[Sting]

The conflict of the heart and the mind are the most complex to deal with and buying a motorcycle puts these dealings to the utmost test. The mind defines the boundaries that the heart needs to operate in. The heart then negotiates and come up with a new set till the mind refuses to negotiate any further. A series of these negotiations and re-negotiations eventually ended up with El Caballo in the parking lot!

*********************************
Random incident somewhere during the decision making process:
Got up to a mild fever that got worse as the day progressed. Took the day off and visited the doctor who attributed it to a viral infection. He shoved a seemingly germ stricken, Dettol dipped, thermometer in my mouth and measured the fever at 101oF. Usual medications, precautions and bed rest was advised.

I came out and decided to drive to a chemist further up in the lane but then realized I had a task pending midway, so decided to walk instead. Right between the Chemist and the Doctor’s clinic is a KTM/Kawasaki dealership. So walked into the showroom with prescription in hand and spent the next 20 mins haggling about pricing, loan rates, and delivery periods and understanding servicing schedules. Finally booked a test ride for the Duke 390 for the coming Saturday. Some notes were taken on the back of the prescription itself! Such is the addiction to motorcycles.

*********************************

THE TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE:

I’ll try and capture the good, the bad and the irritants. The technical information is already abundantly available on the internet. The bad and the irritants don’t matter much but higher awareness has the inherent disadvantage of making us fussy. I’ll include the things I’m being fussy over too. And it's easier to sound more intelligent with casual criticism than thought through appreciation!

Eventually, once you get on a motorcycle it’s all about the pleasure of feeling the wind in our face, letting the world pass by as you have a conversation with the engineering beauty below you. In this space, the Bonneville far exceeds expectations and that is what truly matters.

Buying Experience: Horrible.

I have mentioned the experience on the thread here

We very nearly dropped buying the motorcycle because of the apathy of the Triumph Management team and the dealership. I booked the bike in Sept and took the delivery in December, a time that I would rather forget. The delay in delivery was also frustrating because November is the best time to ride in Delhi. We had also planned a Rajasthan trip in the middle of December that had to be dropped. Post the detuning fiasco, the dealership did try to salvage the situation but it was too late by then. How much we love the bike is evident from the fact that in spite of this 3 month ordeal we still decided to buy it.

The most excited person during the delivery. My dad's been banned from riding motorcycles after he crossed 70 - he's vehemently protested. He thinks he can still take us on and ride harder, better. For the Bonnie we eventually gave in and he enjoyed the ride the next day; on the same place and road he and my brother taught me how to ride many decades ago!



El Caballo

The name El Caballo (translated from Spanish to The Horse and pronounced EL Caba-i-o) comes from my love for the four legged animal. The saying “If on earth there’s paradise, on horses back it lies” comes closest to describing the horsemanship experience. Riding a motorcycle across Ladakh I imagine would be a close second. While I’ve been off the motorcycle for a few years, I’ve not been off the saddle. I ride regularly and have often been tempted to own a horse. Unfortunately, the commitment required is huge so I’ve decided to put that decision on hold till the bank account and my conviction sees better days. Why in Spanish? Because in my opinion they are undoubtedly the best horsemen and have passed this skill around the world. The name is a tribute to their horsemanship and to my wife's newly acquired Spanish language skills!





It's not jumping any of these anytime soon!







Styling and appearance:

The overall styling, design and colour is something I drool over again and again and again. I had mentioned elsewhere that the 3 month wait was partly due to my wife and I being adamant on the white/blue combination. It brings out the best of the classic look IMHO. The design is ageless and that worked a lot in the Bonnie’s favour compared to the N650. Paint quality and detailing is top notch.

If it wasn't for the Innova in the background and the date on the board this could very well be taken as a period click.






The only exception to this is the hideous Front Brake Oil Reservoir that easily takes the prize for being the ugliest reservoir ever in the history of motorcycling.



