New Bonneville

[Mike]

Following on from Chris's post... I can't be the only person who wants to take the new Bonneville out on the road, can I? Do you all know something I don't?!

Talking of knowing things I don't: luggage. Has anyone seen hard panniers for the Bonnie.. or recommend someone who can make some?

Cheers
--Mike

[speedmaster58]

Hi There I have a 2003 Triumph Speedmaster & have a trip planned round the Baltics this year in july, 2800 mile round trip in 15 days. Re the Hard luggage I got a set of panniers with easy brackets (Lets you lock the panniers on & off the Bike)from the USA http://www.newbonneville.com

Take it easy
Martyn

[Mike]

Martyn

Thanks for the reply and the link - I hadn't come across them before. Great to see.

My only fear is that the panniers won't be big enough for me, for a longer trip. I'm no techie... would it, perhaps, be possible to take their Hepco and Becker rack and use that as the base for a self-build with larger aluminium panniers? (I have much to learn...!)

Thanks again for the reply and the tip - happy trails.

--Mike

[speedmaster58]

I saw an advert recently in the BMF mag that said Metal Mule now have a kit to fit the Triumph bonneville.

The picture showed panniers & a top boxed fitted to Bonnie.

Regards

Martyn

[Mike]

That's fantastic news (almost as good as the news that a woman *may* put an offer on my flat this afternoon, meaning I'll be able to get on with all this!)

It's also fantastic that you saw the advert, remembered this thread, came back and posted. Thanks very much. What're you drinking?

[Cuppa500]

Hi folks,
On the another thread Mike wrote "*please* help me populate the Triumph section of the HUBB. It's getting embarrassing." so I thought I should 'show my colours as a fellow Triumph rider. ;-)

I have a '99 Thunderbird & a '73 Daytona 'special'.
& did a 14,000km trip on the T'bird without problem, ( http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/lock/ ) but would not consider it for a 10 year rtw trip. Too heavy.

More significantly, although I hate to say it, I would not be confident of spares availablity 10 years down the track, stranded in the middle of woop woop. I wonder if this will apply to the Bonnies too.

Having said that, being a Triumph 'diehard' from way back, were I in the position to be setting off for 10 years, then I guess I'd still want to pick a Triumph, along with the potential for getting stranded with no spares. (These pitfalls should they occur are just part of the adventure). Which would I pick....hmmmm .... well like your goodselves, I'd go for the Bonnie (despite my old Meriden biased/luddite criticisms/gripes of the *NEW* Bonneville ....underpowered/overweight) ;-) .

I've only ridden New Bonnies on bitumen, but imagine they'd cope reasonably well on gravel roads too. Easy bike to ride, manageable size in tougher going. Probably too soon to know what they're long term , high mileage reliability/performance will be like, although to date I'v'e not seen anything to suggest they are anything but reliable.

I'm sure if you take a Bonnie you could easily 'cultivate' a band of loyal supporters around the world if you wished, especially us old 'Jupiter' fans. :-).

Regards
Cuppa

[geoff.walton]

The new Bonnie is a very able bike and like all the new Triumphs is detuned to give a ralatively bullet proof engine. That said it is designed as a boulavard cruiser, and how well it would stand up to dirt roads, and extreams of temperature are not really known. Like all bikes there is no bike currently made which you could take off the showroom floor and ride round the world with out some modification.
Shortly after i emigrated out to NZ from the UK. Chris and Kirsten arrived on my doorstep with their two bonnies they had ridden from the UK (http://worldtriumph.co.uk/index.htm)
When I spoke to Chris about the problems they had had with old Meridan bikes it made me wonder not if the new Hinckley bikes would make it, but would they be repairable if something went wrong. Don't be fooled into thinking factory support is the same throughout the world as it is in the UK, even in a civilised country like NZ its sometimes quicker to e-mail Jack Lilley's in London for parts than get them from the local dealers.

[ScottWylie]

I've just bought a Bonneville, and I emailed Sprint Manufacturing they said:

"We can supply Givi/Kappa fitting kit for a 3 box system for £240. Boxes start from £99 pair. A typical 3 box system with x2 K21 and x1 K48 top box would be £498 complete. See www.kappamoto.com or www.givi.co.uk for box range."

see also http://www.davidledbury.com/sprintma.../pricelist.php

[Mike]

Hello Scott

Snap! I just (finally) bought my Bonnie too.. picking it up on Saturday. It's all starting to come together.

Thanks a lot for the info - especially the link to Sprint. I can see costs spiralling.. I sort of hoped that there were so few accessories for the Bonnie that I could get away with it!

Seriously, I should point you towards another specialist with a healthy list and by all accounts a brilliant reputation:
http://www.normanhyde.co.uk/

There's no doubt in my mind, we have the best looking bikes on the road. Now we have to get out there and prove it...

--Mike

[ScottWylie]

I still have to pass my test which is in late March, hopefully after that I'll be back on the road to Morocco.

In the end I contacted http://www.mototwin.com/ who have just started supplying a Hepco and Becker system for the Bonneville.

Indeed the Bonneville looks fantastic, I just hope it proves to be reliable.

[locodog]

I know the press has been full of the new Scrambler being nothing but a fancy boulevardeer. But it can't be that incapable, can it?
Have to say I was a wee bit sceptical myself until I saw one, in British Racing Green, blast past me in Rome last week, and I am now.thoroughly.hooked.
Want one. Want it now!
cheers
Paul

[DAVSATO]

the bonneville is a great road bike, but off road?
the scrambler is just a bonny with scrambler "looks", like different wheels and tyres and colour scheme etc. it has the 270degree crank from the bonny america for some strange reason, and a different exhaust, but mechanically its just standard. all those bolt ons like the bashplate etc are just for show, not for function, and your just bolting weight on.
save your money, buy a decent normal bonny and spend a few sheckles sorting the suspension out and beefing up the rear subframe for some luggage. if you want a high mounted exhaust get norman hydes, but then the luggage is a problem. the engine is a bombproof peach but get to know the electrics very well. put in a switch to cut the headlight or the battery will go flat before you find why it doesnt start.
if you are going anywhere even slightly rough get the wheels relaced with stronger rims and spokes, the triumph ones are made of cheese.

[Mike]

Dave's suggestions especially are duly noted -- but with fingers crossed, because I'm now 6000 miles into my trip round Europe... very little offroading, though some of the 'roads' so far have been interesting to say the least.

The bike's been fantastic. Though I've already spotted the thing about the headlights & the battery...

--Mike

[Dodger]

Originally Posted by Mike

Dave's suggestions especially are duly noted -- but with fingers crossed, because I'm now 6000 miles into my trip round Europe... very little offroading, though some of the 'roads' so far have been interesting to say the least.

The bike's been fantastic. Though I've already spotted the thing about the headlights & the battery...

--Mike

Who'd have thought a Brit bike with dodgy electrics !!!
[ Just a mild dig there mate]
What model Bonnie did you get ?

[Mike]

It's the bog standard 790 - this year's model.

Which has amazed quite a few Norwegians so far.. especially the gentleman who, when asked, thought it was from "errrr... 1957?"

--Mike