[mobike008]

What I liked about the Triumph Bonneville SE :-

1. Butter-smooth 865cc parallel twin powerful motor with oodles of torque

2. Brilliant and almost eye-popping handling characteristics

3. Beautiful classic design

4. Perfect riding posture for a mix of sporty-cum-comfortable ride

5. Superb braking power ( especially, front brakes have amazing bite)

What I didn’t like about the Triumph Bonneville SE :-

1. Overall bike dimensions are wee bit small

2. Ride is on stiffer side

3. Pricing could have been little more affordable

4. Triumph accessories are exorbitantly priced

My BB !!!



Credit : This beautiful image was recreated by fellow moderator and photography connossiuer "Rudrasen". Thanks Rudra da !!!

[mobike008]

Booking Experience

Booking experience of this bike has been really a memorable one as most members here may agree ( if you were following my comparison thread of bikes that I had shortlisted and test rode before taking the plunge into this beautiful ocean of thrill and adventure.

My comparison report of Harley Davidson Iron 883 & Triumph Bonneville can be found here :-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post3354264

Triumph was more receptive than Harley (who in comparison were a bit haughty) during the test ride phase. After a couple of test rides very generously given by Triumph Showroom Hyderabad and also got a fantastic opportunity to ride a fellow BHPian (Absythguzzler’s) Triumph Bonneville for about 100kms, it was no looking back.

I was completely smitten with how this bike was performing and despite not being in market for a new bike, I had made up my mind this is a bike I can live with forever. Great Handling and sufficient power that will satisfy my ever hungry need for performance and what is most important is this power is something you can live with on a daily basis and unlike the Iron 883 in pre defined excursions, I can take the Bonnie out where-ever I want without getting the unwarranted attention.

Armed with my decision and necessary financial tools, I made my booking of a Triumph Bonneville on 6th February (that's just 12 days from first time I was on saddle of a Bonneville) and became a proud owner of the Triumph Bonneville on Feb 12th.

Overall experience with Rebel Motors has been extremely pleasant, courteous and committed.

Total SDLC (Software guys will be familiar with this terminology) was just 18 days. It could have been shorter but, our panditji gave a specific day for getting my "Black Bruiser" home. So I lived up to my past reputation of not taking too much time in unwanted deliberation/debate/heart vs. Mind dilemmas etc before buying something that I truly loved.

Taking delivery of the Bonnie was an experience itself with showroom folks practically gaping at me looking at the number of people who joined me when it was time to take delivery of my "Black Bruiser".

There were almost 10 Team-BHPians who stood equally proud with distinct swelling to their chests while taking delivery

Some pictures from that momentous day:-















With the whole gang !!!

[mobike008]

HISTORY & BACKGROUND OF TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE

Let me use this post to share some crisp info about the Triumph Bonneville as many of us might not know a lot of things about this legendary motorcycle

Triumph Bonneville was first produced in 1959 and manufactured in 3 different periods. The first two, by the now defunct Triumph Engineering in Meriden, West Midlands, England during 1959-1983 & 1985-1988.

Third run, by Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley, Leicestershire began in 2001. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, where Triumph and other motorcycle companies made attempts on motorcycle speed records. Current version produced since 2001 by the modern successor of the original company, is a completely redesigned and re-engineered evolution of the original design.

A completely new Triumph Bonneville 790 was debuted in 2001 by Bloor's Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. Originally built exclusively in Hinckley, England, some models are now produced at the company's Thailand manufacturing facility, which also makes components and accessories for various Triumph bikes.

The new "Bonnie" strongly resembles the earlier models in style and basic configuration, but with entirely modern engineering. At the debut the new version was given a 790 cc parallel-twin engine, with the up-spec T100 receiving an 865 cc engine.

From 2007 onwards, all Bonneville received the 865 cc engine. Until 2007, all engines had carburetors; electronic fuel injection (EFI) was introduced in 2008 models in England and to United States models in the 2009 model year, in both cases to comply with increasingly stringent emissions requirements. Dummy carburetors, which are actually redesigned throttle bodies made to resemble carburetors, have been added to 2009 models to retain the original vintage styling of previous years.

