Which pretend classic is best? Kawasaki W650 or Triumph Bonne?

[Motu]

The W650 has proven to be one of the most owner customised bikes after the XS650.Do that.

[pete376403]

Funny how the original Bonnie was around 47 - 49 HP and was the superbike of its day.

Now twice that power is considered merely adequate for a commuter bike.

[AllanB]

The W650 has proven to be one of the most owner customised bikes after the XS650.Do that.

I almost did!

If I had the spare $ I'd find a cheap-O pre loved one to molest.

[nutjob]

No I'm not American, and you miss my point - I rode a 55hp twin for 23 years, I like parallel twins, - and although it was 'fun' a bit more would have been better. 70 is not much to ask surely out of 800cc of modern engine with a nice big torque increase as well. - in fact I have magazines lying around home with new Bonnies that have big bore kits in them producing this and a whole lot more torque and are proving reliable and every review states the same - Triumph please do this! Thunderbike in Nelson do a cam & pipe kit that give the Bonnie engine a welcome injection of personality. Ducati have been reliably offering more than this out of a twin of similar capacity, with the torque that is expected.

Triumph has made no attempt to produce a proper performance Bonnie engine - I hoped the Thruxton would have a hot-rod engine in it, but alas it was just another cosmetic change (how American is that!). I am still surprised they are not offering one - maybe they need a Triumph Screaming Eagle division - that's smart marketing for extra $.

I'd happily have another parallel twin as a 'keeper' for another 20 odd years (they make a great blank canvas to modify!) but I want one with a bit of kick in the engine department, if I wanted something to lug around town in high gears I'd get a Sporster.

I have gone a bit silly with my Thruxton, I have chucked in new cams and high comp pistons from TPUSA, had the head ported and flowed, changed the pipes, ripped out the airbox, remapped the ignitor unit and raised the rev limit (plus a shitload of other stuff). I havn't had it dyno'd yet but it is definitely a lot more tourquey than the stock set up (which truly was pathetic). The stock CVK carbs are the real bottleneck, they cannot even flow enough air through a stock head! Anyway these bikes are a good blank canvas if you want to muck around with them and make them your own.

[Zookey]

While we are not talking classics here only retro s,i when looking for a new triumph coudnt get the colour i wanted nor one allready built as a complete tourer,but found one (new)latest model injected in the States,landed same price as N.Z. However she had the "New Bonnieville Company" Motor, Wiseco 903cc upgrade.Slapped on the Triumph off road pipes bloody load but ime deaf.Will pull a full 20MPH past the dial.dynoed 21hp on standard,not bad for a Speedmaster with every option fitted ,and ime 110 wet + leathers: scooter:
ps My son told me the speed while chasing his mate who was riding "his" RSV Corser Ltd

[Subike]

I guess you could take a differing road and combine two bikes of the same style
Make a lookalike thats right but wrong for all the right and wrong reasons

[will650]

I was asked for a picture or 2 of the bike by shafty- here you go. Enjoyed your profile pic thingy!

[Voltaire]

Anyone taken one of those new W800's out for a spin? I understand they are dearer than the Bonnie?

[Dodgyiti]

Enough holding back, it's well overdue to have a little rant about the perception of modern classic bikes and how they fit into the classic bike genre.

Simple answer to that in my opinion is they don't.

I quote the final paragraph from a review of the Kawasaki W800 from Old Bike Australisa;

This is a wonderful interpretation of the way it used to be and I have no doubt that with the many classic bike rallies around these days, you could very easily turn up with the W800 and have many 'knowledgeble' enthusiasts commenting, "......nice bike mate...nice restoration...what year is it?"

Holy shit! Please save me from writing my first ever letter to a bike magazine, better still I will have a rant on KiwiBiker as it is the 'done thing'

Now let us analyze that statement shall we?
Any enthusiast even slightly worthy of carrying that description would not be such a dork surely?
Secondly what the hell gives someone the right to even turn up on their modern Bonnie/W800/Guzzi V750/et al in the first place?
Classic bikes and their riders/restorers/constant fettlers are a distinct group within the motorcycle community. They are people who have thumbed their noses at the high tech, faster than the law, point and shoot, book it in for a service, what polish do you use, soft cock fraternity of modern bike owners.
Hard core statement? You bet your grubby fingers it is. But I stand by it because it is my opinon and screw anyone else. And that, I think, is the classic bike attitude. It defys logic, common sense and practicality. It goes against what your friends and family believe because it is what you believe.

Turning up to a classic bike run on a modern classic is downright wankie. You have not earned the right to even be there. Turn the key, put some gas in and make sure it has been serviced and your there.

Whilst everyone else has been through the proceedures we all go through in preperation of going to a rally, sometimes it can take hours, midnight oil, hurried calls and emails to try and find parts, taking tools and spares..etc etc... all part of the process of the elation it gives actually making the event, and sometimes even making it home again.
Thus giving you the right to be there, you have earned it, enjoy it. You know the intricate workings of your bike, you know where to find the tricky bits, you know what could go wrong and hopefully how to prevent it.
It's a whole different world to the 'turn key' bike and in my view should be kept seperate.

Sure some of these modern classic riders may have had a Triumph/Norton/Beeza/UJM back in the day...why not now? The parts are out there, the knowledge is far greater than it was back then, problems have been addressed, solutions found. It can't be the cost as all of the above are cheaper than a new modern classic. It can't be the reliability because a 'real' classic bike can be made reliable given an owner capable of earning the knowledge and skills required to make it reliable.

So the only answer is that the modern classic bike owner is a soft cock.

Job done, glad Uncle Dodgy explained that for you eh?

Ride on, and don't give 'em the time of day, maybe offer some viagra to help their emmm..issues

[Dadpole]

.....

[Dodgyiti]

[Voltaire]

Not everyone has the skills or wants to spend time working on old bikes. The guy I bought my Commando was selling it as he was retiring and it was getting hard to kick start. I gotta say stalling at the lights with a kick start is a pita as you have to find neutral to start....easier said than done.

[eelracing]

Excellent rant there Dodgy but how are they different from the enthusiast that turns up with bike on trailer, whats the point if your not going to ride it.Surely this is what bikes are all about?

But I have a confession to make...

I took a W800 out for a test ride yesterday,and had a blast (gasp,shock,horror,oh the humanity of it all)the only prob I had with it was the fact that it's to quiet.
Similar power to my Commando but without the hinge in the middle effect when hitting bumps mid-corner (gotta tighten those iso's again).

As for the modern Bonnie it does nothing for me in the looks department whereas the kwaka just screams retro the bonnie just looks brick-ish.And as a Norton man I would'nt be seen dead on a Trumpy in the first place but i'm sure it rides the same I guess,if a little ponderous.

[davebullet]

As for the modern Bonnie it does nothing for me in the looks department whereas the kwaka just screams retro the bonnie just looks brick-ish.And as a Norton man I would'nt be seen dead on a Trumpy in the first place but i'm sure it rides the same I guess,if a little ponderous.

Ooops - the new Norton's chief designer came from Triumph!

[Voltaire]

But I have a confession to make... 

Read the Norton Owners Club Notes 10 times...
and all the part numbers starting with 60-
also go and sort your vernier isos..