[jvm_1986]

Hi mobike008,

The test ride was actually for a cousin of mine who was interested in the street 750. He didn't know about Triumph (I knew it thanks to this review) and I accompanied him to the HD showroom just for company.
My interest in bikes had gone down post owning a Honda Shine for the last 6 years. Though the Shine is efficient, I was never confident riding it. Prior to this I had a TVS Max100 2 stroke which I really liked and rode with confidence. So my biking is limited to these 2 bikes with an occasional Unicorn or Pulsar ride (courtesy my friends).

Sorry for the digression. The Harley showroom is quite close to my house ands we casually went on a Saturday afternoon to check it out. The sales guy was really helpful and said that test rides are available and that shoes are mandatory. He did show us all the bikes with enthusiasm and was really keen that we go for a ride. But no shoes so no test ride. My cousin was planning to come home for a pair of shoes and I agreed as it was hardly a 2 km drive. On the way back, I remembered your Triumph review and directed him to Egmore to the Chennai dealership.

As soon as we entered, I saw the Bonneville in flesh for the first time and I was amazed at the finish and quality of the bike. Though no where on my agenda, I wanted to test ride the bike. The sales guys here were also helpful and enthusiastic. Though we had no shoe, we were allowed to ride.

Coming to the actual ride. I took the ride first with my cousin as pillion. Rode for approximately 3 kilometres only. I never imagined that an 865 cc 220kilo bike could be so easy to ride. The smooth engine, instantaneous response and the awesome braking just blew me away. Managed a U turn in traffic easily. Simply put, I had never enjoyed riding so much. The pull in the initial gears reminded of the vRS and I didn't want to stop riding. Had to remember that we had come here for my cousin and that I had to let him ride. The refined engine and the smooth power delivery have sowed ideas for a purchase . Now to look at finances and most importantly approval at home.

Back at the dealership, the sales guy told me that they can arrange for a longer ride next weekend and I am now waiting to take it for a longer spin of about 50 kms at least.

To put sum it up, the Bonnie has revived my long lost passion for riding.

On a side note, my cousin was also thoroughly impressed and we plan to do a long test ride together.

[sanketdesai82]

Great sounding bike @mobike008 makes me more tempted to take a plunge on those arrows myself...

[mobike008]

Sorry for the mass quote but, since all of you have wished me and some of you have expressed interest to see the video of Arrow exhaust.

Here are a few for your listening pleasure. I was riding the bike and a fellow Bonnie rider was pillion and took the video from his Samsung S3 mobile phone. The audio note in these videos simply cannot do full justice to actual sound of Arrow 2:2 exhaust which is way better in person

Originally Posted by sanketdesai82

Great sounding bike @mobike008 makes me more tempted to take a plunge on those arrows myself...

Originally Posted by live&ride

Any T100 owners in this forum who have been ARROWéd yet. Post some pics if there indeed be.

Originally Posted by rashreddy

Congrats Avi.. You finally did it. Has there been any effect on the Fuel efficiency?

Originally Posted by Pheonix

Hearty Congrats Avi on loading your quiver with Arrows ! They look great and am sure they sound much better

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

Congratulations Mobike! I have personally been waiting for this announcement for a while now. The bike looks great and I am sure it sounds even more fantastic. Glad you took this step. Like many others, I am waiting to hear that exhaust note.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Congrats Avi on the Arrows for the Black Bruiser!Looks cool

Originally Posted by getsurya

Hi Avi, super news of the Arrows on the BB! Eager to see and hear them in person soon!

Originally Posted by schitre05

wow, the arrows look simply beautiful, congrats Avi on the first modification to your BB. Eagerly waiting for the video and exhaust note audio.

Originally Posted by jkdas

Hope you had a ride today and had taken a video. Do try to get a pillion take the video as I had for T100

Originally Posted by DipantS

Good Job Avi with the arrows and awesome write up as usual. Are these not slip on's??

Originally Posted by argchoff

Congrats on the upgrade. I am myself contemplating the hi flow silencers

Originally Posted by Turbanator

How about some audio clips ?

Originally Posted by susan3004

Is it my imagination or the bend pipes are of some yellowish tinge?Some more photos will be appreciated, Enjoy the power man.