It does attract a lot of attention once it is noticed. It’s not very distinguishable thanks to its very RE like front profile. But once it begins to get noticed, be prepared for a crazy number of questions. While taking pics of the Bonnie, in a span of 3 hours, I met 3 people who had either themselves owned a Triumph or their father had many decades ago. I spent more time talking about the bike than I did taking pictures.

Here’s Col. Rathore. I was clicking right outside the War Cemetry as he drove past but then stopped to ask me if it was my “Triumph”. His pronunciation of ‘Triumph’ told me he’s been affiliated with this name in the past. He stopped over and we talked. He has owned a Triumph and then an RD 350. He showed me pictures of his mint condition RD350 in the original blue colour- no modifications. I offered a ride and he gladly accepted. The smile says it all.



Delhi War Cemetery:



Another young lady got her pics clicked on the Bonnie to show to her dad who had owned the ‘650cc Triumph’- she said he would be delighted to see it. I sure was delighted to hear it. Took it to my riding club for a photo op where El Caballo charmed others with her beauty.

A fellow member all smiles after the ride. He owns one of my favorite horses in the club. An opportunity to ask for a return favour!





Riding Experience:

The engine is extremely smooth and purrs like a small tiger cub. The 68…err, 61bhp does not intimidate and the Bonnie has adequate torque not to require frequent gear changes. People like me promoting themselves from the 15-20 bhp motorcycles will find this as a very competent and useable motorcycle which is more forgiving to mistakes and yet manages to excite when you decide to twist the throttle. The sixth gear is sorely missed and I almost always find myself trying to upshift once I am past 80 kmph in 5th gear. The added tachometer (approx. Rs. 16,000) has helped as a quick glance at the speedo & tacho helps me judge the gear I am in. I would have preferred a gear indicator.

It is unlikely that El Caballo will ever see serious performance upgrades or louder exhausts. I’m usually in favour of stock vehicles with minimal changes to suit tastes. My wife and I both like the quiet purring sound of the motorcycle. There’s enough noise around in Delhi to want more of it coming from right underneath me!

The ride is on the stiffer side- this complaint coming from someone who has done 1.2 lac kms on a 2008 Scorpio. It’s not back breaking thanks to Delhi’s roads but I can only imagine what it would do in poor road conditions. The ground clearance is again an issue. With two up we rubbed the bottom on those measly yellow black plasticky speed breakers. Hopefully the added black anodized skid plate (Rs ….) will do its job well and turn out to be a worthwhile spend.

The brakes are great and inspire confidence. I can literally use the 2 fingers on the front brake and bring the motorcycle to a quick halt. There is relatively minimal nose dive when you go hard on the front brake.

The Metzelers get nothing but praise and complement the overall Bonnie performance. Bigger is not always better and the 17inch front tyre makes the motorcycle much easier to maneuver compared to the 19 inch T100 test bike I rode. I don’t think there is such a thing as turning radius in motorcycles but the Bonnie does take an awful lot of space to take a u-turn. Mabe I just need to work on my technique.

In spite of its diminutive appearance the Bonnie weighs a good 220+ kgs. The weight is felt only when it’s stationary. For anyone over 5’8 the feet can be firmly planted on the ground which makes it eaiser to handle while parking or maneuvering. Once moving El Caballo moves like a ballet dancer and takes the curves (which in Delhi are limited to the flyover exits) with finesse. I find exiting these corners while accelerating to be the most exhilarating on the Bonnie; the result is a great combination of balance and power for a rider with my level of basic competence.

The fuel tank at 16 litres is sufficient on paper. In reality you will want to ride so much that you wished you had 20. A lockable fuel cap has been added at approx. Rs. 3200 to ..well..err.. protect the fuel cap!



Triumph doesn’t seem to have cut corners and costs by compromising on quality. They have mostly done it by removing things altogether. A tachometer, a fuel gauge, ABS, single key operation are only some of the things that are missing in the standard motorcycle.

The Bonnie does not come with any tool kit supposedly due to its legendary reliability but Triumph insists on a one year road side assistance at Rs. 1686!!?

Basically if it breaks, it’ll break big.

