[mobike008]

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

congrats Avi, which color have you opted for !

Arjun forgot to ask you, when are you booking yours? Trust me, you will not regret your decision.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Bonnie Bonnie to wife eh? Wondering at similar reactions from my better half if I start with Katie Katie .... probably no food and sleep on the couch for a month

Iam already going through some severe warnings to control my excitement or else i will not deserve the couch but the backseat of my Cruze

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Mobike008 you are no novice to biking and this is just another bike - all I would say is ride responsibly and it will adapt to your lifestyle.

Thanks a bunch Ram. This will be my 6th bike so in a way I know the basic stuff but, as a habit I always seek advice because I never pretend that I know everything

Originally Posted by getsurya

Mobike, congratulations! Where is the teaser picture? You can do one from your BB, please?

Originally Posted by Surajit333

when's the bike getting delivered?

Originally Posted by naveenroy

when are you getting it? Looking forward to the ownership thread.

I have some unfortunate news to share. Delivery date has been pushed to Wednesday as my mom insisted it's a good day to pick up the bike. Can't say no to that but, only I know that suddenly these 72 hours feel like 72 days..LOL

Yesterday we Team-BHPians enjoyed a lovely ride of roughly 200kms. Except the new T100 owner rest of the folks are Team BHPians and my riding buddies and close pals

During the ride yesterday the following bikes were present

2 Triumph Bonneville
2 Classic 500
1 Thunderbird 500
1 Ninja 250
1 Apache RTR
1 Ford Ecosport ( Escort Car & Pics and Video taking unit..LOL)...Thanks Ecosportrules for joining us, it was lot of fun

Thanks to Absynthguzzler and Mani, all of us rode the Triumph Bonneville SE and Triumph Bonnville T100 back to back and needless to say, you can expect a lot of Triumph conversions in near future.

I personally did more than a few back to back runs (including one with Ecosportrules as my pillion as he wanted to experience the Bonnie) between both these variants and found some major differences which I will highlight in my next post.

Yours Truly



Downsouth ( Ninja Owner)



Mani (T100 Owner)



Xydon ( Classic 500 Owner)







Line of yesterday's ride. Rider60 on his Apache RTR is missing from the line up as his usual style he wakes up late and catches up on our rides/drives

[Motormania]

Congratulations on the new Brit mobike! I am resisting the temptation to splurge on one right away. Hope to catch up with you sometime on a ride soon. And do switch over to complete set of riding gears as well, that is if you don't have already.

Cheers!

[getsurya]

The pictures say that it was a good day out! So, what's the comparo between Bonneville and T100 look like?

[rider60]

it was splendid riding with you guys, both catching up in the morning, and the ride back too.

i was delayed because i had a puncture and it was hard to find a puncture shop that 7.45am in mehdipatnam man. and my bike isnt stock to fix the puncture that easily, so took time, but hey i still caught up quite fast, was there by the time you guys sat down too.

alright now the real deal, the idea of roadster i had was it would be a powerful bike with oodles of torque but best kept in a straight line and not meant for sudden braking or twists and turns like a sports tourer, meaning meant only for straight long roads only. BUT, the Bonny just put me in a surprised and ecstatic mode after the ride. the bike was very well planted at what ever speeds i took it to, and the thing that blew me away was the handling part both twists and turns and braking, this was a combination with a very torquey, free revving and powerful engine.

the bike ticks the balance i look for in any automobile i would like to own, a balanced combination of power, handling and braking. bonny did it all and i am told the bike is a reliable roadster unlike the RE/HD(not to offend any one, but RE does leak oil which is a total no no for me, just mentioned these as an example to compare there are tons of other brands that arent reliable either.)

all in all if i graduate to higher cubic capacity bikes i would like to own bonny one day.

disclaimer: the above is a test drive and review of triumph Bonneville that i rode, i dint ride a harley so no comment on the same, the above ones are purely my opinions, not intended to hurt or harm any one in any way.

[mobike008]

Comparison Report of the Triumph Bonneville SE vs. Triumph Bonneville T100

I had the fortune to ride both extensively and below is my feedback as to what I think is the difference between them.

Look-Wise

Wow, Wow, WoW !!! That's the only thing that came to mind when you see the T100 in flesh and it was shining like a crazy diamond in the early morning sun. It looks much bigger and definetly has better presence than SE. Honestly speaking, it indeed looks like you spent that kind of money.

