@Woodtickgreg Congratulations on FINALLY getting your new beautiful Bonnie home, Greg. Now I’ll keep fingers crossed that you get some weather good enough to get out for a proper inaugural ride.
Well it got up in the 50s today and no rain so I finally got to take the new bike out for a ride. But first I had to mount a new cell phone holder. I have used this holder on other bikes and it holds very securely, lamicall brand, got it on amazon. USB ports are on the right side of the bar. Then I put on my new boots, new helmet, new gloves, grabbed my first gear kilimanjaro jacket and got ready for the ride. 6 miles on the clock. I stopped by the lake for some pics. I did a 100 miles today so that was a good start on the break in, kept her between 2500 and 3500 rpm. I gotta say I absolutely love this bike. It's everything I wanted in a bike, triumph got this one right. It handles great, it's lightweight, and has a tourqey motor down low in the Rev range that makes it very enjoyable to ride. If you crack the throttle you better be hanging on, it will go if you need it to. Or it will chug along like a freight train if that's what you want. Shifts butter smooth, one of the best shifting bikes I have ridden. Nice light clutch pull too, easy on the hand. Just a really enjoyable bike to ride. I'm so happy with it, no regrets. I will add some more accessories and make it mine. Maybe some handlebar risers too. Two thumbs up! This bike is exactly what I wanted. Retro style but with a modern engine and just enough electronics. Back to the basics of what motorcycling should be. Looking forward to finishing the break in and doing some longer rides.
Yeah at some Pointe I will change the tires. I'll run with the stock tires for awhile until the avons become available again. Still none to be found in the US.
So glad to read that you finally got out for a ride on that new Bonnie you've been waiting for for months! Hopefully the weather will hold and you can get out more, finish off that break in, and do some traveling on that beautiful bike.
Thank you, yeah the weather should be breaking here soon. I have a dgr ride planned the end of May and a little solo get away for 4 days the end of June. Just me and the Bonnie. I need to get some panniers.
Well I've been giving this some thought. I was going to go with a larger bag but the reality of it is I would rarely need the extra capacity and they would probably interfere with the passenger pegs. So I think I'll go with the burley bags, I like the look too, they would be better suited for an everyday bag. If I go on a trip I'll add another duffle on top across the seat or something like that. Pluss the price on the burley is better than what I'm seeing elsewhere. At some point I could always go with the bigger bags and have them as a second set for trips, but how often would I really use them?
Have fun, deciding, Greg! After you do a trip or two you’ll know whether your original set up works for you. Hopefully it will, if not, you can go to Plan B. It’s hard to anticipate what you might really want or need until you actually step out and put the pedal to the metal.
Beautiful bike and a beautiful view. That ride must have put a big smile on your face and in your heart. The modern Bonnies are great bikes to ride. A day and a ride like that can only fill you with anticipation of more great rides in the year ahead. Enjoy the rides.
Such a lovely bike. Funny you should say what you did regarding the gearbox; I took one out for a day last week whilst my Harley was being serviced, and when I returned it I also said that it was the smoothest gearbox I'd ever encountered. How did you find the seat (and is that the comfort seat on yours)?
I got a little squirmy in the seat at the end of the ride. It's the factory stock seat. My butt may just be out of riding shape, lol. I might upgrade the seat at some point to a factory comfort seat, but boy are they pricey. On the other hand a good seat is very important to long range comfort. I may have to upgrade it before my June 4 day ride trip. Oh well, it's only money, lol.
Just took a look, triumph comfort seat is $350, not horrible. Corbins are much more, Russell day seats are excellent but would look hideous on a Bonneville.
@Woodtickgreg As one who has put an aftermarket seat on nearly all my bikes, Greg, I recommend that you take a bit of time and do your research in choosing a seat. I just did a quick Google search for Triumph Bonneville seats and got a ton of hits. You might also want to start a new thread here asking members for their thoughts and opinions on a comfortable yet good looking Bonnie seat. Good luck! A good seat is a thing of beauty....to both the eyes and the booty!
Well I ended up going with the burley throw over bags. I found them at a great price of $329 us and free delivery. I'll wax them again before I install them and then I'll get a picture of them on the bike. After much research and thought about the size of the bags and the look I went with the burley for everyday use to cary gloves and other essentials. If I go on a trip I have a Nelson Riggs top bag I can mount on the rear of the seat, plus I have a top box for the rear rack so I'm good as far as extra capacity. I think the bike will look much better with the smaller burley bags. And they are very well made. For everyday use I want to preserve the classic look and I think waxed canvas does that very well. Plus the smaller bag will leave room for my Betty and not crowd the foot pegs.
I can recommend the additional Comfort seat of Thriumph. I am using it since my first ride on my Bonnie. My wife prefers the original seat on her Bonnie.
I went for the heated grips, dresser bars, radiator cover, centre stand and Givi back rack. I have just ordered the Predator pro exhaust pipes.
Spike1956 Let us know how you like the Predator Pro pipes! I am considering them but am afraid they will be too loud, or cause the bike to run poorly, or need a tune.