The Irritants:

• The stupid headlight that always remains on- even when you kill the engine!
• No storage space under the seat
• Strange seat removing process
• Multiple keys – 3 on mine and will be 4 when I add a disc lock.
• The worst brake oil reservoir ever
• Clutch safety switch- and its weirdly twisted wire.
• An engine oil level indicator but no standard center stand.

A weirdly twisted wire that I think is from the clutch safety. Seems like sooner or later it will give way. Can someone else confirm if this is the case with all Bonnies?



Trivia: It has a side stand safety switch that shuts of the engine the moment you put the motorcycle in gear while the side stand is still engaged.

Financials (rounded off):

Ex Showroom: 5.85 lacs
Tax @ 8%: Rs.47,000
Insurance ICICI Lombard (Zero Dep): Rs. 16,000
Loan through: IDBI @ 10.6% (zero processing fee); did not arrange this through the dealership.
Triumph Accessories: approx. Rs. 36,000
External Purchases: Random and many!

Insurance can be availed through Bajaj Alliance at approx. 10,500. The zero dep additional charge in the ICICI policy is about Rs. 3300. I had wanted to get the insurance done myself but would have had to visit a BA branch which I could not. Do explore the option of IDBI and BA if you have time.

Triumph accessories added till date (rounded of prices):

1Tachometer Rs. 16,500
2.Skid Plate : Rs 4500 (?)
3.Knee Pads: Rs. 3000
4.Lockable fuel cap: Rs. 3200 (3800?)
5.Powerlet Socket: Rs 1500
6.Chrome Luggage Rack: Rs. 8k (Pending delivery)

There are a few trips that my wife and I have planned this year- Rajasthan to begin with and Ladakh later in the year. Will keep this thread updated as our motorcycling ride continues.

Ride Safe.

Cheers,
Sting.

[//M]

Wow Sir, what a looker she is !!

Congratulations for your British parallel-twin. How badly I am waiting for my finances to come into place before I opt for a Bonny.

The timeless design is exquisite, and the pictures have come out brilliant as well.

Wishing you many happy miles with your El Caballo.

PS: I am a big fan of horses too, having had four of them in the family in the past. How I wish I can rekindle that passion and buy one for myself. However, the amount of commitment required for such a passion is high and with my transferable job, I will find it difficult to dedicate the required amount of time as of now. But someday, surely !

“If on earth there’s paradise, on horses back it lies”.

[Sting]

The Background:

My first memories of being around automobiles were either in a two tone painted Premier Padmini or a golden Priya scooter- both belonging to my dad, who’s also the person from whom I have inherited the love for automobiles. The Delhi air was quite forgiving then and the Priya was a favourite ride.

As time went by the Priya was replaced by an IND-Suzuki (that is still parked in our village!) and the legendary RX-100 got added to the family when my brother went to college. I was more persistent a few years later and was bought a Kaiser jeep. When I started working the First Gen DTSI Pulsar 150 joined the stables too. I also frequently rode (and kicked and pushed!) the RE Machismo and Electras and was always very fond of them.

Getting back to motorcycles:

My then girlfriend (now wife) is also a motorcycling enthusiast and we had some great rides together on our Pulsar. She’s yet to learn how to ride a motorcycle and one of the conditions of buying a motorcycle was that I will teach her how to. The Pulsar had aged significantly and our riding together post our marriage had become non-existent. I can’t recall when this interest re-ignited but once it did there was no convincing us otherwise. One short discussion with the wife and we both agreed we needed a new motorcycle. I had a few already in my mind:

1.The Kawasaki Ninja 650 (my heart’s first choice)
2.RE Thunderbird (my wife’s first choice)
3. RE Classic 500 (my mind and heart’s agreed choice)

A few got added later on after some research:

1.Duke 390
2.Bonneville A3, T100
3.Harley Iron 883 (wasn’t really keen on it but decided to test it nonetheless)
4.Harley Superlow

Prices of these options vary quite significantly. The mind defined a condition that if I did not finalise a sub 2 lac motorcycle I would put another 40,000 kms (nearly 2 years) on my Mahindra Scorpio. The heart agreed reluctantly. The Scorpio has already done 1.20 lac kms and is aging gracefully, but aging nonetheless.