ENJOY !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGzM...iq8ezB1DX73yoA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=491s...iq8ezB1DX73yoA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wW9...iq8ezB1DX73yoA

[Turbanator]

short video taken by a mobile phone of Triumph Boneville Arrow Exhaust 2:2

thanks , do you have any video for stock exhausts as well

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Here are a few for your listening pleasure. I was riding the bike and a fellow Bonnie rider was pillion and took the video from his Samsung S3 mobile phone. The audio note in these videos simply cannot do full justice to actual sound of Arrow 2:2 exhaust which is way better in person

Hey Avi, amazing sounding exhausts!! And like you said, the videos dont do full justice, as I have heard the Arrow'd Bonnie in the Triumph showroom here and its just so eargasmic. But somehow the popping was more on the test Bonnie. May be they were yet to tune it with the right map since it was the early days of the Arrow'd Bonnie!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

do you have any video for stock exhausts as well

Sorry, never crossed my mind to take video of stock exhausts. But, trust me even the stock ones had a sweet tone ( nice hummm of a big motor) though it is infamously termed as "Sewing Machine" sound

Originally Posted by jvm_1986

As soon as we entered, I saw the Bonneville in flesh for the first time and I was amazed at the finish and quality of the bike. Though no where on my agenda, I wanted to test ride the bike. The sales guys here were also helpful and enthusiastic. Though we had no shoe, we were allowed to ride.

Coming to the actual ride. I took the ride first with my cousin as pillion. Rode for approximately 3 kilometres only. I never imagined that an 865 cc 220kilo bike could be so easy to ride. The smooth engine, instantaneous response and the awesome braking just blew me away. Managed a U turn in traffic easily. Simply put, I had never enjoyed riding so much. The pull in the initial gears reminded of the vRS and I didn't want to stop riding. Had to remember that we had come here for my cousin and that I had to let him ride. The refined engine and the smooth power delivery have sowed ideas for a purchase . Now to look at finances and most importantly approval at home. To put sum it up, the Bonnie has revived my long lost passion for riding.

Thanks for detailed feedback. That's actually a first for the Bonnie to be compared to a vRS. A Daytona I can agree but, Bonnie....but, at same time Iam not saying that I dont agree with you

Originally Posted by sanketdesai82

Great sounding bike @mobike008 makes me more tempted to take a plunge on those arrows myself...

Sanket, go for it. You will be the third person in our group to get Arrow'ed

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Hey Avi, amazing sounding exhausts!! And like you said, the videos dont do full justice, as I have heard the Arrow'd Bonnie in the Triumph showroom here and its just so eargasmic. But somehow the popping was more on the test Bonnie.

Thanks Abhinav. Yes, they sound fantastic in person. Also, your observation is correct about the popping and crackling sound and they normally happen when you decelarate and people on road gape at such abormal sounds coming from a bike...LOL!!

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I dont agree with you. Assuming he knows the basics of motorcycle riding, Bonnie can certainly be the first bike for him or for that matter anybody. It can be as docile as it can be lethal (when the throttles open)

Rightly said. It can go from being docile to lethal in just a simple twist of the wrist. Excitement that could get the better off of anyone. I've seen this happen and it's not a good sight.

Originally Posted by mobike008

We have an example right here (Absynthguzzler). He rode 2 wheels just for a few hundred hours in his entire lifetime before buying the Bonnie SE and now he rides it like a champ

And that is your explanation?

Your love for the bike shows in more ways than one Avi (I have ridden the bike too so i know how it fares). It's easy and not a handful but when the blood is young, its easy to get carried away. Practice makes perfect, immaterial of what kind of bike one is riding.

Anyway, its pointless to argue further since OP has already clarified.

Edit - Congrats on your arrows. The full system on the test bike in Blore sounds mad. My buddy also has slip-on pipes on his bike and they sound delicious. Not arrows though.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

It's easy and not a handful but when the blood is young, its easy to get carried away. Practice makes perfect, immaterial of what kind of bike one is riding.

OP is a gentleman with experience perhaps more than both of us put together so i think we should wait for him to test ride the Bonnie and comment here if he found the bike frightening or intimidating in any way

For that matter, I would invite comments from anyone who rode the Bonnie .

Would be interesting to know if they feel its too powerful, too dangerous or a bike meant only for expert riders

My simple point remains that if someone has basic logic of biking in place and has done little bit of riding and has matured head on shoulders, Bonnie can easily be his first bike.

If its a Daytona or Speed Tripple which are speed machines, I agree it needs much more practice and experience to enjoy it properly

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by mobike008

For that matter, I would invite comments from anyone who rode the Bonnie .

Would be interesting to know if they feel its too powerful, too dangerous or a bike meant only for expert riders

Definitely not... it's got very nominal power output compared to the engine size. But you can kill yourself even with a TVS 50, so when you have 800 odd cc and some 60 odd bhp it needs to be used responsibly.

Even now i am scared of the very thought that i have booked a slightly powerful bike (personally i feel its very powerful). The biggest one i owned was a RD 350 and i would have rode an odd superbike also apart from some duke stuff. Still @ 100+ bhp l i will take it slow for the first couple of 1000 kms atleast. Till i figure out the machine. Infact i have started using my friends Duke 390 to prepare myself slowly towards saddle, after a break of about 8-9 years.

