[Haroon]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Thats a good point that you highlighted. I did check on the fuel grade for just the Bonny and its the regular petrol which is nice to know

Do you think the rest of the range may have a higher octane requirement?

I have read that 95 RON is the recommended grade for the newer Triumph I-3 engines, but I guess they may also have incorporated the similar technology like BMW has put on their bikes to run on lower grades of fuel. Not sure though. So you have to check with the dealer for detailed information.

[evilmessiah]

Thanks for putting up this thread! I can't wait to see the Bonnie in the flesh! Was always fascinated by it. Hope the Triumph showroom in Kochi would be more cordial than the HD showroom was when it opened (I wasn't allowed to touch the Fat Boys- let alone sit on them).

mobike008 is 100% right- the Iron sounds glorious and makes you feel the part of being in a very old fraternity. I had been lucky to ride pillion on my friend's Iron with the optional uncomfortable pillion seat and it had been a scintillating experience. Another of my midnight roaming friends has a Forty Eight and that takes the cake, IMHO. What a beast. If the God of Thunder decided to re incarnate as a bike, it would be the Forty Eight.

The next bike on my wishlist would be either the Ninja 650, Triumph Bonneville or the Street Triple. My eyes are on the Triple.. it's fast, sounds good and appears to be friendly. I don't know about those headlights though- can't decide whether I love or hate them.

The biking scene in India never looked so good! Lots of choices..if you have the money.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by ebonho

You look much younger than me bro. I came down to 80 kilos from close to 100 within a few months recently. BMI from well into the Overweight range to now well into the Normal range

Me too. Iam wee bit over a ton and whatever i do the weight seems to have stuck there for past couple of years. All that is attributed to my extremely hectic social life. So I need to be prudent in my choice of a bike which has to be comfortable ( not that sleeping over over tank posture which is for sports OR tank riding into crotch for street naked ( Duke, Street Tripple etc). I needed to find a balance between these two and Bonny fits into that parameter.

My take on a bike that i want is rather simple :-

1. Iam a fan of performance ( Perhaps its easy to guess from my Cruze and Classic 500 both of which are modded for extra performance)
2. Ride has to be comfortable
3. Handling is paramount as I like riding/driving at a clip
4. Iam on a shoestring budget. If it was Harley, i would not have bought the Superlow but, the Iron 883 which would have costed 9Lakhs on road with mandatory accesorries included which according to me is not at all VFM

Originally Posted by ebonho

Its a lot easier to lose weight than make the wrong bike fit into your life.

Trust me bro, I am trying. But, it just ain't goin' away !!

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Thanks for putting up this thread! I can't wait to see the Bonnie in the flesh! Was always fascinated by it. Hope the Triumph showroom in Kochi would be more cordial than the HD showroom was when it opened (I wasn't allowed to touch the Fat Boys- let alone sit on them).

The next bike on my wishlist would be either the Ninja 650, Triumph Bonneville or the Street Triple. My eyes are on the Triple.. it's fast, sounds good and appears to be friendly. I don't know about those headlights though- can't decide whether I love or hate them.

HD have that aura around them. Atleast in Hyderabad they were not that rude of not letting us sit on the bikes. We were allowed to sit and get a full feel including starting and revving the engines but, they seem picky about whom to give a test ride.

They gave me one only after i confirmed that iam thinking of buying one soon so that's not the right attitude to attract a prospective customer

I personally like the buggy eyes of Street Tripple, the bike seems like a less meatier version of Kawasaki Z1000

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by evilmessiah

Thanks for putting up this thread! I can't wait to see the Bonnie in the flesh! Was always fascinated by it. Hope the Triumph showroom in Kochi would be more cordial than the HD showroom was when it opened

Originally Posted by mobike008

They gave me one only after i confirmed that iam thinking of buying one soon so that's not the right attitude to attract a prospective customer

I have a feeling that this "attitude" issue is set for a overhaul for all dealers including the HD Dearlers - specially in India.

Till now they (HD) were the only ones that were operating in the space of over 500 cc Street/Nacked Cruiser Bikes. Now theya have a worthy challenger with an even better pedigree - in Triumph. Going by the attitude of guys in Bangalore dealerships of Triumph and HD its going to be a even battle (I have experienced very courteous and accommodating behaviour from HD dealers at Lavel Road - may be I had a AGV helmet in my hand made a difference ?)