A few conditions we laid down on deciding the motorcycle:

• The pillon ride/seat had to be comfortable
• The motorcycle should be able to do the Delhi-Leh-Delhi journey.

THE TEST RIDES:

Kawasaki Ninja: The Ninja was ruled out primarily because there were no test rides available. We couldn’t spend nearly 6 lacs on a motorcycle we could not test ride. I didn’t know anyone who owned one. What finally ruled it out was our conviction that the Bonneville is what we wanted.

RE Thunderbird 500: This was the first bike we test rode and were VERY pleasantly surprised.

What we really liked: One of the best seating positions for the rider and pillion, low speed riding comfort, Fuel tank capacity, endless supply of affordable aftermarket accessories and ‘relatively’ affordable.

What we did not: Poor build quality and reliability record of REs
Vibrations at anything over 80-90km hr.

We decided to put the TB 500 on hold primarily for the lack of reliability. If a bike had to be used for touring, it had to be reliable.

RE Classic 500: The dealership only had a single seater Desert Storm so my wife could not ride pillion. The rear brake was nonexistent. I was quite disappointed with the ergonomics which I had expected to be closer to the Electra. I have found the Electra extremely comfortable but the Classic just did not talk to me. The heart took offence and we dropped it from our list never to have it resurface again.

Duke 390: This was a love and hate story. Even before my wife sat on it she was thoroughly unimpressed with the pillion seat. We decided to try it nonetheless. Started off from the dealership and got into the traffic.
My first reaction: Umm.. Not impressed.
Then came an open stretch of road and I twisted the throttle. Woah! Impressed, very impressed.
Then came another stretch of crawling traffic and the Duke decided to grill my legs. My wife too started complaining of the heat from the engine. The attention to the heat kept us off from complaining about the constantly banging helmets. After a long ride around India Gate, Golf Course Road et al we returned to the dealership with mixed impressions.
My overall impression of the bike is that it is a very competent offering by Bajaj. It just does not suit the needs we have today. If I have to keep a motorcycle for riding solo and I’m on a budget this is one worthy motorcycle I would consider. And it comes at an unbeatable price.

Harley Iron 883: Not much to speak about. The test ride I was offered was overly ‘monitored’ and I had already test ridden the Bonneville before this so the comparison was natural. I did not find it as good a handler as the Bonnie so ruled this out. Almost everything I think has already been discussed on this forum.

Harley Superlow: Did not even test ride it- the Bonneville had put it to rest even before the SL got a chance to fight.

Bonneville T100: I've shared my opinion of the Bonneville earlier in this thread. For now, I’ll only mention why I chose the A3 over the T100.

There was really only one thing: Tubeless Tires! I’ve had nightmares with punctured motorcycle tires that I’ll talk about some other time. The thought of getting roadside repair shops molesting the Bonnie didn’t appeal either. Visions of how these guys rammed the RX100 exhaust to take out the axle nut reverberated through my mind.

When I had walked into the showroom I was under the impression the spoked wheel variant would cost less and was (very!) pleasantly surprised it was the other way round. My mind was so coloured with how India’s industry usually works I didn’t even check this in my research.

We were eventually left with 2 options- The RE TB500 (and a New Scorpio!) and the Bonneville A3. I don’t think I can elaborate very well how I chose the A3. It was a decision the heart took. The mind did take charge a few times and I got to the point of getting ready to go book the RE. But as fate would have I couldn’t find my PAN card! By the next day the heart had suppressed the mind and I was thoroughly confused again.

This entire dilemma lasted a whole month. My wife was surprisingly cool about this whole debate. Every time I asked her what we should finalise her answer was as simple as “We both know what we’re going to get.” When I look back now I realise I probably never was in a dilemma. I may have already made up my mind and was only eliminating reasons for not being able to buy a Bonneville. My wife had seen right through me – she always does!

