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Old 4th February 2014, 10:50   #106
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

91 Octane is recommended for all Triumph motorcycles as well . Both the UK and Indian User Manuals specify the same.
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Old 4th February 2014, 12:35   #107
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Good Luck on whatever you decide to buy finally Mobike and reading all the posts here i think the Bonny will serve you well.Having owned an old world Bullet since the last 10years and an Iron 883 since the last one year, will add my two cents... Hope this helps or confuses everyone some more

The obvious advantages and reasons to buy a Harley have been mentioned by many..The Bling factor,Killer looks,image and the day long cruising ability on good Roads and ofcourse the superb Harley Apparel that you can flaunt...

But thats about it... Its all downhill after that..

The Ground Clearence of the Bike is absolutely hopeless...Anything more than a rumbler and the bike scrapes away to glory...This alone is the worst aspect of the bike and a Total Deal Breaker...Dont know why Harley is not addressing this issue despite being so serious about the indian market and multiple complaints.. And having a pillion increases this problem multifold...Anything but butter smooth roads and one is always consicous of this and it is just heart breaking to hear that thudding or scraping sound and the weight of the bike just compounds the problem its not funny at all when the arms and shoulders start aching... You need to bring the bike to almost stand still and then hope and pray...IRON has 120mm GC.. Dont know how the folks who have Super Low cope with this.. So stay away from Harley if you are going to use it in daily traffic most of the time

To reign in the bike in traffic i have found it is almost impossible to ride without depressing the clutch to some degree and the heavy clutch just doesnt help..

Also the Heat can pose a problem in traffic.. In Bangalore it has not been that big an issue so far but i am sure Bombay or Chennai or Delhi Summertime this will be a major cause for complaint

The stock suspension both front and rear are a joke and even the old Lambrettas had better suspension than this.. just ride a Harley and a Bullet back to back and you will know what i am saying..When you spend 8lakhs the least you expect is decent shockers.. This again reitrates that these bikes are fit only for good American roads and are out of place here

The puny fuel tank just holds 12litres and only about 8litres of this is usable..which means a refill every 90- 100 kms.. Also one more thing i noticed is the tank looks absolutely smashing on this bike when viewed side on but looks out of proportion when viewed from top or rear.. Wonder how the folks who have 48 cope with this problem

You pay 8lakhs and you just about get the bike with engine... Eveyrthing is addittional and costs truck loads.. Guess what if you want a lockable fuel cap you gotto pay extra...A pair of footpegs cost 8k Crash guard another 20k and so on.. If you fancy Screaming Eagle exhausts and other such stuff then your pockets better run deep since the bills will ru one lakh upwards...No wonder Harley dealers are known as Stealers the world over...

Also the Battery and tyres are customised.. So you cannot just walk into any shop for replacement... You need to get this done only at the Authorized dealer which apart from being an headache if you are stranded somewhere also means you got to pay double the price to the Stealers

So if you plan to ride on good roads and only for long rides and have a 2nd bike to manage our great Indian city roads then consider Harleys otherwise one frank piece of advise "Please stay away"..

I have just tried to sum up my experience with the IRON since the last one year and lay the facts bare in an unbiased way... Please dont treat this as Harley bashing.. I have utmost respect for the HOG and grateful for the many friends i have made from the rides...

Hope this helps everyone

Also request some Bonny owner whos done some miles on the bike to post the pros and cons of the Bonny as well in the same fashion so that it helps people decide

Cheers!!

Mod Note : Please avoid typing with excessive dots.........like................this.

Last edited by Technocrat : 8th February 2014 at 05:01. Reason: Pleas read the note in your post, thanks
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Old 4th February 2014, 13:29   #108
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Rashreddy,
nice post.
you say the battery and tyres are customised and you cannot get it from elsewhere. Customised how? The stock rubber has the harley logo etc, but what else is customised? the sizes are not available elsewhere? How is the battery customised?