Avinash, how was Absynthguzzelers' delivery experience ?

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by mobike008

If it was Harley, i would not have bought the Superlow but, the Iron 883 which would have costed 9Lakhs on road with mandatory accesorries included which according to me is not at all VFM

People tend to under estimate the Superlow and you are no different. Trust me mate, it is far more customisable than the Iron, has a better ride, as well as better handling than the Iron. And I being a 6 footer fit in it snugly. I have seen and felt the Bonne in the flesh and you are a brave guy to plonk your well earned 7~8 Lacs in a understated bike like the Bonneville. I know I will ruffle a few feathers here with that statement but my honest views needs to be stated.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I have seen and felt the Bonne in the flesh and you are a brave guy to plonk your well earned 7~8 Lacs in a understated bike like the Bonneville. I know I will ruffle a few feathers here with that statement but my honest views needs to be stated.

Dheeraj,

Each unto his/her own views isn't it. I don't think any feathers are going to be ruffled here

Youv'e said that you have seen & felt the Bonnie. I would request you to ride it at the earliest opportunity. Not that it will change your convictions, but just not to miss on the experience

I had an 883 for fairly long time in the past and ridden all models of HD till date - starting from the old machines from 1950s which used to be a pleanty in and around Delhi even as late as early 1970s. The HDs I cherish the most is the Fatboy, followed by Glides (Dyna and Electra). HD Machines below the 1000 cc range are not ture to the spirit of HD

Believe me there are people who like to understate things and peroform at the highest levels possible and may be Bonnie will fit the bill for those. Also it will fit the bill for those who like to go off the beaten track and be on their own.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[Majumdarda]

Very good write up Avinash. The Bonneviles definitely pull the right strings with the Indian mindset. Before taking the B500 I used to be a regular reader with regards to your Maroon Marauder and that had played a very crucial role in igniting my old passion to own and ride a Bullet. (rest you already know) And now this superb write up from you is definitely making me think about the Bonnevile. No, offcourse I cannot afford a Bonnevile now but who knows, might be if you are getting one for yourself and then I will follow suit (albeit with a gap of few years )

On a different note, if you do not mind, are you seriously thinking of selling of MM? Or will it be Pulsar + Maroon Marauder + Bonnevile (I will prefer this)

Best regards,

Bikramjit.

[theredliner]

Great comparo there. Any idea how many bookings have taken place for Daytona, Street Triple and Speed Triple?

[navpreet318]

I had the bonneville in my sights since a long long time. had it been launched in 2012 i probably would have picked it up and never looked for another bike. Not that I'm not enjoying my GS. My primary requirement was that a sufficiently powerful bike with good handling and something I could take anywhere, park anywhere amd even forget about its safety when parked. Bonnie fits it perfectly! I want to go on a nice ride with my wife and friends. Park the bike. Have breakfast and maybe go for a walk and relax without having in mind that someone would keep fiddling with my bike. Bonnie would look like a bullet and people would just not be interested. Harleys on the other hand attract so much attention that if I would follow the same routine as above I would come back to a toppled Harley. Trust me I've seen it happen thrice in our group. Infact my GS does not garner that much attraction because people just cannot understand/recollect it.

I have said it before. I'll say it again. No doubt that I love my bike. But its not my life. My life is the time I spend with family and friends. And when I'm with them I want to give them full attention instead of thinking of a monkey of a guy toppling over the bike.

For this reason I'll buy the Bonnie! Yes I'll plonk seven big ones and maybe even more on the even more bullet-like T100. Because I love riding more than just the rides.

[Haroon]

Originally Posted by navpreet318

For this reason I'll buy the Bonnie! Yes I'll plonk seven big ones and maybe even more on the even more bullet-like T100. Because I love riding more than just the rides.

Fully agree Navpreet. Like you said, if one loves riding more than 'the rides', this video shows how a regular Bonnie SE (its not even a Scrambler or T100) with very minimal mods can be flogged around......Not sure how many would be brave enough to try that on a Sportster with minimal mods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1eSDYRTk_w

.

