[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by mobike008

it was fun riding the Ninja on the twisties but, its brakes are not confidence inspiring. Btw, Ninja 250 seemed almost powerless and GT50 engine felt quite coarse.

I'm surprised you mention that the 250's brakes aren't confidence inspiring Avi. Maybe they were due for a brake pad replacement? I'm not defending the braking prowess of the ninja since I own one but I can say that they are more than adequate. They have very good feedback, feel and bite, which is lacking even on the 650 and the duke 390's (feedback from owners and not hearsay or assumption).

Regarding the bike feeling powerless, you have to be in the right gear/powerband to take corners fast. 6k-8k rpm is where the fun begins on this bike Low end torque feels dead esp. after a torquey bike like the bonny.

[argchoff]

Wonderful pics Mobike008. Must admit though, the Bonnies definitely look cool in comparison to the other bikes. I see the front number plate has been removed. Any plans of relocating it below the headlight?

[mobike008]

Adi, I knew that out of entire report you will reply to this portion

Originally Posted by n_aditya

I'm surprised you mention that the 250's brakes aren't confidence inspiring Avi.

Sorry if I didnt mention. I didnt find the front brakes that powerful. I normally use front brake maximum and supplement it very lightly with rear brake input

Maybe, Iam spoilt by Bonnie's front brake which apply instantaneously at high speeds with just gentle inputs to it

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Regarding the bike feeling powerless, you have to be in the right gear/powerband to take corners fast. 6k-8k rpm is where the fun begins on this bike Low end torque feels dead esp. after a torquey bike like the bonny.

Yes, fun in the Ninja starts only from 9K onwards ( I noticed this specifically) and ends at 12K rpm. It's very difficult to be in this powerband at all times

The moment i slow down, it would take lot of time to get back to same speed

Overall, it's a nice fun bike and perfect for someone to practice before graduating to a litre class

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Sorry if I didnt mention. I didnt find the front brakes that powerful. I normally use front brake maximum and supplement it very lightly with rear brake input

Maybe, Iam spoilt by Bonnie's front brake which apply instantaneously at high speeds with just gentle inputs to it

Cannot comment on the Bonnie because never ridden one. But I like the 250's brakes a lot. The front ones are great (as good as my Duke's were) and the rear ones are much better than my Duke's. In that they are perfectly modulated for the chassis and tyres and do not skip out of line on applying anything more than the gentlest of pressure.

Yes, fun in the Ninja starts only from 9K onwards ( I noticed this specifically) and ends at 12K rpm. It's very difficult to be in this powerband at all times

The moment i slow down, it would take lot of time to get back to same speed

Overall, it's a nice fun bike and perfect for someone to practice before graduating to a litre class

Again cannot comment on the Bonnie. Obviously its a much bigger motor, with a lot more power. But I had heard all of the same cliches about the 250 being dead lower down, and the fun starting late etc. etc. What none of these reports tell you though is that the 250 gobbles up those intervening "dead space" rpm very quickly on whacking the throttle (right from take off), and its second nature from there on to keep it always on the boil - to the extent that it was pretty easy for me a few minutes and kms into my very first ride on a 250 to stay with the 390 being riden alongside by my friend (within the city). The tacho is really too tiny and out of your primary vision field to actually make out much (unless you're consciously looking). But the 250 revs out clean and quickk and effortlessly in every gear - quite easily upwards of 12000 rpm. To the extent I could very easily and intuitively transition from my predominant riding experience on bikes which surge at the bottom end. I think its a brilliant bike. Of course its a completely different class to the Bonnie.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by argchoff

Wonderful pics Mobike008. Must admit though, the Bonnies definitely look cool in comparison to the other bikes. I see the front number plate has been removed. Any plans of relocating it below the headlight?

Thanks Argchoff. I agree the Bonnie (T100 especially) draws a lot of attention. At a coffee point, there were some piligrims from Nagpur who were completely enamoured with the T100 and about 10 people took pictures posing with it

Even GT650 was drawing lot of attention and one local villager looked at it and walked away muttering, looks like a "Dunapothi" meaning Buffalo in telugu

Originally Posted by ebonho

Cannot comment on the Bonnie because never ridden one. But I like the 250's brakes a lot.