T100 is 8.35 Lakhs OTR-Hyderabad

Features-Wise

1. T100 has 19" wheels and Spoked against the 17" Alloy wheels in SE
2. T100 has different pipes compared to SE. We revved both engines and there is a slight difference in sound. SE is little more eager and aggressive than T100
3. T100 has chrome grab rail, Lovely Triumph Logo at back of the seat
4. T100 has a completely different handle bar and quality of handle bar is way better than SE and switches are of better quality too
5. T100 has tachometer and SE doesnt have one
6 T100 front brake oil container is covered in plastic while in SE it sticks out like an ugly appendage
7. Oodles of chrome and looks really nice

T100 is a sight to behold when it was passing us on the highway as everyone waited turns for their ride whereas, SE looked little plain in comparison

Handling-Wise

Never knew 2" can make such a huge difference and all of us who rode it immediately felt it.

SE handles way way better than T100 and its flickability is a major difference as you can't throw T100 in corners with same agility as you can on the SE. Handle bar is wider and lower in T100 and I personally didnt like it. SE handle bar according to me is in perfect position for that bike

Power-wise both engines are same and during one of the test ride on T100 with Ecosportrules as my pillion, bike was lifting in 5th gear and he was falling all over me and holding on to my love handles

Summary

Absythnguzzler made a valid comment.T100 is primarly meant for American market knowing they would fancy a bike with more chrome whereas SE fits perfectly into the European market. T100 is about 1.5 lakhs costlier.

Take your pick- A good looking bonnie vs. better handling stealth bonnie in sheep's clothing !!!

[rishi.nandan]

Congratulations Mobike008. Have been an avid and ardent follower of all your posts on this forum. Quite an enthusiast you have in you! Your posts helped me finalize a Cruze, which i bought last year. And now this! Dreaming of conjuring up the funds for a Bonneville!! You rock for sure

[downsouth]

What a bike, well sorted out suspension, great ride and handling and that gem of an engine I just cannot stop. I rode Absyntheguzzler's Bonneville(thanks ) for a good distance of ~40kms. This is a classic roadster put onto a sports tourer frame. Having used to the Ninja 250R which is a crotch rocket, the bonny was a welcome change. Nice high handle bars lower seating and instant torque makes for a exceptional ride. What would surprise most riders is the fact that it does not behave like a vintage roadster, it is way better in terms of everything it does. I would have loved to ride it in the city but will wait to do it another time. Though I personally am not into classic's the Bonny was an eye-opener. The only thing which was a let down was the heat the engine block was generating, felt on the left leg, Absynth being himself has already figured what is wrong and what needs to be set right. That is my big concern in city riding when the temp can hover around 50C in Hyderabad espcially summers and lots of traffic.

The first time I saw the Bonnie was at Doha International Airport, it was not getting any eyeballs other than the odd enhusiast who would stop by(including me). It really does not stand out in the crowd and that is a good thing in itself but that is my personal choice. Great bike at a great price, and what timing for launch. Avi, congrats on the booking and many miles of joyful riding.

And comparing the Bonnie to a Iron 883 no sir I wont, I am waiting for Street 750 whenever it launch's.

P.S. My pic is in the above or below post

[vcx]

A new showroom at Banjara Hills, walked in after calling up the sales guy.

First bike to catch my eye was Bonny T100, felt neat but not as excited to what I expected , then came the original classic retro Bonny.

Bonny was composed, understated but is chunky enough for a super bike / original cafe racer feel.

The sales guy offered me to TD the bike , well no words... This was the bike that excited me after along while.

I am getting back to proper biking soon after nearly a decade plus of gap( drove, RX 100, shogun).

Bonny thoroughly impressed from the moment go, surge of power available at tap, torque that kicked in at higher gears yet lower RPM's, easy to handle in city , turning was a breeze.

The looks are typical retro types, yet a bliss for the person driving it!

Pricing could have been some what more aggressive.

I am sure Triumph has taken a good note of Harley's aggressive approach & and could certainly plan Indian parts sourced potentially in the coming months.

Avi, this post also shares apt views that you have succinctly composed.

Congrats for the Bonny and Bonnification ahead.

[Invader]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Comparison Report of the Triumph Bonneville SE vs. Triumph Bonneville T100

I had the fortune to ride both extensively and below is my feedback as to what I think is the difference between them.

Thanks a TON for this comparison, I couldn't find this info on the net (out site teambhp). Can you provide the ground clearance values for both these models? And does T100 appear longer than the SE? Thank you!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by rishi.nandan

Congratulations Mobike008. Have been an avid and ardent follower of all your posts on this forum. Quite an enthusiast you have in you! Your posts helped me finalize a Cruze, which i bought last year. And now this! Dreaming of conjuring up the funds for a Bonneville!! You rock for sure

Thanks Rishi for your lovely words. Iam glad that my Cruze thread help you decide on yours. Look forward to you joining the Bonnie group as well

Originally Posted by downsouth

The only thing which was a let down was the heat the engine block was generating, felt on the left leg, Absynth being himself has already figured what is wrong and what needs to be set right. That is my big concern in city riding when the temp can hover around 50C in Hyderabad espcially summers and lots of traffic.