[sanketdesai82]

Nice comparision mobike008. I believe I did see you at Triumph showroom [I was the one who was struggling to get the black street triple off to first gear during the test ride].

I liked how bonny gives you the feel and look of a vintage\classic bike and I believe this would be the hot seller bike for Triumph in India.

Originally Posted by theredliner

Great comparo there. Any idea how many bookings have taken place for Daytona, Street Triple and Speed Triple?

From what I was able to gather from Pavan, they already have two bookings done for Triple and are awaiting paper work to be completed and they also have these bikes in stock for immediate delivery.

[evilmessiah]

Originally Posted by dkaile

People tend to under estimate the Superlow and you are no different. Trust me mate, it is far more customisable than the Iron, has a better ride, as well as better handling than the Iron. And I being a 6 footer fit in it snugly....

You're right on the money in saying that people underestimate the Superlow. Is it due to the mentality of not wanting to own the entry level model? My friend whose Iron I had rode pillion had remarked that his model isn't the 'base model' but the one 'above it'. Must be the same reason that the Nano isn't selling well because people don't want the stigma of owning the 'cheapest car in India'?

Originally Posted by dkaile

....I have seen and felt the Bonne in the flesh and you are a brave guy to plonk your well earned 7~8 Lacs in a understated bike like the Bonneville...

Understated styling is actually a plus point in my book. Even with my CBR (IMHO, which looks understated compared to the flamboyant Duke and the R15) attracts unwanted attention at times. The Bonnie has loads of heritage behind it- equivalent to the Sportster lineup, I might add. mobike008 found it a blast ot ride as well. Hence, if I were in his place, I would gladly drop in that dough on the Bonnie.

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

....Believe me there are people who like to understate things and peroform at the highest levels possible and may be Bonnie will fit the bill for those. Also it will fit the bill for those who like to go off the beaten track and be on their own.....

That's fits my profile to the T. Understated looking rides that perform well are my thing.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

I have a feeling that this "attitude" issue is set for a overhaul for all dealers including the HD Dearlers - specially in India.

Firstly, Ram Sir, thank you for the call, it was a pleasure chatting with you. Absolutely. HD had a monopoly in that price bracket till now.

Now they have someone breathing down their neck with a whip in their hand

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Avinash, how was Absynthguzzelers' delivery experience ?

Arun's delivery has been postponed to this saturday. Arun, if your reading this post do share updates. Cheers !!

Originally Posted by dkaile

People tend to under estimate the Superlow and you are no different. Trust me mate, it is far more customisable than the Iron, has a better ride, as well as better handling than the Iron. And I being a 6 footer fit in it snugly. I have seen and felt the Bonne in the flesh and you are a brave guy to plonk your well earned 7~8 Lacs in a understated bike like the Bonneville. I know I will ruffle a few feathers here with that statement but my honest views needs to be stated.

There is nothing to underestimate. Let me share some of my personal opinion on Superlow, Eversince I have seen a few Superlows on the road and especially they struggling over small speedbreakers, it was striken off my list of "Bike that I want" i used to feel what riding pleasure they must be feeling when they have to stop and crawl over speed bumps.

In a city like Bangalore, I would rather push the Superlow than ride considering the amount of bumps they have there.

Besides, I always felt it looks like a gloried/Bigger version of a Bajaj Avenger with lot of chrome add-ons and from a distance it passes off like that too, It happened to me a few times. No offense but, these just my personal opinions. With regards to plonking 7 lakhs on an understated bike like Triumph. It's the performance that I enjoyed after experiencing that brief test ride and I agree it has no bling but, ride was exhilirating and that's what i was looking for in a bike, so it was a rather simple and quick decision between the two.

I can fly over speedbreakers without even blinking an eye. So that's the difference of riding a bike than having a bike that your not able to ride properly.

With regards to making it overstated (Blingy), Bonny needs just a few mods and it can also turn heads equally as much as an Harley. Do take a look at some modified Bonny's on the internet, it definetly made me salivate, dont know if they would make you as well.

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Youv'e said that you have seen & felt the Bonnie. I would request you to ride it at the earliest opportunity. Not that it will change your convictions, but just not to miss on the experience Believe me there are people who like to understate things and peroform at the highest levels possible and may be Bonnie will fit the bill for those. Also it will fit the bill for those who like to go off the beaten track and be on their own.