From 2008, all models received a bigger and reshaped tank. This tank is a bit larger in order to accommodate the EFI pump, but does not offer greater capacity. The enlarged tank was fitted to the US 2008 model, though these were not EFI. The bigger tank served no purpose in the US 2008 model, but did mean that they had the same tank as the EFI European models.

All bikes in Triumph's current "Modern Classics" line are based on the new Bonneville, including the SE, T100, Thruxton, Scrambler, America, and Speedmaster.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Bonneville

[mobike008]

Performance
I was never in market for a bike in this price range and it never crossed my mind to even test ride a Harley Davidson though people who are known to me know that I'am a performance lover and also give equal importance to styling. I always had the impression of HD was more about the culture, exhaust note and overall styling but, not really about performance, especially in the lower range models that were affordable to my pocket

However, when I came to know last year Triumph was coming to India, I thought it would be prudent to wait and then pit these two iconic brands together for models having similar engine capacity and price range before deciding which bike will tug at my heart strings faster & harder

When I went for test ride, it was one of those causal jaunts on a saturday morning and was not even remotely serious about buying either of these two bikes. What happened post riding both these machines is a surprise decision that both myself and my wife is still trying to cope with

Coming to engine, it’s a 865cc parallel twins pumping out a healthy 68PS and delivers 69NM of torque. Start the engine (sometimes engine does not start at first attempt during cold mornings; pull the choke lever out, thumb the starter button, engine instantenously comes to life) and its starts with a delicious rumble and even though the exhaust note is subtle, it has a distinct sound of a big capacity engine and is evident more so when you revv it even just slightly.

It has a 5-speed synchromesh gear shifts with a universal 1-DOWN, 4 UP gear shift pattern.

Slotting into 1st gear after depressing it's super light clutch is with small drama (little clunk sound) and when you get off the line, the power is so seamless it has to be experienced to enjoy it. There is no mad rush of power but, a smooth & relentless power increment during which Bonnie picks up speed alarmingly and knocks the wind out of you by the time you have up shifted to the top gear. It can reach the ton in 2nd gear and what is bit frightening for people like me who have graduated from a bullet (even if it’s a remapped 500cc one) is the abundant power available on tap in all gears.

It hits the ton in 5.2 secs which is comparable to most supercars and even at 5th gear at around 80kmph the power seems to be waiting at the flood gates, a gentle twist of the throttle at 80kmph makes the bike lunge forward and if you have a pillion, he/she is guaranteed to fall over your back at this surprise thrust forward.

Foot pegs are placed at a position which is slightly behind you and feels sporty enough and has a clearance that gives you enough confidence to coax out some lean angles that I wouldnt dare on other than proper thoroughbred sports bikes. I have personally dipped the bike on corners at some crazy angles and feel elated with myself that someone as in-experienced as myself can bend so much into the corners

Torque is available at any speed/gear you’re in and can gives you required thrust to get off a corner OR overtake in a breeze.

Nearly the full torque curve is available from as low as just 2500 rpm and goes all the way up to its redline of 8000rpm. This means you can remain in a taller gear and still a small jab to throttle will get you out of any tight situations as you ride that smooth beautiful bed of torque rather than downshifting and using the throttle feverishly which is the case when you would run out of power or torque when in highest gear

I have been easily dropping speeds to as low as 40kmph while being in 5th gear with absolute no knocking to engine at all.

Another beautiful feeling that iam in love with this bike is awesome feel of power available in top gear (5th), I keep checking to see if iam indeed in top gear as even in that gear the bike feels as if being in 2nd/3rd gear (so much of power is available).

I really miss a 6th gear on this bike. Why didnt they do an RD 350???

Ride & Handling

Bonnie loves corner and I personally have a glint in my eye as soon as I see a corner and approach it aggressively knowing that the Bonnie can take it with aplomb. As rightly mentioned by Harsha (FZ1 owner on our forum) you will not sit back till you make sure you bend into corners and only scraping of your shoes remind you- ENOUGH NOW, Straighten the bike!!!

I never rode a sports-bike except for a short ride of fellow moderator Manson’s CBR954 RR in Mumbai which was scary to say the least as it’s a different league and iam sure those type of bikes handling are on a different level.

But, for rest of us who love riding hard and enjoy cornering, Bonnie will bring a huge grin to your face as you complete each corner.