Finally booked the Bonneville in Sept’14.

Originally Posted by //M

.... But someday, surely !

“If on earth there’s paradise, on horses back it lies”.

Amen to that! I am glad you liked the pictures. Hope you get to ride your dream soon too.

[dchahal]

Congrats for Bonnie brother. Being a die hard biker myself I can get an idea about the love a biker have towards his steed. Unfortunately instead of upgrading from my lovely R15 V2 SE, I upgraded my car from Chevy Spark to Chevy Beat Diesel. I was thinking of going for Kawasaki ER6N but took a calculative decision. My wife is also in favour of reaching towards my dreams practically :what: But one thing is sure, it will be an even bigger upgrade, maybe Z800

Just posting a pic of having some good time on BIC this year.

Congrats again for lovely and timeless Triumph.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Sting

This entire dilemma lasted a whole month. My wife was surprisingly cool about this whole debate. Every time I asked her what we should finalise her answer was as simple as “We both know what we’re going to get.” When I look back now I realise I probably never was in a dilemma. I may have already made up my mind and was only eliminating reasons for not being able to buy a Bonneville. My wife had seen right through me – she always does!

Finally booked the Bonneville in Sept’14.

Thanks sirjee for the fascinating story - truly straight from the heart. Your love for all things auto shines right through.

Having said that, your thread also has a nice personal touch - your love and respect for your father and your wife shines through so genuinely and nicely. Kudos for that.

Lastly, just curious - why did you name it El Caballo and not El Caballo Blanco?

[Tushar]

Congratulations on your new ride Sting!! The Bonneville is a beautiful machine and the best performance bike to upgrade to for people "promoting themselves from the 15-20 bhp motorcycles" like you said. I had one for 2 days in Mumbai and I still dream of getting her back.

I ride a Thunderbird 350 and after just 2 mins with the Bonneville, I was accustomed to the bike like I've had a ride millions of times before. Accessible and above all else, controllable performance. Only bike I can imagine riding in daily city traffic even with that head strong weight distribution. (Parallel twin does singe your legs in bumper to bumper traffic though)

Originally Posted by Sting

It’s not back breaking thanks to Delhi’s roads but I can only imagine what it would do in poor road conditions

Yes, the suspension is far too stiff for bad roads. Quite an over-sprung suspension and it was genuinely back breaking on Mumbai roads. Pot holes scared me because they turned my spine into rice crispies.

There are a few trips that my wife and I have planned this year- Rajasthan to begin with and Ladakh later in the year. Will keep this thread updated as our motorcycling ride continues.

I would recommend a few things:

1. Get a thicker and more well padded seat
2. Backrest for the pillion if you're wife will be with you for long trips
3. The handlebars from the T100. They're just so much more comfortable (At least in my experience)
4. I had the free flow exhaust. Growls like a dream at low speeds, but the reserve firing is quite annoying.

Also, avoid any metal key chains. Your headlamp bracket will look like a cat's scratch post.

Congrats again and hope to see you on the highway!

[Sebring]

That's the brake light switch. Nothing happens if it twists like that.
By the way, Congrats on your purchase.

Quote: A weirdly twisted wire that I think is from the clutch safety. Seems like sooner or later it will give way. Can someone else confirm if this is the case with all Bonnies?

[Sting]

Originally Posted by dchahal

My wife is also in favour of reaching towards my dreams practically :what: But one thing is sure, it will be an even bigger upgrade, maybe Z800

....Congrats again for lovely and timeless Triumph.

Thanks Dchahal, That's a fantastic capture from BIC.

The way I see it, in the pursuit to own vehicles you don't have to run to come first. You just have to keep running to finish the race. Finishing is winning. And God willing you shall have your Z800 soon!

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Having said that, your thread also has a nice personal touch - your love and respect for your father and your wife shines through so genuinely and nicely. Kudos for that.

Coming from Phamilyman, I will cherish that compliment

Lastly, just curious - why did you name it El Caballo and not El Caballo Blanco?

Touche! El Caballo Blanco it is henceforth.