Cheers,
Kapil

Last edited by Technocrat : 4th February 2014 at 18:50. Reason: bat = battery, please type in full words instead of sms language. Thanks
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Old 4th February 2014, 15:55   #109
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by rashreddy View Post
Good Luck on whatever you decide to buy finally Mobike and reading all the posts here i think the Bonny will serve you well.Having owned an old world Bullet since the last 10years and an Iron 883 since the last one year, will add my two cents... Hope this helps or confuses everyone some more...

...

Cheers,
Kapil

It takes real guts to be objective and honest about something that you own/like/love.
Your comments are very helpful, since you own the ride. Thanks a ton man!
Regards.
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Old 4th February 2014, 16:43   #110
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by rashreddy View Post
The obvious advantages and reasons to buy a Harley have been mentioned by many..The Bling factor,Killer looks,image and the day long cruising ability on good Roads and ofcourse the superb Harley Apparel that you can flaunt...

But thats about it... Its all downhill after that..
Brilliant Mate ! Absolute Spot on comparo in terms of "Indian Practicality " Frankly i was little bit surprised when you pointed out that basic things like suspension,clutch were not upto the mark , is this with entry level HDs alone ? Whats with that Battery thing you mentioned ?

Accessories in Triumph too will cost a premium if not as much as HD IMO. But other aspects of long term reliability is yet to be proven in the case of Triumph as time goes.

Surprisingly our current automotive scenario is that even the premium paying Indian consumers expect generous doses of practial usability to be injected into foreign bikes as against earlier times IMO.

If Triumphs line up does have the right dose then we have a winner for sure !! Your pointers will clearly help prospective Triumphers to do a comparision on those lines and make their choices.
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Old 4th February 2014, 16:46   #111
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfy View Post
Rashreddy,
nice post.
you say the battery and tyres are customised and you cannot get it from elsewhere. Customised how? The stock rubber has the harley logo etc, but what else is customised? the sizes are not available elsewhere? How is the bat customised?

Cheers,
Kapil
Thanks Kapil..
The tyres are non standard and not available off the shelf..
Even the battery you can use only an HD battery and an equivalent Yuasa or other brand is not possible unless you rewire the terminals to suit the reversed polarity of the HD battery which is best avoidable
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Old 4th February 2014, 17:14   #112
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by absynthguzzler View Post
91 Octane is recommended for all Triumph motorcycles as well . Both the UK and Indian User Manuals specify the same.
As per the National standards all petrol distributed in India are supposed to be 91 Ron minimum with premium type being 95 RON

In the short period I've been using 91 Ron in India, I haven't noticed any noticable reduction in performance as compared to the time I was using the 95 Ron in Dubai, in the past.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rashreddy View Post
In Bangalore it has not been that big an issue so far but i am sure Bombay or Chennai or Delhi Summertime this will be a major cause for complaint -

I thought in the current condition the roads are in Banglore, the guys riding HDs in other major cities must be in 7th heaven

Eveyrthing is addittional and costs truck loads.. Guess what if you want a lockable fuel cap you gotto pay extra...A pair of footpegs cost 8k Crash guard another 20k and so on..

Hey! the Triumph are no Saints in this department - example: A centre stand for Bonnie will set you back over INR 10,000/-

Also the Battery and tyres are customised.. So you cannot just walk into any shop for replacement... You need to get this done only at the Authorized dealer which apart from being an headache if you are stranded somewhere also means you got to pay double the price to the Stealers

I have mentioned in the past with HD you are buying a lifestyle which is customised to the smallest details and with any degree of customisation, there is a comparable price to pay.
The battery and tyres should be available in India in open market - Battery its standard Yuasa product and if you know the number then you should be able to buy it from a Yuasa dealer - unless the HD have put a caveat to the contarary with Yuasa guys in India. The reverse polarity - This is something new - as I am currently using a Yuasa battery on the Bonnie, which I bought from the HD dealer, here in Dubai.