This is something I too noticed but, only during the city run during my previous ride on Arun's bike but, not during our highway run

Btw, We Hydeez dont live in coal mines of Ramagundum or some remote area in RJ to get 50C , our highest temperature during summer in any given year is 42C/43C for a day or two.But, agree with you heat it generates is higher than what we are used too.

Originally Posted by downsouth

The first time I saw the Bonnie was at Doha International Airport, it was not getting any eyeballs other than the odd enhusiast who would stop by(including me). It really does not stand out in the crowd and that is a good thing in itself but that is my personal choice. Great bike at a great price, and what timing for launch. Avi, congrats on the booking and many miles of joyful riding.

Thanks Mate. You get the Duke 390 now and we can exchange the bikes so we can enjoy best of both worlds

Originally Posted by downsouth

And comparing the Bonnie to a Iron 883 no sir I wont, I am waiting for Street 750 whenever it launch's.

You mean you wont compare with an Iron 883 because its leagues ahead? And, Why Street 750? Because of its better GC?

Originally Posted by vcx

then came the original classic retro Bonny.Bonny was composed, understated but is chunky enough for a super bike / original cafe racer feel.The sales guy offered me to TD the bike , well no words... This was the bike that excited me after along while.

Thanks for that neat report. I doubt if anyone rides a Bonneville and not fall in love with it

Originally Posted by Invader

Thanks a TON for this comparison, I couldn't find this info on the net (out site teambhp). Can you provide the ground clearance values for both these models? And does T100 appear longer than the SE? Thank you!

Glad to know you found the comparison helpful. It never crossed me to write one until the time i rode both bikes back-to-back and found these differences

To answer your queries :-

1. Triumph Bonneville Ground Clearance is 140mm ( Same for both varaints)

2. Due to 2" bigger wheels I think there is an equal amount of bigger wheelbase therefore making the T100 look definetly bigger

3. Yes, when you sit on the T100, tank looks and feels definetly longer as your arms are more stretched out to grab the handle bar.

Hope this helps !!!

[sagarpadaki]

Awesome report Avi! You have a great knack of comparing pros and cons of a thing and the reader can come to a conclusion after going through your comparo. Keep it up! Thoroughly loved reading the detailed comparo you have made of the two bikes . Hope to see you on a Bonnie soon Ride safe

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

This is something I too noticed but, only during the city run during my previous ride on Arun's bike but, not during our highway run

.But, agree with you heat it generates is higher than what we are used too.

But IMO high heat levels will prevail during the initial running in period till all the metal conducting parts get used to doses of heat and will gradually come down after that as it typically happens with all new bikes but even then the heat will definitely be higher than our normal indian biking experience esp being an aircooled engine. Daily commuting in our clutch-brake-go traffic are surely going experience this.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by mobike008

This is something I too noticed but, only during the city run during my previous ride on Arun's bike but, not during our highway run

Btw, We Hydeez dont live in coal mines of Ramagundum or some remote area in RJ to get 50C , our highest temperature during summer in any given year is 42C/43C for a day or two.But, agree with you heat it generates is higher than what we are used too.

Just for your information, we have run Bonney in summer temperatures close to 50c here in the arid UAE & Oman almost non stop for up to 4 hours in the city traffic and have not felt any over heating issues with the bike.

Only at signals you feel the heat on your thighs.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Just for your information, we have run Bonney in summer temperatures close to 50c here in the arid UAE & Oman almost non stop for up to 4 hours in the city traffic and have not felt any over heating issues with the bike.

Only at signals you feel the heat on your thighs.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

Man that must take some endurance to ride in that heat, even be out on the road in that heat, for 4 hours.

How does the bike perform out on those huge flat long highways of theirs in that heat, at WOT? Any reports of seizures?

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Man that must take some endurance to ride in that heat, even be out on the road in that heat, for 4 hours.

How does the bike perform out on those huge flat long highways of theirs in that heat, at WOT? Any reports of seizures?

Yes Doc, some day like when your 4 wheeler is in for service etc, you have no option but to use the two wheeler, in the city. On some days if you visiting your clients, you could be out for up to 4 hours. Trick as you know is to stay hydrated that is all.

On the highways - it would be the man who tires firs rather than the machine. We have had rides including Bonnies and HDs doing the Dubai - Muscat (450 KM) runs in peak summer, in less that 4 hours riding time - almost non-stop, excepting short water breaks for the rider. Most of us keep our week-end runs on even during peak summer and have never come accross any case of seizure in these brands (what I know of are unfortunately of REs)

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram