. First Terranaut.

keithr

I don't have a lot of experience of Bonnevilles but I have had some test rides, so I can share my impressions. Three and a half years ago I had a test ride on a 790cc Bonneville and the first of the 865cc T100s, and three and a half weeks ago I had a test ride on the EFI T100. The T100 EFI was fitted with TORs (or "loud pipes" as the dealer called them - they must be joking, they were quieter than the standard exhaust on my Kawasaki ER-6N and other bikes I've owned or ridden with standard silencers/mufflers!). One thing I tried with all three bikes is something I've done to compare the performance of the various bikes I've had or been interested in, which is to ride along at a steady 70mph in top gear, twist the throttle to full throttle, and count to 5 and see what speed it gets up to in those 5 seconds.

My first impression of the 790cc Bonneville was that it was gutless - I couldn't feel any acceleration when twisting the throttle and so it seemed a bit dull or boring. The 865cc version was noticeably better although still not quick. These are the figures for the Bonnevilles and some other bikes I've owned for comparison:

790cc Bonnie (standard exhaust) - reached 79/80mph
865cc T100 (carbs, standard exhaust) - reached 85mph
865cc EFI + TORS - reached 85mph
Suzuki SV650 (Scorpion race can) - reached 90mph
Harley Sportster 1200 Roadster (stage 1) - reached 90mph
Honda X11 (standard) - reached 110mph

So the EFI with TORS seemed to only perform about the same as the carb version with standard silencers. Despite that I'm buying one - I pick it up on Friday.

BTW, the Bonneville isn't the only modern bike to have air injection into the exhaust ports. I had a Suzuki Burgman 650 which had that (called PAIR - Pulsed-secondary AIR-injection system) and I think the Suzuki SV1000 also had it, and the Honda X11 had it. (My Royal Enfield Bullet Electra X also had it, but it was removed when I had the Highway Kit installed [stage 1]).

philjimpot

This is the question I want to know the answer to as well. What kind of gas/petrol mileage does the EFI Bonneville get? This question is for you guys over there in the UK and Europe.

jfenton

Long Live The Carburator!!!!!!!!!!!

tomster

Len - What's it going to be? 2008 Carberator or 2009 EFI? My vote goes with the carberator for these reasons:

You can buy it NOW and start enjoying the bike.

You will not regret having a more old school type bike.

If you wait and buy the EFI, you'll wish you had just gotten the carberated.
(of course this could work the other way round, but I won't mention that)

So to sum up. Stop thinking about it so much and go out and get one this weekend!

Happy Trails!

CAPTDON

Yeah when I got mine- it was pretty gutless. Once I opened it up so it could breathe- it was a whole different bike!! Not a "crotch rocket"- never will be, but a new animal was born! It loves to rev- which I feel the 865 doesnt do as well? Much smoother & a different bike than stock!! I am a happy camper & will keep her till one of us dies! Got a dual plot either way!

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CAPT D

keithr

There may be one other improvement on the EFI model. I believe the header pipes are now double-skinned, so there may be less exhaust pipe blueing compared with the carb models? They may have changed it because I think the EFI model has a small catalytic converter in the downpipes - or so I've been told (there's a sensor in the lower bend of the pipe). The one I roadtested (it had about 160 miles on the clock after I had finished with it) had the pipes turn brown/gold for a few inches along the horizontal part of the pipes coming out of the engine.

Right I'm off to pick up my new Bonnie now.

keithr

I'm still runnning in my T100 EFI, having covered about 333 miles. I've therefore only been using about 1/4 throttle (maybe 1/3 throttle a few times) and mostly not exceeding 60mph (although recently I have travelled several miles at 70mph). I estimate that the fuel consumption so far has averaged about 60mpg, which I believe is about 50mpg (US gallons).

ThunderbirdCafe

Hello folks, I have a 1995 Thunderbird which I bought new. It's up for sale because over the years it's gotten taller and heavier. (I have a damaged leg from a car accident of many years ago so tall and heavy was always a challenge, but time has only made it worse.)

I was going to replace it with a Suzuki S40 for lower seat height and less weight. But now I see reports that the 2007 Bonnie will have a lower seat height. Can anyone tell me how tall the seat height will be, and how much the Bonnie will weigh? Especially compared with a 95 TBird?

My Triumph days might not yet be over...

Nigel Nicholson
Havre de Grace, Maryland