[beastman487]

This is from a CL posting for an '05 Bonnie:

"2005 Triumph Bonneville in great condition. Runs well, but may need some carb adjustment. Bogs a little sometimes on throttle up at high RPMs. Bike was stored for 2 years with 600 miles on it. Brought out last year and currently has 3742 miles, Oil and filter just changed.
Used to commute to work on nice days. Bike is Aegean Blue and very retro looking. Please serious contacts only."

I asked if the person was original owner, and for some more details on the problem, here's the response I got:

"No I am not the original owner and I have not taken any pictures, but could.
The bike was originally owned by the wife the owner of (Triumph Dealer).
They sold it to my brother with 600 miles on it as I believe she wanted a bigger cruiser bike.
My brother never used it or even registered it. He had it a year or two sitting in his condo living room.
Last year he asked me if I would like to use it so we transfered it to me.
Because it had been sitting so long the battery would not hold a charge and I replaced it when I took the bike..
Also it would not run very well probably because it had been sitting so long with only being started occasionally.
I took it to (Triumph Dealer) last year and they cleaned out the carbs and it has been running pretty well.
As in the ad I stated the hesitation sometimes on high RPM throttle up. It was like that when I got it back from (Triumph Dealer), but it has not bothered me enough to take it back yet.
Other than that it seems to be fine, but I am not a mechanic and have not problem letting a mechanic check it out.
It is only being sold as my brother has been out of work for some time and needs the money.
I can't justify the cost to the wife, so I am selling it for him instead.

That's the long story of the bike"

What do you guys think? I'm not going to jump right into this sale, but the price is very reasonable. Maybe too good to be true?

 

[TRISPEED]

How much is it?

 

[beastman487]

I was hoping for opinions on the issue itself, not if the bike is worth $x,xxx amount. I'm not familiar with the twins, just my triple that I've had for a couple months. Has anyone encountered this problem, or know what it may be?

 

[94Tango]

I love the blue color

In general I am very leery of a machine that has been sitting most of its life. The carbs probably need a very thorough cleaning or overhaul. They've been cleaned once, but that was a year ago anyway, right? High speed issues could also be ignition. Parked machines don't wear out, but they deteriorate in other ways faster than ridden machines.

You could get it to wrench on yourself and have a nice project, or you could plan on a few hours of shop time and parts to get it sorted. Either way give yourself a cushion since, after sitting so long, it's kind of a cat in the bag.

So, price is very relevant - buy it right and you'll probably have a good deal even after getting it straightened out

 

[Baltobonneville]

I have exactly that bike myself, so I'm biased, but if the price is right, it should serve you well. FWIW, there were not many made in that color, so you'd have one that is a bit different.

We all fiddle around with the carb settings, that shouldn't bother anything, it might just need different size jets. If it was sitting in the condo living room instead of outside, so much the better.

Hopefully, you can get a look at it. I'd be leery of anything I can't see up close.

 

[beastman487]

I'm going to check it out this weekend. The guy seems honest, and said he wouldn't mind letting me test ride it. Besides pulling to high rpm, anything else I should check on? (Besides the obvious chain, tires, etc.)

 

[94Tango]

Clear title!

Rust in the tank
Mice in the airbox
Color of the brake fluid (not dark)
All electrical systems function
Rubber parts and hoses for checking
Rust or corrosion anywhere

If it's really been stored in a condo, you should be able to tell.

You may find a mess, or a brand-new 5-year-old motorcycle

 

[Baltobonneville]

Here's hoping for a brand-new 4-year old blue motorcycle! :hearts:

The only "issue" I've had with mine is the notorious cam cover leak, and that is easily fixed. I had the fuel tank replaced under warranty for paint peeling from the filler neck, but the replacement also peels; now I ignore it.

Almost forgot, my rear brake light switch stuck in the "on" position after three years--dangerous; I disconnected it immediately and replaced it for $25, and that gave me an opportunity to replace the rear brake fluid.

You might want to have a look at the tires and factor that into the price if they need replacement, and check for broken spokes. If you buy it, pull the brake calipers off the rotors and check the pads for wear, they're easy enough to replace.

If you buy it, let us know what you paid.

