2009 Bonneville SE

[shafty]

I have a Bonneville T100 Anniversary and it is a beautiful thing to ride. I've fited a 19 tooth front sprocket & fitted after market factory silencers (now a misnomer) as the originals are whisper quiet. It has a 19 inch front wheel & a 17 inch rear. The emission control blues the pipes to buggery, so I've had HPC coated stainless steel ones fitted and they work really well. Having owned many, many Meriden Triumphs it is like riding in Triumph heaven - how you always dreamed your Triumph would be, but knew in your heart it couldn't because the damn thing rattled and clanked and leaked oil. The new 865cc Bonnies produces about twice the horse power of the original 650cc Bonnie and weighs just a few kg more - 205 Kg compared with the 192kg of the original.

Great sum up there Rebel - I take my hat off for saying what many may think yet not say.

As a 60's Boy, I loved the look and sound of the Bonnies and Nortons and Tridents, (Bought a Hinckley Triple as a result) yet grimace at the unreliabilty (as with my XS500!) Cheers

[SDU]

My 09 Thruxton is due for it's 10000km service & I have had no problems with it so far. I've been cruising around on it since November and find it comfy to ride with the bar set up, (the clip ons of earlier ones put me off them) the seat a little hard but I've had worse, it is softing up with time.
The shocks were a bit pogo like and have replaced them with Hagens, others have found the originals ok. For noise I've got the triumph/Arrows- awesome sound. The original pipes are too quiet!!!!!
It is a light nimble bike to ride, it isn't a rocket ship but is enough to have a lot off fun through the hills on and the long trips are no problem on it.
My gripe is bloody chains & the mess they make, especially when over oiled.
Everyone is different in taste - you have to ride to see if it suits you. One thing I notice a lot of jo-public come up & look at it & talk about it with me, something I didn't notice on the guzzi.

[BikerDazz]

I love the look of the new Bonny - very 80's looking with the alloy wheels, and I s'pose that was my era.
I get my full licence in about 3 months (all going well) so will be doing a fair bit of test riding.
Atm, I swaying between a black SE or a black A1 with tacho kit, black flyscreen and black aftermarket mufflers - saw one on an american website and thought it looked pretty sweet.
Anyone know where you might go to get black mufflers for it?

[Owl]

I love the look of the new Bonny - very 80's looking with the alloy wheels, and I s'pose that was my era.
I get my full licence in about 3 months (all going well) so will be doing a fair bit of test riding.
Atm, I swaying between a black SE or a black A1 with tacho kit, black flyscreen and black aftermarket mufflers - saw one on an american website and thought it looked pretty sweet.
Anyone know where you might go to get black mufflers for it?

The only black exhausts I've seen are the "Predators", which are ceramic coated stainless.

http://www.british-customs.com/triumph-bonneville-t100/

[Big Dave]

I love the look of the new Bonny - very 80's looking with the alloy wheels, and I s'pose that was my era.
I get my full licence in about 3 months (all going well) so will be doing a fair bit of test riding.
Atm, I swaying between a black SE or a black A1 with tacho kit, black flyscreen and black aftermarket mufflers - saw one on an american website and thought it looked pretty sweet.
Anyone know where you might go to get black mufflers for it?

Rode the new A1 last week - a white one with Arrow exhaust.

I rate it (and the SV650) as just about the best 'after restricted - step up - return to riding' bikes on the market. Perfick.

It's also a very pleasant unit for experienced riders too. Very smooth, refined and all round...well...just nice.

[Scottie]

Holeshot gave me one while my Rocket3 was being serviced. Had a ball riding it for the day and the misses was smitten with it. Was genuinely sad to give it back - took me back to the old days except it started first time, did not leak, had good brakes and very good HP for its size. If I was ever to buy a cafe cruiser - this would be it.

[Mudfart]

hey BigDave, I read the bonnie review in MCT (my magazine of choice), and they said in you won't like....anything its perfect really.
Reading what you say about the bonnie, how do you rate the thruxton?. I'm getting my full in 3 months and I love the cafe racers, but Im considering so many damn bikes. R6, GSXR's, Thruxton, 675 daytona, er6N or full fairing ninja, I REALLY like the MT-01 and one guy has told me Im probably better off on it than an R6, which will get me into trouble really quick....
THEN, theres the option of going straight up to a 1000. VTR1000 maybe?.

