I had kept an eye out for the Triumph Pune showroom launch for a few weeks now. I would ride by occasionally to see when they would open. Having got the news that they were finally open, I headed over to see the bikes.
The photos were taken using a Lumia 920.
The showroom is nicely located, right next to the VW showroom near Abhimanshree Society on Pashan Road and is owned by B.U. Bhandari. The showroom is not fully complete yet. While all the bikes except the Rocket III were on display, they were not stocked up on the apparel. The on-road prices of the motorcycles are not confirmed yet.
The staff was extremely friendly. They let me sit on every bike without interference. The test drive formalities were very relaxed. Just fill up a simple form, grab your helmet and take a ride. No insisting on apparel or anything (including boots). I saw folks in sandals taking a ride. Nobody to pilot you. They had a Daytona, a Street Triple and a Bonneville for test rides. I took two test rides of the Bonneville.
Mobike008 has comprehensively covered this bike from every angle and pretty much everything he says is spot on. This is a beautiful bike, especially in white and blue. It is extremely easy to ride: you could hop off a very basic bike and feel right at home in minutes. Two things stand out in particular.
The Ride: So incredibly smooth. Having ridden a vibey Bullet 500 for years, this was like swimming in a tub of butter. The power is very manageable and the delivery is linear. The bike never felt snatchy. A few vibes crept in under hard acceleration but there was nothing alarming.
The handling: Just right. The bike is very easy to handle, Bulleteers will feel right at home with the riding position. The balance of the bike is just just fantastic. I was leaning into corners, carving through traffic and generally riding it like I had owned it for years by the time I was done with the test ride. Some of the folks have talked about a stiff suspension but It felt just fine to me. Perhaps years of riding my old bike which is practically a hard-tail has ruined me forever.
Having said that, there are a few things that bothered me slightly
The heat: I've never ridden a big bike before so I don't have a frame of reference but the Bonnie does heat up. Not fry-an-egg heat up but sufficient to be clearly felt near the calves. Around twice as hot as my 500. I was riding it in fairly sparse traffic. I guess a heat shield would be nice.
The turning radius A Pune phenomenon. You have to plan it on a Bonnie.
The exhaust/tuning I like the subtle burble of the stock exhaust. However it is restrictive and you can feel it when you accelerate hard. You could also hear
very mild pops when you decelerate abruptly. All of this indicates that the bike will need an exhaust swap and a remap of some sort to reach its full potential. I know this feeling very well. I've seen a manifestation of the same issue in Bullets with their terrible factory fitted exhausts.
Built for shorter riders Without question. A friend who is 5' 4" was super comfy on the Bonnie. I'm 5' 7" and I was very comfortable too. Some of the taller guys who test drove were complaining. I can see my significant other riding the bike quite comfortably.
What a wonderful bike. Ticks all the boxes for me and I'll probably book one in a few months. It makes my Bullet feel like a water pump (but I'm a sentimental old fool so I'll keep it)
Other bikes spotted.
The utterly gorgeous Thruxton. Unquestionably the most beautiful bike in the lineup. Slightly taller than the Bonnie, aggressive riding position.
The beautiful cream and gold T100.
The Tiger.
The Thunderbird. There wasn't one available for test rides but I sat on it for a while. Super comfy and very well balanced once you lift the weight off the side stand.
The Daytona. I'm not a fan of faired sports bikes but I sat on it anyway and I started to complain about the riding position almost immediately. Not the bike's fault, just me being a grumpy old badger about sports bikes
The Street Triple was also on display and available for test rides.
The final OTR prices in Pune are not out yet but I've signed up for a notification when the prices are available. Will share that here when I get it.
All in all, there was no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.