When it comes to ride quality, suspension is on stiffer side and when you’re going over smooth roads, stiffness is not even felt.

But, show it even small section of bad patched roads; it will become clearly evident that ride is on stiffer side. Infact, it reminds me of my drives of a friend’s BMW 320D, stiff like being on a bed of rocks but, handles mindblowingly well

Maybe a match that’s necessarily made in heaven to give birth to that handling brilliance !!!

Tyres

I wouldn't be doing justice if I dont speak about the grippy tyres. They are the famous German/Italian "Metzelers" and reknowned for making track and touring tyres. It's a good thing that Triumph has decided to mate the Bonnie with these grippy tyres and not some inferior product as these tyres aid greatly to ride and handling characteristic of Bonnie. It's a different story that they are exorbitantly priced and cost in range of 25K for a pair



Brilliant Fit and Finish





Clutch has 4 different settings to adjust play



Lovely riding posture. One of the best in the business



Nice angle of Bonnie

[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 definitely has better presence than SE. Honestly speaking; it indeed looks like you spent that kind of money.

T100 is 8.35 Lakhs OTR-Hyderabad. While my Bonneville SE cost me 6.70 Lakhs OTR.

So is T100 with all its bling and road presence worth the additional 1.65 lakhs? Naah!! Atleast not in my books

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 doesn’t 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 much better than T100 and its flickability is a major difference as you cannot throw T100 in corners with same agility as you can on the SE. Handle bar is wider and lower in T100 and I personally didn’t 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 due to sudden power surges

Summary
T100 is primarily meant for American market knowing they would fancy a bike with more chrome whereas SE fits perfectly into the European market.

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

Footnote: Copied the same post from my comparison report thread as I want this information to be in a single place; my ownership report!!

[mobike008]

Accolades for Triumph Bonneville
Ever since the bike came into production way back in 1958, Bonneville has been garnering praises from motorcycle lovers across the world and even today is considered a legend in the motorcycling world

Here is what media has to say about the Bonnie :-

Below excerpts from a test ride of Bonneville vs. Bolt vs. Iron 883 by MotorcyleUSA.com: -

Source : http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/258/16...omparison.aspx

Twist the Triumph’s throttle and it’s deceptively quick. Though it feels like it lacks the arm-stretching torque of the V-Twins, a peek at the torque chart shows that the Bonneville delivers 45.53 lb-ft at 3700 rpm, slotting in between the peak of the Bolt that comes on at 3400 rpm and the Sportster at 3900 rpm.

The area where the Bonneville gets the advantage over the other two is that it doesn’t reach its peak of 46.24 lb-ft of torque until 5600 rpm and is still delivering in the 45 lb-ft range up to 7000 rpm. By that time, the motorcycle with the smallest displacement of the bunch starts putting out the most horsepower of the three, topping the charts at 60.35 hp at 7100 rpm.

This means the Bonneville has the widest, most usable spread of power and allows riders to wind it out more between shifts. This becomes immediately evident right from first gear as the Bonneville doesn’t sign off until just over 50 mph (80kmph) whereas on the other two bikes have riders shifting into second gear at just over 40 mph (66kmph)

“Handling is where the Bonneville rips these other two bikes to shreds. For starters it actually has some ground clearance, where the others scrape pegs at even slight turns. Its smaller-by-comparison 17-inch wheel allows for much quicker transitions, and the Bonneville feels nice and planted in the bends,” commented Madson

Triumph’s engine performance far outpaces the other bikes. It revs longer and feels peppier from top to bottom – it’s not really close. The Parallel Twin does emit a completely different character than the gruffer V-Twins. It gets the dreaded ‘feels like a sewing machine’ descriptor – and while it’s super smooth and powerful by comparison, it doesn’t emote the same image as the other two bikes.”

In the end though, what it lacks in curb appeal, it more than makes up for on the performance side.

It left the other two competitors in the dust, both on the straights and in the turns. It has the strongest brakes of the bunch and the smoothest tranny, too.

Madson’s final thoughts on the 2013 Triumph Bonneville sums it up well :-

“I was actually quite impressed with the Triumph. It had been a couple years since I’ve ridden the Bonnie, and it’s a great standard/urban bike. It’s also a fantastic beginner bike that won’t bore more experienced riders.”