So if you are a novice, ideally either you have to be super paranoid (like me) or get used to trainer bike before jumping into a bigger bike. But then the world is not ideal and we as Indians generally care 2 hoots about ourselves or others on road

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Definitely not... it's got very nominal power output compared to the engine size. But you can kill yourself even with a TVS 50, so when you have 800 odd cc and some 60 odd bhp it needs to be used responsibly.

You have answered yourself. If someone doesnt know the basics of biking, he can kill himself on a TVS 50 too

There are plenty of people who buy a ZXR-14 or a BUSA as their first bike ( people with a lot of money) and are still alive and enjoy riding it

Therefore, its a very individual thing about which bike people want it to be their first one....

I think we should refrain from advising people which bike should be their first without knowing their background. I would personally reserve such advise with my childhood friend as i would know his background but, not someone here on forum because he might have been a track racer in his childhood days for all I know

Anyways, we are digressing from the topic.......

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by mobike008

You have answered yourself. If someone doesnt know the basics of biking, he can kill himself on a TVS 50 too
===============
I think we should refrain from advising people which bike should be their first without knowing their background. I would personally reserve such advise with my childhood friend as i would know his background but, not someone here on forum because he might have been a track racer in his childhood days for all I know.

This is as good as saying we should not make any comments to anyone without knowing him or her I look up to this forum for lot of advices. Am sure that there are many others also, so i wouldn't mind getting varied opinions, on both sides of the story.

Buying a big bike anybody with money (like you rightly said) can buy. But living with it, maintaining it, riding it responsibly and enjoying it overall is a very different thing.

Doing it and doing it right, are two different things.

ps: By reading the original question atleast to my eyes, it looked like someone who needed genuine advice and not a track day veteran. Why would a track day veteran ask such questions??

[Fullrevs]

The bike sounds fantastic Mobike! I was already blown over when you shared the vdo of your bike rev in what I assume was your garage. A real treat!

As for newbie riders, I am relatively a newbie bike owner with experience in riding friends bikes during my college days (CBZ, RX135, Shogun, Samurai). I went in for a DS 500 as my first purchase and I am already looking to upgrade to a litre class bike. Mind you, I had very minimal experience in riding a bullet when I did buy one but now I am totally at home when I start it up everyday. I was never blown over by its weight or power. If ridden with a mature head and responsibly, I dont think its too hard to tame a powerful bike.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

The bike sounds fantastic Mobike! I was already blown over when you shared the vdo of your bike rev in what I assume was your garage. A real treat!

Thanks. Like I said, the video doesnt do justice to the actual sound. It's much better in person. Its like Abhinav said, "eargasmic"

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Buying a big bike anybody with money (like you rightly said) can buy

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

As for newbie riders, I am relatively a newbie bike owner with experience in riding friends bikes during my college days (CBZ, RX135, Shogun, Samurai). I went in for a DS 500 as my first purchase and I am already looking to upgrade to a litre class bike. Mind you, I had very minimal experience in riding a bullet when I did buy one but now I am totally at home when I start it up everyday. I was never blown over by its weight or power. If ridden with a mature head and responsibly, I dont think its too hard to tame a powerful bike.

Jaggu, here is the answer for you by Fullrevvs. Anyone with basic biking sense can buy any bike ( even a litre bike) as long as your matured and a responsible rider

We are talking about biking as a pleasure activity and not riding to get into a racing profession which calls for perfectionism

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Jaggu, here is the answer for you by Fullrevvs. Anyone with basic biking sense can buy any bike ( even a litre bike) as long as your matured and a responsible rider

Ok if you say so, but comparing an enfield experience and extrapolating it? In my experience, Desert Storm 500 is definitely NOT the difficult of enfields that people caution you to. And even the most difficult of enfields are easier to tame in comparison to a proper 500 class bike

As usual you will continue to pursue your beliefs, i just stated something obvious for novices.

Even when people enquire about offroading and buying or building a vehicle, my advice is to experience it from the sides, own a stock vehicle, slowly start modifying etc. Reason is not to discourage, but to ensure someone is guided properly into a pastime which takes much more than money. I was trying to make a similar point.

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Ok if you say so, but comparing an enfield experience and extrapolating it?
Reason is not to discourage, but to ensure someone is guided properly into a pastime which takes much more than money.

Great fun to read this exchange.

This is probably off-topic but I tend to agree with Jaggu's observation. The chasm between a regular bike and a big (read litre+) bike is so massive that only maturity and responsibility is insufficient. Experience is important too. It is better to buy an intermediate bike, get used to the change and then upgrade. Especially if you ride an Enfield

So can you upgrade directly to any big bike? Sure.
Is there a reasonable probability that you will get into trouble with all that power? Very much so.

This article is a fascinating read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neglect_of_probability

Especially this bit at the end:
"Probability is more likely to be neglected when the outcomes are emotion arousing"

And emotions are what buying a motorcycle is all about.