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-   -   Triumph motorcycles to enter India. Edit: Now Launched Pg. 48 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/103024-triumph-motorcycles-enter-india-edit-now-launched-pg-48-a-53.html)

Hi mobike008, I may be able to give a bit of feedback, being somewhat of a Bullet guy and having owned a slightly older Bonneville (2006 model) until recently. Most of my Bullet riding is on a 350 though as I have an RE Electra at present. There should be other forum members with more experience in this department (RE 500 vs. Bonneville) - BritishBanger perhaps? Anyways, here's my write-up. Got carried away and ended up slightly longer than I was expecting, hope you guys don't mind.

I used to have a beat-up old CI350 in the early 1990s in college, then after many many years in the US without a motorcycle, returned to the fold recently. A few months of riding 350cc (CI, Classic & Electra) in the Eastern Himalayas and I was back in the US and picking up a used Bonneville in bone stock condition. First time I rode it was to take the bike home after buying it, so a big jump from 350cc and 19-odd hp to 790cc and 60+ hp, also heavier by almost 20kgs. First reaction was a big fright as I immediately realized wow! this bike is very responsive & fast compared to my staid Electra, and also a bit heavier – how the heck am I going to ride this back home several hours on a busy, fast highway?! Postponed the ride back and spent the rest of the afternoon riding smaller roads to familiarize myself. Then got on the highway in the evening with a prayer on my lips and adrenaline rushing through my body – got home several hours later at night exhausted, elated and in one piece!

After that initial “deep-end” immersion, riding the Bonneville was an absolute delight – you’ll read reviews about how the Bonneville is a “plain, slow, boring, heavy, etc.” machine – pretty much from reviewers with faster, more powerful, sports-bike experience, but for me, coming from the even plainer, slower Enfield 350, this was a perky, responsive, fast machine on which I could whiz & weave through heavy urban traffic, crowded, narrow city streets, as well as handle the always dangerous expressways over here (the infamous I-95, the Long Island Expressway, BQE – all unforgiving to motorcyclists) with ease & with speed to spare, something that folks here say Enfield 500s have difficulty handling. Flick of the wrist and I was zooming off like being shot through a cannon, grab the brakes and the bike stopped on a dime - so unlike the Bullet's squeeze brakes & wait for things to happen experience! All of this and the Bonneville did it in impeccable style & panache – TONS of positive response from everybody. Every day I rode somebody would give a thumbs-up, big smiles from pretty girls (seriously!), old guys literally stopping, getting out of cars to come & talk to me reminiscing about Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons from their youth – this happens so many times that it’s practically a cliché, Bonneville riders don’t call it a “geezer-magnet” for nothing – and young hipster guys approaching me asking how much I paid, where to buy, etc. – another person added to the motorcycle-loving fraternity!

Conversely, when I’m back home and riding the Bullet 350, I found it much slower and more sluggish than the Bonneville, even got myself in trouble once overtaking a truck on an uphill climb and finding the time needed much longer than my brain, attuned to the Bonneville’s speed, had accounted for! And the overall build quality of the Enfield is so much poorer than the Triumph’s. And of course, I was finding the Enfield much lighter & smaller all over.

A few other things – the seating position on the Bonneville was slightly different from the Bullet – the foot pegs had my legs bent higher up. The stock bars are upright but even here I felt the reach was more than on my Electra. The weight distribution is different and combined with heavier weight, I found I couldn’t exactly flick it around corners the way I did on my Enfield. Some slight changes & a bit of riding-time and I was carving corners to the best of my (less-experienced) abilities. Of course, being heavier, if you do drop it, it takes more effort to pick up (obviously!) – experienced first-hand!

And the engine was basically bullet-proof – you could ride it hard all day, day after day and not have to worry about adjusting anything here, tweaking something there, something else falling off, etc. Huge relief for guys like me with busy schedules who have to squeeze in quality riding time.

Basically, if a less experienced guy from a 350cc background (me) could handle the Bonneville in one afternoon, I’m sure more experienced riders from a 500cc background won’t have much more issues.

The biggest negative was the exhaust sound from the stock pipes, boy oh boy! that sound was horrible – just a pitiful whirring like a big sewing machine. I changed the entire exhaust system to British Customs’ Predator kit, generally regarded as the loudest in the market. I also replaced the airbox with pods and what a difference these changes made – the sound was now much louder, a throatier, growling thud – not as loud as the Harleys with modded pipes, but definitely attention grabbing. Also the power went up by a few horses, a positive all around. Before, I was a nice gentleman on a fast, quiet machine, now I was on a lean mean fighting machine growling and chomping at its bit to be let loose (mind making up its own comic book!), loud rapid thudding as you gather speed, and even slowing down was a different kind of fun as the bike decelerated to a loud grunting thud-thud-thud sound like a WW2 propeller-driven fighter plane turning for an attack run (you can probably tell I watched more than my share of war movies growing up!). Not the deep, majestic, slower dug-dug-dug sound of the old cast-iron Bullets, but a more rapid sound – so definitely not the classic British single sound but very satisfying all the same (at least to me). Other after-market exhausts provide varying levels of loudness & deepness, so there’s a sound to suit most every taste, but please don't expect a CI Bullet sound - ain't gonna happen!