Originally Posted by Tushar

Congratulations on your new ride Sting!! ...

I would recommend a few things:

1. Get a thicker and more well padded seat
2. Backrest for the pillion if you're wife will be with you for long trips
3. The handlebars from the T100. They're just so much more comfortable (At least in my experience)
4. I had the free flow exhaust. Growls like a dream at low speeds, but the reserve firing is quite annoying.

Also, avoid any metal key chains. Your headlamp bracket will look like a cat's scratch post.

Congrats again and hope to see you on the highway!

Very valid suggestions Tushar, ones that I have contemplated myeself. Except that I did not know the T100 handlebars are available aftermarket to be put on the A3. The overall switch and instrument quality of the T100 is far superior including the infamous fuel reservoir! I've got a rubber key chain but the dangling keys will undoubtedly scratch the bracket sooner or later. I test rode the T100 that had the freeflows. As you rightly said they sound good and they don't!

Hope to see you on a highway soon too!

Originally Posted by Sebring

That's the brake light switch. Nothing happens if it twists like that.
By the way, Congrats on your purchase.

Thanks Sebring. It's coming out of the clutch so my guess was for the clutch safety.

[djay99]

Awesome review sting. Enjoyed reading it and many congratulations on getting Bonnie. She looks gorgeous in white-blue colour combo.
Ride safe and cheers!

[bigron]

Congratulations. A great write up.
I have always maintained that this is one of the finest looking retro motorcycles in the world. Combined with a very usable engine , sweet handling and decent ergonomics one gets a very rewarding ride every time its taken out for a spin. Enjoy your time with this very accomplished product.

[mobike008]

Sting. Congratulations and wonderful write up. I really liked your comparison of the Bonnie with your love for stallions

Blue and white is my second favorite color on the Bonnie after Black. If I think more, probably it could be my first choice as well

Wish I could have seen your bike in person (though iam in your town from more than a week but heading back home today)

As an ex-Bonnie owner ( find it very strange to say this), I'd like to say that you made a good decision of getting this versatile, highly reliable and all-rounder motorcycle and iam sure you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Keep updating the thread regularly and look forward to reading it as you enjoy your ride on my most favorite motorcycle

P.S: Headlights of all 600cc and above bikes have to be mandatorily on at all times. But, i didnt get the point where you mentioned its on even after killing the engine?

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by Sting

The only exception to this is the hideous Front Brake Oil Reservoir that easily takes the prize for being the ugliest reservoir ever in the history of motorcycling.

Attachment 1322585

Hi Sting,

A nice thread and congratulations once again. Beautifully written and I am sure you will keep it updated.

I am not as experienced as you are on ridding the 4 legged verity, but from my limited experience I have noticed that (or may be I am imagining) a kind of rapport that develops between a horse and you if you ride it often enough. I feel Bonnie does that with you as well over the time .

Regarding the ugliest part - you can change that to a T100 one its a 20 minutes job (luckily mine is the T100 type).

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[djpeesh]

Welcome to the club Sting! Wish you miles and miles of riding bliss. Had I to make a decision today, I'd probably choose the White/Blue over the Black, but then again, I love my Bonnie!

Now, for some unsolicited advise: LOCK UP YOUR WALLET. While Triumphs' don't have the crazy Harley tax, the sheer amount of customization that you can do tempts you to waste endless hours on the what-ifs and then placing orders and then cancelling them! Just speaking from experience.

On the twisted wire, its normal.

Another thing, which I learnt the hard way about last week, is don't depend on the low fuel light. Watch your odo and top up the fuel when you reach 170 kms. Along with me, 3 other Bonnies I know of have seen their fuel sensors go kaput.

The Bonnie owners in India should ride together soon.

[the VTEC guy]

Congratulations on this stunning acquisition. The color combination looks classic. Very nice write up and photos!
Good to see you carried on with your purchase in spite the Triumph power rating fiasco.

[naveenroy]

Congratulations! A looker. Happy to see the smiles on the older folk esp your dad. I guess they would all love to own this bike too!