Again cannot comment on the Bonnie. Obviously its a much bigger motor, with a lot more power. But I had heard all of the same cliches about the 250 being dead lower down, and the fun starting late etc. etc. What none of these reports tell you though is that the 250 gobbles up those intervening "dead space" rpm very quickly on whacking the throttle (right from take off),

Brakes...Hmm. you may think iam praising the Bonnie front brakes (rear are decent but nowhere as good as front) a bit too much. But, you just need to experience it to know how good they are. In comparison, N250 felt mushy

If riding the N250 on its own without a comparison then it may not feel powerless but, take a ride of it after getting down the saddle of a Bonnie. You will echo my thoughts ( many of my friends said it too) that N250 feels low on power ( ofcourse its not right comparison as its much smaller engine)

What you say of whacking the throttle to cover the dead RPM space may hold good on straights but, I rode the Ninja for about 30kms on the ghat section with plenty of twisties and you just cannot hold on to a 9k rpm ( unless your continously in lower gear and screaming through the engine) as you need to let go of the throttle at corners and when you want to come back up, I see the GT650 and Bonnie's passing me easily and i was struggling and twisting the throttle hard

Btw, forgot to mention another point about the Bonnie, during this ride, I must have gone over speedbreakers half a dozen times (single and sometimes rumblers) at 100kmph or above ( no markings ) and it took it with aplomb

Doc, i think its time you take a detailed test ride of the Bonnie. Would love to hear your views about it

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mobike008

"Dunapothi" meaning Buffalo in telugu

Trust colorful Indian languages to get the point across with so much more flair than prune dry English.

Brakes...Hmm. you may think iam praising the Bonnie front brakes (rear are decent but nowhere as good as front) a bit too much. But, you just need to experience it to know how good they are.

Cant argue with that. Everything is relative. For me the Duke (200) is the pinnacle of braking, especially the front brakes. The Ninja was at least as good.

If riding the N250 on its own without a comparison then it may not feel powerless but, take a ride of it after getting down the saddle of a Bonnie. You will echo my thoughts ( many of my friends said it too) that N250 feels low on power ( ofcourse its not right comparison as its much smaller engine)

Of course bro. A friend riding a Super Low took a ride on my Baby Duke once and came back with a wry smile saying it was low on power. 3 days of riding together in Goa later during the first IBW, on the back roads and in the ghats and the rough stuff, and he realized that "less power" is (1) highly relative, and (2) is highly situational, and (3) its not about how much power you have, but how you use it.

What you say of whacking the throttle to cover the dead RPM space may hold good on straights but, I rode the Ninja for about 30kms on the ghat section with plenty of twisties and you just cannot hold on to a 9k rpm ( unless your continously in lower gear and screaming through the engine) as you need to let go of the throttle at corners and when you want to come back up, I see the GT650 and Bonnie's passing me easily and i was struggling and twisting the throttle hard

My experience does not involve the ghats (yet) so would reserve comment on that. I have told you about how it does against the 390 ridden by a very good rider, on city roads. No uninterrupted straights there of note either. I've actually heard most Ninja guys say its a blast on the twisties. I find no reason to disbelieve that based on whatever little experience I have of the bike to date. Either brakes or handling wise or engine wise.

Doc, i think its time you take a detailed test ride of the Bonnie. Would love to hear your views about it

There is too much of a "process" involved (both Triumph as well as HD). Understandable. The bikes are not cheap. Though I hear they give a guy riding in on a Bullet a straight pass-through ..... target population set?!! Let's see. One of these days maybe.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by argchoff

I see the front number plate has been removed. Any plans of relocating it below the headlight?

Actually not really. During the Nagarjunsagar ride, when the bike went over a speed bump, the front number plate got unhooked from one end. I removed it

During this ride, the rear number plate has come off ( again from one side).