RR, you seem to have come out of the Honey Moon period just in one year (I know people who came out in less than 4 months though), but then again on a lighter note I would say that many HD owners are perpetually in HM with their HDs.

Also the suspension issues are more with the entry level HDs and not with the 1000 cc plus big thumpers.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

Last edited by r_nairtvm : 4th February 2014 at 17:17.
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Old 4th February 2014, 17:46   #113
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by rashreddy View Post
Good Luck on whatever you decide to buy finally Mobike and reading all the posts here i think the Bonny will serve you well.Having owned an old world Bullet since the last 10years and an Iron 883 since the last one year, will add my two cents... Hope this helps or confuses everyone some more
Thank you very much for your honest, forthright and objective feedback on the Iron 883, it's almost like your driving prospective Iron/SuperLow customers away

It's nice to know that my short ride was not baised towards the Triumph Bonneville as my initial report on the first page echoes what you being a 1-year old owner of Iron 883 is confirming.

In my personal opinion, Triumph Bonneville is leagues ahead of the Iron 883 and I can only reconfirm this opinion as a fact when I own and spend considerable period with the Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by r_nairtvm View Post
RR, you seem to have come out of the Honey Moon period just in one year (I know people who came out in less than 4 months though), but then again on a lighter note I would say that many HD owners are perpetually in HM with their HDs.
A shiver went down my spine with the thought that I would have fallen in the same trap of buying the Iron 883 ( All my friends looking at the picture of me on Iron, are you nuts of even thinking of the Bonneville, you look awesome on the Iron, suits you well etc but, they dont know we have to live with bikes that makes us happy and not just make us look good)

Quote:
Originally Posted by r_nairtvm View Post
Also the suspension issues are more with the entry level HDs and not with the 1000 cc plus big thumpers.
Well, I didnt notice much about the suspension in my short ride but, if RashReddy says its a joke after owning the Iron 883 for a year then I tend to agree with him.

RashReddy, How many kilometers have you put on your Iron883 in the last one year? What add-on's did you purchase for it? A picture of your bike here would be really nice. Thanks!

Last edited by mobike008 : 4th February 2014 at 17:48.
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Old 4th February 2014, 18:32   #114
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

RashReddy brilliant post buddy. Sadly you arrived here a bit too late for a pretty detailed debate that went on some time ago recently on Harley's attributes and what it brought to the table versus "lesser" bikes. Your real world experiences as a Harley rider and owner in India would have been pretty invaluable, greatly appreciated, and brought much needed unbiased perspective to the debate.

Last edited by ebonho : 4th February 2014 at 18:34.
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Old 5th February 2014, 08:53   #115
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Street Tripple "Feel Report"

Yesterday was WFH ( Working from Home) and decided to step out to Triumph showroom for a quote of Triumph Bonneville and while waiting for Pavan (Sales Manager) asked Bhanu if they have a Speed Tripple for a test ride.

He immediately said " Oh Yeah Sir". Would you like to ride it? I love this attitude. Within 5 mins, they wheeled out a Street Tripple from their basement and got it out on main road and handed over the key.

I rode the Street Tripple on the same test ride stretch and for a total of 10kms on Rd. No. 12 Banjara Hills which people from Hyderabad will know is extremely curvy and has long straights and a few inclines and declines as well.

Stance : The stance is bit sports. You can sit erect if you want to ride slow/liesurely but, I feel you cannot do that for more than a few mins and you need to bend down to be more comfortable. Handle Bar is short and chunky, feels good to hold it. Mirrors are unique looking. Completely sports styled. Tank is humungous and feels tall as well

Engine : Thumb start the bike, immediately you'll fall in love with the engine sound. It has a nice high revving sound (at idle) of SBK's and definetly an eye/ear catcher. Slot into 1st gear and it pulls immediately and almost no lag and you can feel the difference from the 105 horses.

Rode the bike through the entire stretch at a clip and was not too impressed with its handling. Maybe the seating position was not to my liking as it has that typical stance that I personally dont like (tank riding into the crotch) and little bent forward position, foot pedals are more sportier than the Bonny and this bike really moves and people were actually staring due to its unique buggy lights and lovely engine note which is guaranteed to attract attention.