 

[Sal Paradise]

Last february(2008) I purchased a 2005 T100 with 200 miles on it.200 miles! I couldn't get a real straight storyfrom the seller, but it was basically brand new. Its been exellent, just a a brand new motorycle should be.

 

[The Shifty Jesus]

Sounds like a fantastic $3500-4000 bike.

 

[beastman487]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm going to check it out today, and I'll post my findings at that point.

 

[beastman487]

Went to the guys house to see the bike in person, and test rode it.

The bike is bone stock, no mods, no accessories, nothing. It is pretty much in showroom condition (from the outside). Clean as a whistle, chain lubed, tires have plenty of tread. Only sign that it has been ridden are the blued headers.

The sellers story and paperwork matched his CL post. He brought it in for service (new battery, carb cleaning, etc.) because it wouldn't start after sitting. The dealership gave him the runaround because something "wasn't finished" when it was supposed to be ready for pickup. When he got it back it wasn't running properly.

I took it for a test drive, and noticed right away something was not right. In any gear, throttle response seems to be delayed. From about 1/2 throttle all the way to full, I was getting the same slow acceleration curve. I've never ridden a bonnie before this one, but if I had to guess, I'd say about 1/3 of the horsepower was getting to the wheels. On an open stretch of road, I put it to full throttle in 3rd gear, reached 50mph, and the bike would rock me forward and back, because the acceleration curve had leveled off to an intermittent state. It also sounded alot more "whistle" like than my legend. It's hard to explain, I hope this gives a better idea of what's happening. If anyone has any insight that would be great, please let me know if I need to clarify anything.

I will post a couple of pics:

 

[Easy]

My $.02. That is a tough one. It might be a small carb problem or something else easily fixed and you could have a great bargain. But you could also be buying someone else's nightmare. What makes me suspicious is that it came from a dealer that way. Personally what I would do is offer to work with the seller, ask him to get it to a reputable dealer and get the problem fixed...then figure out a price fair to both of you post repairs. Otherwise I would stay away from it.

 

[anthone]

i dont know a whole terrible a lot about the inner workings of motorcycles, but i would base what it may possibly cost to "fix" this throttle issue in comparison to what you are paying for it. if those 2 numbers added up are less than the actual cost of the bike and/ or what you would pay for that same bike without issues then i would go from there.

stop by your shop and explain the issue, they might be able to quote you or give you some feedback.

bike looks incredible. im envious! your right though, it looks amazing on the surface. hopefully, its an easy fix. i think the shops opinion will be the deciding factor in this overall decision, because THEY will be the ones charging you to bring it back to riding condition.

good luck sir.

 

[Bath Bonne]

Should'nt this be covered by warranty?
Mine is a Nov.2008, I bought it March 2009, its still covered until Nov 2010, warranties are transferable to successive owners for 2 years from new.

 

[anthone]

i think he mentioned it being a 2005 though. so maybe its past warranty? i dunno :T

 

[beastman487]

It is a 2005, so no warranty coverage.

Only problem with the "shop's onion" is that the local Triumph dealership is where the "service" was done, and they gave him the bike back with this problem unsolved. I'm going to call the next closest Triumph shop and see what they say.

 

[Easy]

I'm going to call the next closest Triumph shop and see what they say.

Keep us posted. I'd still be extra cautious on this one.

 

[dave1068]

As a suggestion, Performance Cycles in Shrewsbury is a good dealer to go an have then fix it.

Sharp looking bike and color

 

[beastman487]

As a suggestion, Performance Cycles in Shrewsbury is a good dealer to go an have then fix it.

Sharp looking bike and color

It's funny you mention that, because Performance Cycles is the shop that sold him the bike, and could not diagnose or fix the problem. I didn't want to bring the shop name into the thread, but I'm not sure how I feel about them. I've been in there several times for parts, and have not found them to be all that great. I asked one technician about doing chain/sprockets on my triple (Legend) and he said he's never even done it, he gave me a rough estimate on price, but also said he was doing his first one soon. I lost alot of confidence at that point, and decided to do it myself.

I gave the owner a pretty lowball offer today, and he said he's decided to bring it into the shop again. I don't think he's having any luck selling it as is. I didn't expect him to take my offer, but I'm also not going to buy a bike that clearly doesn't run properly. I will update again when he hears back from Performance.