Maybe I go too fast over speed bumps...LOL

Originally Posted by getsurya

I am waiting for the day when you will feature in the Bonnie's ad, by Triumph!! Cool going, dude!!

Srikanth, do you think this picture can be used for the Bonnie's ad?

[getsurya]

do you think this picture can be used for the Bonnie's ad?

Avi, Sure it can! A close up can do wonders too!

Have you shared your bikes' expeditions with Triumph?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by getsurya

Avi, Sure it can! A close up can do wonders too!

I was kidding bro

Originally Posted by getsurya

Have you shared your bikes' expeditions with Triumph?

Nope, I haven't. It never crossed my mind. Maybe because I havent ridden the Bonnie to any exotic place yet

[rashreddy]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Actually not really. During the Nagarjunsagar ride, when the bike went over a speed bump, the front number plate got unhooked from one end. I removed it

During this ride, the rear number plate has come off ( again from one side).

Wonderful writeup Avi... very happy seeing you enjoy your ride so much and post with so much passion.. The Bonnie has already proved to be a paisa vasool investment for you

BTW finally sold my IRON883.. wasnt enjoying it at all.. The terrible suspension and vibrations always used to give me back aches and elbow pain and the ground clearence dint make it practical at all on bangalore roads.. Frankly if i was to give an honest oipnion about the bike, once the oomph and badass factor wore out, theres not much to like about it and it came to a stage where i always preferred the Bullet over it..That alone sealed it and finally managed to sell it and i think it was a wise decision.. Thankfully did not even lose much money also since there is still quite a bit of waiting period for the Bike here..

Now treading carefully but your thread is swinging me more and more towards the Bonnie
I think the Black SE with Arrows exhaust and Double meter would be the one i would go for.. Would probably decide once you get the Arrows and RPM meter and post your experience

Regarding the hideous front number plate arrangement, the simplest thing would be to chuck it and put a sticker on the mudguard.. Infact when i had the FZ1, that bike didnot even have an arrangement in the front for the number plate and sticker on the mudguard was the only option..never faced any issue with cops also..is it not legal?

And the Helmet does look cool man.. Was thinking of going for the Shark Evoline series3.. Has anybody on this forum used this? would like to get some feedback before plonking my money on it
Many Thanks

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by rashreddy

Wonderful writeup Avi... very happy seeing you enjoy your ride so much and post with so much passion.. The Bonnie has already proved to be a paisa vasool investment for you

Thanks Rash. Nice to see you on the forum after a long time. Iam indeed happy with the Bonnie and like everything about it.

It has a smooth performance with good ride and handling characteristics. So i have nothing really to complain about the bike

Originally Posted by rashreddy

BTW finally sold my IRON883.. wasnt enjoying it at all.. The terrible suspension and vibrations always used to give me back aches and elbow pain and the ground clearence dint make it practical at all on bangalore roads.. Frankly if i was to give an honest oipnion about the bike, once the oomph and badass factor wore out, theres not much to like about it and it came to a stage where i always preferred the Bullet over it..That alone sealed it and finally managed to sell it and i think it was a wise decision.. Thankfully did not even lose much money also since there is still quite a bit of waiting period for the Bike here

Woah Woah! I knew from your posts in the other thread that you weren't really happy with Iron 883 but, never imagined you would sell it off so soon.

Your the 3rd person i know who has sold off an Iron 883 and planning to buy a Triumph

How many kms had it done? Good to know you didnt lose much money on it

Oh yeah, bullets can whack any of those speedbreakers and bikes like Iron 883 or for that matter any of the Triumphs also cannot to such an extent. There is a certain degree of cautioness you have to use when going over speed bumps with these foreign bikes. But, no such thing with the bulls

Originally Posted by rashreddy

Now treading carefully but your thread is swinging me more and more towards the Bonnie

Take a test ride. Iam yet to come across anyone who rode a Bonnie and said its not a good bike

Originally Posted by rashreddy

I think the Black SE with Arrows exhaust and Double meter would be the one i would go for.. Would probably decide once you get the Arrows and RPM meter and post your experience

Hyderabad Dealerships have received two pieces of 2X2 Arrow Exhuasts. Iam hugely tempted but, for two reasons.