Below excerpts from a long time ride of the Triumph Bonneville from below source:-

http://motorcycles.about.com/od/triu...t-Report-4.htm

As the miles wore on, Bonnie's scooped saddle proved to more comfortable than expected, and road manners were surprisingly livable: at higher speeds, the non-adjustable front and coil over rear suspension didn't suffer as much from bumps as it did during lower speeds, a notable consolation given the relentless stream of cold air into the unprotected cockpit.

As mentioned previously, the Bonnie feels confident on tight, technical roads, and there's always enough grunt on tap from the 865cc parallel twin power plant to enable imprudent (though thrilling) amounts of speed. The gear ratios are well-spaced, and even at prolonged triple-digit velocities, the five cogs rarely trigger six-speed envy.

While dynamically satisfying, the long term Bonneville-- complete with carb-like fuel injectors and retro styling that isn't too far off from real deal old school Bonnies-- felt aesthetically comfortable among a pack of older bikes which required constant fiddling, from roadside to gas station, and numerous spots in between.

Several riders mentioned that the Bonneville looks right at home with old bikes, and given its imperturbable mechanical underpinnings, I'd say it straddled the best of both worlds: nostalgic looks, and bulletproof performance.

SOURCE : http://rideapart.com/2013/08/rideapa...bonneville-se/

Riding the Bonneville is special. It’s impossible not to have some idea of what it will be like based on looks alone, and when you realize how well it performs, you’ll be surprised

Excerpt from this source :-

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval/2009NovBnville.pdf

" Corners as if on rails"







Disclaimer : Most of the pics you see on this thread until now are shot by my friends (Bhavishya, Vamshi & Rohit) who are budding photographers

[mobike008]

Well. I had absolutely no plans for this but, some of my young friends who are fellow bulleteers chased me for a proper photoshoot. Till we met up that morning, I was under the impression it will be just one person shooting pictures of the bike. B

But, when i met them, there were 4 photo enthusiasts who were brimming with more excitement than me and within a short time turned my Bonnie into a superstar. The equipment they carried looked overwhelming to me and couple of Team-BHPians (Insearch and Rider 60) tagged along to partake in a session wherein we played music, shot pictures, did some dance jigs etc. Basically had lot of fun !!!

Needless to say, they rode both Bonneville's (SE & T100) and fell instantly in love. They are now in queue to buy the Bonnie !!

Few pictures from my mobile camera of the shooting scenario that day

[mobike008]

Note from Mod : Thread moved from Assembly Line to Superbikes & Imports Section. Hope you guys enjoy reading this thread as much as I enjoyed creating it

[himanshugoswami]

Avi, your passion and spirit seeps through each word of this report! Enjoy, my man! You truly deserve to own and ride this wonderful bike.

[akshay4587]

Congrats
And i was expecting this.
Wishing you loads of (S)miles.
What happens to the Chrome 500?

[hsub]

Congrats and thanks for putting up this thread with such nice pictures. I actually think your bike SE looks cooler than T100. My next bike is most probably going to be the street triple but now Bonneville SE is beginning to win me over as well. Will be following your thread closely.

[discobiscuit]

Those pictures are so good!

Congrats on your purchase! Now time to start saving for the add ons!

Edit- please take the saree guard off. Please

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Hope you guys enjoy reading this thread as much as I enjoyed creating it

This is one toy which brings out the kid inside you and i could feel it in every line you penned down with tremendous joy and happiness

Amazing write up as always and some subtle photography . Great shots loved every pic but i would still want more of the Black Bruiser as i feel its a very good poser despite its understated looks !

Its clearly evident that you are having a gala time with Bonny and now its time to start our own Hydie Triumph Club . What can be more better than you giving it a kickstart yourself !!

Congrats once again Avi !!

[rendezvous]

My dear friend, Avi.
First & foremost heartfelt CONGRATS (on the forum too) !!!
Its definitely a good decision to own the Untameable Brit Beast & the way you received it (along with your gang), it indeed needed such a warm welcome to the home

Congrats again!!!

Cheers

[Divya Sharan]

Many many congratulations moderator saahib and I wish you do thousands of miles on it.
Just a request - ditch that sarre guard. It looks hideous.

(I know it'd be illegal though, but this looks ugly.)