This is a perfect naked bike with loads of power and great styling but, one ride confirmed what I already knew,
This bike is not built for me as Iam now tuned more towards Comfort + Performance Package which is what Bonny's all about.

Iam looking forward to the ownership report of new ST owners on the forum.

Triumph Showroom had the following accessories :-

Gloves : 4K
Handle Bar Mirrors : They had just one pair and not fitted on even a single Bonny but, they look simply awesome. Great quality of the mirror and when fitted on Bonny will give it a definete retro feel

Pavan asked me to wait for 2-3 weeks when their 1st floor which is dedicated for accessories will be completely filled up to choose from many options they plan to offer

Waiting for good times ahead !!

Last edited by mobike008 : 5th February 2014 at 08:57.
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Old 5th February 2014, 15:29   #116
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Hey Mobike...that is exactly how I felt when I did my TD on street triple. I somehow felt the bike stance was too aggressive and more like a sports bike which I personally am not comfortable with. I plan to retake another much bigger TD in the coming weeks to be sure on which bike I nail down on.

Last year Sept - Oct I had done TD on Iron 883, 48 [very short] and Street bob and I personally liked the bob though it has that vintage cruiser bike handle. I had almost finalized on buying the street bob [2012] but then stepped back as I wanted to see what Triumph would be able to offer. If I find the triple to still be uncomfortable during the 2nd TD, I plan to search for a second hand HD.
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Old 5th February 2014, 15:39   #117
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanketdesai82 View Post
Hey Mobike...that is exactly how I felt when I did my TD on street triple. I somehow felt the bike stance was too aggressive and more like a sports bike which I personally am not comfortable with. I plan to retake another much bigger TD in the coming weeks to be sure on which bike I nail down on.
Since your getting back into biking after a fairly long time, Street Tripple is not the right bike for you. It's aggressive and needs to be ridden aggresively to enjoy it

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanketdesai82 View Post
Last year Sept - Oct I had done TD on Iron 883, 48 [very short] and Street bob and I personally liked the bob though it has that vintage cruiser bike handle. I had almost finalized on buying the street bob [2012] but then stepped back as I wanted to see what Triumph would be able to offer
You seem to be a man with flexible budget. Why dont you finalize between the Street Bob and Triumph Thunderbird Storm? Both are awesome bikes and will turn out to be great cruisers

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanketdesai82 View Post
If I find the triple to still be uncomfortable during the 2nd TD, I plan to search for a second hand HD.
All I can offer to this comment is a big
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Old 5th February 2014, 15:47   #118
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

I am actually limited on budget as I have the budget to get a triple or something in the same price range and bob and above do not come under my budget unless bought or looked in second market
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Old 5th February 2014, 16:41   #119
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Mobike, how does the ST pull buddy? Does it make your hairs stand up? Feel giddy in the pit of your stomach? The riding position sounds a lot like the Duke actually. This is one test ride I'm so gonna ask for and take .....
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Old 5th February 2014, 16:46   #120
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Re: Comparison Report: Harley Davidson Iron 883 vs Triumph Bonneville

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanketdesai82 View Post
that is exactly how I felt when I did my TD on street triple. I somehow felt the bike stance was too aggressive and more like a sports bike which I personally am not comfortable with. I plan to retake another much bigger TD in the coming weeks to be sure on which bike I nail down on.
For a naked bike like ST it just takes sometime to acquaint the seating posture and positioning your legs and once done you will enjoy the ride. Next time you do a TD i would suggest you to do it with some good boots,jacket and riding gloves and you will clearly notice the difference as its more confidence inspiring.

O.T: Any further news on the HD Street 750 available for TD at Hyd? Being a sub 5L HD i think it deserves to be in contention too.. wat say ?

Last edited by Pheonix : 5th February 2014 at 17:04.
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