1.) Will I be really happy with Arrows installed?
2.) Money is quite a bit (65 grand), is it worth it?

So dont want to rush into it blindly

Originally Posted by rashreddy

Regarding the hideous front number plate arrangement, the simplest thing would be to chuck it and put a sticker on the mudguard.. Infact when i had the FZ1, that bike didnot even have an arrangement in the front for the number plate and sticker on the mudguard was the only option..never faced any issue with cops also..is it not legal?

I reckon thats what I will do. Pin a sticker to the front mudguard but, was thinking it may not look that good asthetically. Or will it look ok?

Originally Posted by rashreddy

And the Helmet does look cool man.. Was thinking of going for the Shark Evoline series3.. Has anybody on this forum used this? would like to get some feedback before plonking my money on it

Shubz uses a Shark (not sure which model) and maybe he can chip in with his comments before you plonk your dough on it

[SUVolens]

Hi Everybody. I see a lot of interest in this thread around the Arrow 2:2 pipes and since its been about a couple of weeks since I changed my stock pipes (Bonnie standard, black - exactly like Avi's), I thought maybe my feedback on these mods could be useful for the uninitiated.

First off the looks - After-market mods are a very subjective matter, but I personally felt that the stock chrome pipes on the Bonnie (the reverse cone design) were disproportionately large for the rest of the beautiful machine. The peashooters on the T-100 look nicer in contrast. The stainless Arrows are a huge improvement in that respect. The slimmer profile and the steeper incline to the end-cans make the alloy-wheeled Bonnie look much more sportier and in keeping with the ride-behaviour. Besides, when it comes down to lubing the chain, I discover that there is now a added gap opening up to the chain-access area below the can, thanks to a sharper angle.
On the left side, the much-discussed 'kink' in the tailpipe just before it meets the 'can' gives the Bonnie an asymmetry that's as attractive as the offset fuel-cap on the tank. Some say its to accentuate the twin rumble by unequal exhaust routes but I agree with the lot that say that the kink exists to accommodate the kicked-up side-stand.

The sound - Nothing like the YouTube videos. NOTHING. My Arrowed Bonnie fires up under choke in the mornings and probably because of its basement location, the only way that comes close to describing it is that the bike 'blooms' awake in an angry and deep rumble. There's something 'rounded' about the exhaust note at idle, prompting me to use the term 'bloom'. Snap back the choke after 30 seconds and engine settles down to an almost breathless hum punctuated by the pop-pop-pop of the twin exhausts. Unlike the almost effeminate stock chromes, there is always a Big Bike thrum present in the Arrows, even at 800 RPM, even in the middle of a traffic light. And I know it gets through rolled up car windows and high up bus windows, by the way people turn from whatever they were doing to look at the bike.
However, its under acceleration that the Wolf drops the Wool. SPOILER ALERT: The Bonnies are not for peaceful/tranquil folk. 30 minutes out of the Accessory Shop and I was regretting the splurge of 63 kays. True, you part the traffic like the Red Sea with your approach decibels, but at the end of the ride that day, I had a headache worse than a hangover from bad whiskey and decided to put the baffles back in the very next day. The Arrows transform into blatting demons, sounding strangely similar to a Ducati, unsurprising given the pipes origins. The noise is sharp and wearing a nice full-face makes it somewhat bearable on open roads. But guess what? In the two weeks that I've had them, I've gotten used to these banshees and have learnt how to modulate the wrist to suit the music to my mood. They sound glorious if a little 'arrogant' and surprisingly, not as bad for the tailing vehicle (I checked on a relatively quieter KTM). But, keep the baffles handy. You'll probably thank yourself for slipping them back on during long roadies.