PLEASE DO NOTE that mine was a 2006 basic model, so it was pre-EFI – carburetors, 790cc instead of current 865cc, 62bhp instead of current 67bhp, larger spoked wheels (like current T100) instead of present basic model’s smaller mag wheels (current standard Bonnies are thus easier to handle – so they say). Also, the 2014 models all come with better, louder, deeper-sounding exhausts as per the manufacturer. I guess Triumph finally heard the tidal wave of customer grumblings about their feeble-sounding exhausts. I believe the stock seat is better, softer & more comfortable too – this was another big complaint, the hard, not-so-comfortable stock seats. I had changed to a Burton Bike Bits’ seat from the UK – much more comfortable and very period classic.

Sadly my Bonneville experienced an early demise at the hands of a car running a red light. With the insurance payout I’m now neck-deep in the world of old, big aircooled Bavarian boxer twins, a whole different universe! I hope to get myself another Triumph Bonneville or a Scrambler in the near future. In the meantime I’m also awaiting a Bullet 500. :D

Attached pics of my late Bonneville after making the change to Predator exhaust and Burton Bike seat. Also the rear lights & turn signals are aftermarket, slightly smaller & classier-looking than the bulbous plasticky stock ones. Later I changed the handlebars and mirrors to sportier ones as well, the ones in pics are stock. Hope folks don't mind me showing pics.

Thank you!

Fantastic post grplr02!
Loved reading it. The bonnie will do well in india for sure! Looking forward to seeing many on the streets here!

Hello Folks,

WOW grplr02 - you took the words out of my mouth. That was a fantastic piece/ write up.

Yes! I purchased my Scrambler and the first ride to my home convinced me that I'd be at ease with this beast. I had a series of British, Japanese & Italian machines in Pune, so I was not exactly a novice.

The Thruxton was a lot of fun and easily flick-able into corners and will hold inlet/ exit lines with ease and you don't have to wrestle it, no surprises there too.

The Scrambler, with its dual purpose tyres and higher ground clearance would be fun in Indian road conditions, blasting over speed breakers et all. Think Steve McQueen and the Great Escape!

These machines are stone simple to get to grips with and are forgiving in nature. You've got to be stupid to get into trouble with these machines. Remember - it is always the nut connecting the handle bar to the seat that is at fault!

I changed the exhaust pipes too! the stock pipes are like a sewing machine on full chat. There are a host of choices for mufflers, they range from dirt cheap to pricey and the tunes from obnoxiously loud to muted rumble.

3 years, holding speeds/averaging over 130kph for over an hour, running it at temperatures between 6 deg cel to 48 deg cel, the bikes have NEVER let me down. I have only changed batteries, Oil, Oil Filters & tyres when in my possesion. When I was skint to change batteries, I have push started these machines.

The Scrambler is with an Irishman (hot shot photographer) and the Thruxton is with an Indian - the present owners have not reported any faults till date.

The highest mileage I have seen is 83Kms for a 2004 carbed Bonnie and it is still going strong.

The quality & reliability of the product and the lack of things going bang will be a revelation to most.

I have a BMW R1200GS now picked up a Guzzi V7 Classic now (to be registered on 11/12/13). There are plans for a KTM 525 for off road jaunts and a smaller bike for my daughter too!

Take care and stay well.

BB

Awesome write-up there grplr02!

"WW2 propeller-driven fighter plane turning for an attack run" - sounds like some lines that Steve Harris would have made up!

Hehe, but your writeup makes me even more interested in the Bonneville. At least a few years down the line.

Hello Folks,

grplr02 - Yes! the Thruxton on D&D sounded like a spitfire! You have brought back some real pleasant memories.

I had to search in my albums for a couple of photos, here are two with my daughter perched on the Scram and the Thrux.

The Scrambler with it 270 firing, sound like a 45 Deg Vee Twin.

I am on the look out for a R90/6 to cafe it!

Ride safe.

BB

BB, you sure are a true Triumph'er. Enjoy your bikes man. Incidently BTW I had christened my Harley as the 'Spitfire'...

Just came across this Straight & Honest owner review of the new Bonneville. Probably one of the best reviews I have seen on the Bonnie unlike how moto-journalists present things. There is a nice & mild dose of humor also thrown in.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKFsce5phw


.

What a coincidence - a friend had just mailed it to me a few minutes ago.

At least 1 pissed off Triumph Owner (well kind of). But interesting presentation and really worth watching. What he did to get things better could be usefull for those who want it

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

Could you share any contact details of Samarth, Also is this the same Aadya motors which is opposite Nagvara Lake?