Spoken like a true performance lover. It just took me 10kms test ride to decide between a Harley and Bonneville.

Iam no biking expert nor have a history of owning ones that are aspiring in nature. Iam a simpleton who likes to enjoy riding a bike for sake of riding and have been riding ever since my schooling days. If Bonny gives me some attention on road, it's a welcome add-on but, certainly not the primary reason for plonking those 7-BIG ONE's .

You have experience of owning a Harley and few other big capacity bikes and if you say, Bonny is better than Harley. I and many others here would tend to beileve you than someone owning just one of those two products.

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

Very good write up Avinash. The Bonneviles definitely pull the right strings with the Indian mindset. Before taking the B500 I used to be a regular reader with regards to your Maroon Marauder and that had played a very crucial role in igniting my old passion to own and ride a Bullet. (rest you already know) And now this superb write up from you is definitely making me think about the Bonnevile. No, offcourse I cannot afford a Bonnevile now but who knows, might be if you are getting one for yourself and then I will follow suit (albeit with a gap of few years

Appreciate your kind words Bikram. Glad to know that you liked the comparison report. It was written on a sunday afternoon ( 1 day after the ride) without giving deep thoughts and in 30-45 mins flat with negligible proof reading

Look forward to you following suit then....Keep me posted !!

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

On a different note, if you do not mind, are you seriously thinking of selling of MM? Or will it be Pulsar + Maroon Marauder + Bonnevile (I will prefer this)

Let me stick to your preference then. I do not plan to sell either my Pulsar or Bullet

Originally Posted by navpreet318

I had the bonneville in my sights since a long long time. had it been launched in 2012 i probably would have picked it up and never looked for another bike. Not that I'm not enjoying my GS. My primary requirement was that a sufficiently powerful bike with good handling and something I could take anywhere, park anywhere amd even forget about its safety when parked. Bonnie fits it perfectly! I want to go on a nice ride with my wife and friends. For this reason I'll buy the Bonnie! Yes I'll plonk seven big ones and maybe even more on the even more bullet-like T100. Because I love riding more than just the rides.

That's very nicely written. I think most of us who enjoy riding, it's the feeling of actual riding that we are hungry for not "How I look on a Bike?" ", "How many people will think iam a rich guy due to my purchase of this bike" OR " Just being part of clan is most important thing behind the purchase" etc..

Originally Posted by Haroon

Fully agree Navpreet. Like you said, if one loves riding more than 'the rides', this video shows how a regular Bonnie SE (its not even a Scrambler or T100) with very minimal mods can be flogged around......Not sure how many would be brave enough to try that on a Sportster with minimal mods.

That's a lovely video. Love where all Bonny can go and his accent. Is it cockney?

Originally Posted by sanketdesai82

Nice comparision mobike008. I believe I did see you at Triumph showroom [I was the one who was struggling to get the black street triple off to first gear during the test ride

Hey, I think I remember you, we even exchanged a few words. Tall Fair Guy, Is that you?

So are you buying the Street Tripple?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I have seen a few Superlows on the road and especially they struggling over small speedbreakers

Yaa, don't know how we drove on these kind of roads then

I always felt it looks like a gloried/Bigger version of a Bajaj Avenger

Does it? I guess so then

it definetly made me salivate, dont know if they would make you as well.

Good for you man. But don't under estimate or pull down the Harley. Enjoy your ride. I know I am doing mine. But my request is to not treat all Harley owners as blingers.

[sanketdesai82]

I was the bald guy in black jeans who was trying out the triple while you were waiting for Bonny test ride as someone else was riding it. I believe I did exchange few words with your other friend on triple. I certainly want to buy triple but need to take another test ride as the last one wasn't that good according to me.

I question to you all: I haven't been riding a bike in ages now and last week when I test rode the triple, my palms just felt a lot of pain as though they were in a very uncomfortable position. Is this cause of the lack of me riding a bike in sometime or actually cause of the stance triple has?

Originally Posted by mobike008

Hey, I think I remember you, we even exchanged a few words. Tall Fair Guy, Is that you? So are you buying the Street Tripple?