The performance: Now here's the pity. I think my ECU map has been botched up either during installation or thereafter. The guy was supposed to load the Arrow 2:2 tune over the stock and I think he did too, but my Bonnie is running frightfully rich lately. There's a prominent hesitation and the mileage is halved from the normal 23 kmpl in Delhi. I'm going to have to wipe and load the tune again soon at the workshop. Just waiting for an opportunity. I as a result, have no way of verifying if the performance bonus is worth writing about yet. But one thing is for sure, the stock jerkiness from idle-start is gone to a large extent. Hopefully, will be able to update in a week's time.

Other cool things: Well, the coolest other thing is er, how cool these stainless pipes run compared to the chrome ones. You could come back from a ride and still touch the end-cans gingerly, without loosing fingerprints in the process. You could wipe down the bike in half an hour, without leaving cloth and skin on the headers. And these pipes respond much better to a good rinse and wipe than chrome, cleaning out just like new every time.
The laser-etched Triumph logo over the exhaust ports are super-cool too.

Well, that's as much as I can recall on Arrows at this point. If you have anything specific to check, will be happy to respond. Happy riding everyone.

[sammyboy]

Nice one bro, i was actually hoping to get a Ninja 250R comparison from your experiences and though I am pretty surprised by the result, I also understand that the Bonnie is over 3 times the engine capacity amongst other supporting factors .

Been trying to stop myself from taking the TR of the Bonnie but now it seems like I will have to catch my neighbor to take a longish TD (I cajoled him into buying the Bonnie and got his old bullet sold off :P hee hee). He also has twin Arrows and boy, what a racket they make. He had both baffles removed but now is trying to get back to half baffles as he gets a headache while on longer rides.

Keep up the updates, really look forward to them each week :-)

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Shubz uses a Shark (not sure which model) and maybe he can chip in with his comments before you plonk your dough on it

Avi/Rash - I use a Shark Stipple S700. The Evoline series are very good too. Some of the features are listed below (Source: Shark website)

• Constructed from injected thermoplastic resin
• Outside anti-scratch & inside anti-fog visor treatment
• Integrated UV380 label & anti-scratch sun visor
• Quick release visor system
• Optimal comfort for the persons wearing glasses
• Micro lock buckle system
• Planned location for SHARKTOOTH®

The last feature is awesome (in my opinion).

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by SUVolens

Hi Everybody. I see a lot of interest in this thread around the Arrow 2:2 pipes and since its been about a couple of weeks since I changed my stock pipes (Bonnie standard, black - exactly like Avi's), I thought maybe my feedback on these mods could be useful for the uninitiated.

Hi SUVolens,

Congratulations on your Bonnie. Do share more details about it? When you bought it and how many kms munched on it and how do you feel about the bike overall etc?

And, what a fantastic timing. Just when the stock of the 2X2 pipes arrived at Hyderabad dealership your post ( noted that its your very first on the forum and deserves a hearty welcome for starting off in bang-Excellent post that tells us you have a flair for writing )

I will get down right dirty and shameless and shoot-off a bunch of questions related to your experiences with Arrow 2X2 even though you have made it quite clear that its just 2 weeks that you lived with them

1. Do the pipes weigh much lesser than the chrome ones? Iam given to understand there is almost a 50% weight drop? Is that true?

2. I rode the Arrow 2X2 Bonnie and fell in love with it. Fantastic soundtrack and out of a huge bunch of superbikes, its soundtrack was actually standing out

3. Did you pay 63K for it and was it done at the Delhi Triumph dealership?

4. 12-13kmpl is frightfully low FE and hope the reload of the map will improve it to a large extent? your thoughts?

5. Will it be too much to expect a video of your Arrowed Bonnie to enjoy the soundtrack and ofcourse, a few pictures?

6. Slipping on and removing the baffles? Is that an easy job?

7. I couldnt really make out from your post if you liked the sound of the Arrows with the baffles on or without it?

That's it for now, will shoot more questions as they come to mind. Apologies if you are shocked with this onslaught and look forward to your response