Thanks for sharing the video, very neat, funny and some pertinent points hitting home. For me, many of the niggles mentioned here were very minor - I'd done a bit of researching beforehand and knew what to expect when I bought my (used) Bonneville. Like mentioned in my post above, I changed the entire exhaust system and the seat. In addition I also changed the shocks (to Hagon), rear brake lights and indicators to smaller-profile classic-style ones, handlebars (lower Superbars from Bella Corse) and lower mirrors too. I also slapped on some saddlebags and carried a toolkit in there (the stock "toolkit" consists of a tiny allen wrench!) In addition I have a cheap, tiny helmet lock that holds my helmet to my bike handlebars so no need to lug along my helmet when away from my bike. The Bonneville is perfectly OK in stock form, but a few mods does go a long way in making it that much better and more personalized.

Thanks for the kind words wolf! Yes, hoping for Triumph to succeed in India.

Thanks BritishBangers, yes, I'm hoping Triumph brings the Scrambler to India as well, top of my list :) And yes, the shadow of Mr. McQueen looms large! Man, an R1200GS AND a Moto Guzzi V7 Classic? You sir, have two of my dream bikes in your stable! And an off road option would be neat as well :D My oldest girl (11 now) has learned to kick-start my RE 350, looking forward to her riding on her own in a few short years.

Thanks naveenroy, the sound depends on the aftermarket exhaust used, but most of the good ones I've heard sound really nice - a much more visceral experience than the stock ones, haven't heard the new 2014 louder stock exhausts though, hope they sound better and thus more people don't have to spend more money on aftermarket exhausts.

Here's hoping you get yourself your dream bike in the near future!

Those are two fine looking Triumphs you owned! Good to see your little girl so comfortable on them. My kids are all over my bikes too.

An R90/6 will make a fantastic cafe bike. Mine is an '84 R100RT, last year of the old airheads - minus the big retro-space-age fairing, and with short lower handlebars & bar-end mirrors - thus mildly caffe'd ;) A different riding experience, but a lot of fun all the same. Although at times when I'm stuck in frustrating bumper-to-bumper slow moving traffic I find myself wishing for a lighter, lower bike (like maybe a nice, new Moto Guzzi V7??!!) The big boxer twin seems to be happiest on open roads. And to bring this post back on topic, here's some pics of celebrities on modern Bonnevilles - the singer Pink and actors Ryan Renolds and Bradley Cooper.

That's one funny video and one (sort of) pissed owner. But his (sort of) racist overtures didn't go down well with me and what about that "It ain't a Harley" comment. But a honest review nonetheless.

0 degree = start of intake
180 deg = start of compression
360 deg = start of explosion/power
540 deg = start of exhaust
720 deg = start of intake
.
.
.

If we want both the cylinders to fire simultaneously - the cylinders (actually the piston on the crank is technically more correct) should be 720 deg (or 0 deg in other words) apart.

360 deg presents the exact problem that I mentioned, one cylinder is on power, and within half cycle other cylinder is on power.
Effectively at 1000 RPM, you will have 500 bursts per minute. (will sound more like a car)

In case of single cylinder thumper, you will have 250 bursts per minute. (will sound more like a bike)

Hi GRPLR02 (Pretty complicated handle, does it stand for something?)

Thanks for that wonderful, straight from the heart and downright honest feedback which was witty, fun-filled and enjoyable to read

I can say this with conviction that after reading your post, it will make folks standing on the wall contemplating whether to buy the Bonny or not to take a gaint leap towards it considering you have covered pretty much what everyone wants to know

Now thats all that remains is actual feel of the bike to take that plunge :thumbs up

Btw, what was the fuel average that you used to get and in what conditions and also any special fuel is recommended ( Octane 97??) or these bikes are strong enough to take head on our adulterated fuel?

This was also something I was keen to know. How hard can it be ridden? Averaging 130kmph for an hour is an answer that is quite satisfying to know :)

Also can you please throw some light on its maintenance costs and typical consummables that is changed during what interval?

Can you clarify? Is that 83kmpl???

I wouldnt exactly call that a pissed off customer but, a slightly irritated customer who is cheesed off at the minor niggles he outlined in the video

Nonetheless, hilarious video and thanks to Haroon for sharing it with us.

Hello Folks,

Mobike008 - I'll try and answer/clarify your queries as best as I may.

Filter KN204 or equivalents from a whole range of suppliers, fits many japanese motorcycles and is a bog standard filter.

Oil - Mobil fully Synthetic - 3.8 liters for complete oil and filter replacement schedule

Oil Change period - 10,000 kms

Tyres - 20 Kms on the Thrux and Scrambler - here, there is a 3 year period from date of manufacture wherein all tyres must be changed. If you ride it 'sanely' you could get a bit more from them. However, it is to be seen what tyres will shod the bikes that will be sold in India. I had Bridgstone Trailwings on the Scramber and Metzeler Lasertec on the Thruxton.

83Kms - What I meant is, I have notices a Bonnie with 83,000 kms on the clock so far without any problems.

The quality & reliability of the product and the lack of things going bang will be a revelation to most - What I meant is, that the bike is 'bullet proof' - if you will pardon the pun.

If I have missed out any query, please feel free to ask me, I've sent this out in a bit of a rush.

Triumph as a company has a sense of humor as is evident from this video link.

http://youtu.be/HKEuzxC4eGc

http://youtu.be/MqpDP7HQMtg

All stiff upper lip stuff - eh!

Take care and stay well.

Reg,

BB