The basic Triumph Bonneville

I spent an afternoon riding a variety of Triumphs recently, and have reported on the Cruisers. The first and last bikes I rode were Bonnevilles, a basic Bonnevile to start with and the Bonneville T100 at the end. There is also a Bonneville SE. The reason I wanted to ride another model of the same bike is because right from the start I absolutely loved the Bonny. I compared all the others unfavorably to it as I rode them, and then I wanted to ride one again to see if it really was as sweet as it seemed. It was.

Triumph categorizes their bikes under the headings of Urban Sports, Modern Classics, and Cruisers. It should be no surprise to anyone that the various Bonnevilles are considered Modern Classics. This category also includes the Thruxton, styled as a cafe racer, and the Scrambler, with the high swept pipes you would expect. There just wasn't enough time to ride them all.

Bonneville

My friend Randy is a long-time Triumph fan so I was very interested to see what it is about this marque that he finds so appealing. It didn't take long. The Bonneville fired up and ran smooth as silk and the engine responded with solid power as soon as I eased the clutch out. It's a very light, agile bike that just begged to be flicked back and forth in the curves.

There's no windshield on the Bonny but that was not a problem. Unlike on so many other bikes with no wind protection, this bike doesn't seem to need one until you get up to at least 70 mph. Still, if it was my bike I'd probably put a windshield on just because I do exceed 70 mph at times. But it would be one of those easy-on, easy-off affairs so I could cruise around town without it.

The bench seat was nothing special, so that's another thing I would be inclined to change. A custom seat could make this a bike you'd be happy to ride all day. With the factory seat I think you'd be guaranteed plenty of opportunities to stop and smell the flowers. Not that that's a bad thing.

One other personal preference of mine that the Bonneville met was foot pegs underneath me, rather than out in front. All the Cruisers I rode had the forward reach to the pegs and that's just not to my liking. If that's what you like I'd suggest considering the Speedmaster.

The basic Bonneville has a base MSRP of $7,699, a seat height of 29.1 inches, holds 4.2 gallons of gas, and has a 495-pound wet weight. It runs on an 865cc engine.

  Triumph Bonneville T100

Bonneville T100

The T100 Bonny is what Randy rides. The literature describes it as "classic 60s styling with up-to-date engineering." That translates into spoked wheels, fork gaiters, and "twin peashooter exhausts." The price is a bit higher ($8,799), as is the seating position (30.5 inches), which I was told is due to the tires required by the spoked wheels. The tank holds the same 4.2 gallons and wet weight is 506 pounds.

Whereas the basic Bonneville has only a speedometer, the T100 also has a tach. And the T100 has more chrome. The paint scheme on the basic Bonny is one color, while the T100, as well as the SE, are two-tone.

After riding three of the Cruisers it was a joy to get back on a Bonneville. Again the ride was smooth and light, with plenty of power and as fluid as could be in the twisties. I didn't notice any difference due to the spoke wheels or higher profile but they told me there is some. Subtle, I guess.

One other item: I noticed exhaust pipe discoloration on pretty much all the Bonnevilles. I guess that has to do with the retro styling as well, where the pipes don't have outer sleeves the way most newer pipes do.

Wrap-upSuffice it to say that I came away from these demo rides feeling very strongly that if I were in the market for a new motorcycle I would be taking a very long look at the Bonneville. I've thought for years that the eventual replacement for my CB750 Custom, if there ever is one, would be a Kawasaki ZRX 1100, but now I'm not so sure. That's why the manufacturers do these demo day events, you know? Triumph may have scored one here.