[Big Dave]

hey BigDave, I read the bonnie review in MCT (my magazine of choice), and they said in you won't like....anything its perfect really.
Reading what you say about the bonnie, how do you rate the thruxton?. I'm getting my full in 3 months and I love the cafe racers, but Im considering so many damn bikes. R6, GSXR's, Thruxton, 675 daytona, er6N or full fairing ninja, I REALLY like the MT-01 and one guy has told me Im probably better off on it than an R6, which will get me into trouble really quick....
THEN, theres the option of going straight up to a 1000. VTR1000 maybe?.

Ask MCT.

:-P

[Big Dave]

OK just kidding. I still owe Shane for the light aircraft incident.

I spent a year on a 500 single before going to a 120horsepower bike.

Nowadays my personal preference for a ROAD bike is 100hp with good, low down torque.
Enough to tow a passenger in comfort and still be able to 'ride it'. Twist the throttle and not have it catapult into the disqualification zone.

If I rode mainly solo I'd quite like a Triumph Scrambler - I have a ball on one of them.

[DesmoDAZ]

Howdy, I hav serviced and riden an 08 catrb model, changed out the sprockets to gear it up a bit for the owner.
IMO an all round unexciting nothingless ride.
sounds like a blocked up honda civic,
sedate and boring power delivery,
Cumfy to ride and easy to ride,
Handeling can be pushed to it's limits rather easy,
Many will like the nostelga and retro looks and trimuph name but I found it to be pretty much a nana of an experience.

[SDU]

Thats the thing with the bonnie, thruxtons & the likes: you have to work them & thats part off the fun. The fuel injected models have a little more pep then the carb models but means you can't work on them yourself if you are that way inclined.
Way less torque & power then the V11Sport I had but I still have fun on it. I don't need to ride at 200kms everywhere & I'm finding the thruxton being a lighter macnine I'm improving my nana speeds through the hils. Everyone is different in taste & it is a good bike for those moving up from 250's, getting back into bikes, wanting to gain more experience and want to keep their license but don't what a cruiser or a good looking commuter

[Big Dave]

It comes back to my oft repeated mantra. It's much more fun to ride a slow bike fast - than a fast bike slow.

My friend Bruce came around to my house on his restored 72 Bonne the other day. Completely different bike to the new one. Raw and vibrates and has a certain primal appeal.

The new one is clinical and refined and tidy and actually goes a lot faster than it feels like it's doing. The 17" front wheel makes it a tidy handler. Ground clearance could be better, but that's because of how easy it is to use all of it.

[Indiana_Jones]

Ah my thread has been dug up lol

Just incase anyone is still thinknig of a modern classic, I'd say I'm enjoying my Scrambler very much, nice useable power, got the TORS pipes and boy do they sound great

If you want endless HP, look elsewhere, if you want a great everyday and weekend bike, check our any of the modern classic range.

-Indy

[BikerDazz]

It comes back to my oft repeated mantra. It's much more fun to ride a slow bike fast - than a fast bike slow.

My friend Bruce came around to my house on his restored 72 Bonne the other day. Completely different bike to the new one. Raw and vibrates and has a certain primal appeal.

The new one is clinical and refined and tidy and actually goes a lot faster than it feels like it's doing. The 17" front wheel makes it a tidy handler. Ground clearance could be better, but that's because of how easy it is to use all of it.

Good point BD.
Part of me would love a speed triple but I don't wanna bite off more than I can chew, so to speak.
I'm looking forward to having a test run on the Bonnie to see how it feels to me - maybe it will seem a bit bland, I'll soon seen.
My Ducati mate reckons I'd be better off on a tractor, but he's a bit of a posh wanker!

[Owl]

Good point BD.
Part of me would love a speed triple but I don't wanna bite off more than I can chew, so to speak.
I'm looking forward to having a test run on the Bonnie to see how it feels to me - maybe it will seem a bit bland, I'll soon seen.
My Ducati mate reckons I'd be better off on a tractor, but he's a bit of a posh wanker!

Well I ride both a Speed Triple and Bonneville SE. I agree with BD in regards to the Bonnie including its faults and I'll add that the seat can be a little uncomfortable on long journey's. Great bike though and soooo easy to ride!

Scorpio - Speed Triple, not an option I'd recommend, but each to their own. I certainly wouldn't call them scary fast, but they're fast never the less.

You do however have superb taste in bikes and definitely deserve bling!