Well Nige, anything useful to you here amongst several helpful responses to your request for advice/tips? Curly
Welcome Nige. I ride a 2010 SE, with the 17" alloys which definitely improves handling on the twisties compared to the T100 I tried. However the stock seat on the SE, and so the basic Bonnie, meant agony after only a few miles (arthritis didn't help) so I put on the solo gel, which is fabulous, and also adds a tad more leg room. I have Norman Hide low handlebars which gives a look and riding position I much prefer, and a few other tricked out bits 'n pieces. I had the performance improvements to airbox, mapping etc done too, which are well worth it imo. If you want an all rounder with enough grunt to make progress, and aren't too fussed about track days, then the 865 Bonnie is a cracking good grin-maker. The only real negative is the tank size. You're in twitchy-bum-anxious-time mode thinking about the next fuel stop after only 100-odd miles. I'm picking up one of the 2016 Street Twins on Saturday. Haven't even ridden one yet, only sat on one parked outside Pure Triumph, so not too sure about it's low seat on the roas- but I couldn't resist the price the guy wants for it. I'll post a review early next week.
Gotta say a huge and grateful thanks to everyone who posted, it's been a while coming but finally next week I'm gonna make a choice and buy either a speedmaster or America, cheers everyone pictures to follow
Looking at your name suggests that you're not far from me, I have a 2011 america so if you need anything just give me a shout... Andy
If you like polishing get the America If you're looking for of a bobber old school look (badass) get the speedmaster like me Underneath it's basically the same bike Speedmaster! Speedmaster! Speedmaster! Speedmaster! Speedmaster! Upto you mate (speedmaster!)
Get the America ! They don't take to much to keep clean and shiny ! The chrome is really good quality ! Well in 2009 it was . Cheers capt.
Don't sell yourself short (no pun intended) - you boast about B*W's all the time on a Triumph Forum - you can take it!
Absolutely Curly , really appreciate all the tips and advice from people here. It's helped me decide on which model after months of deliberating , and saving lol, all things being well I'll be riding a triumph bonneville next week after 30 years of yearning ! Thanks everyone
Guten abend Wing lad wie gehts? Wo aus Deutschland wòhnen sie ? Bitter endschulingen meine deutsch is niche zu gut, danke fur deine wilkommen
Got another question to throw out there.....what would you say is the life expectancy of an 865 Bonneville engine ? OK I know there are a thousand factors, servicing, new parts, how it's ridden, how it's maintained, etc. Let's just say all things being done as and when required to a good standard and ridden conscientiously, how many miles do you think the engine will stay 'tight' for ? I'm asking because I've found another to be taken into consideration but it has a lot more miles on it. I'm not going to be doing huge mileages each year or great distances and can afford a genuine Triumph service annually so once bought it will be meticulously maintained for the duration of my ownership. Do you think that if once bought, I got a major service and updated ecu tune that it will matter less, that it is high mileage (35k), to start with ? The bike looks as though it has been cared for although only showing two dealership services, (waiting to find out if previous owner did some themselves), I ve read that the 20k service is supposed to be virtually a major overhaul ? It's ten years old so that's only 3.5k a year which isn't a lot, is it ? Appreciate any feed back thanks
Hallo Nige! Dein Deutsch ist grossartig! Ich wohne in der Nähe von Frankfurt/Main im Bundesland Hessen. That's where they produce (AND DRINK) the world renowned Äppelwoi (that would be a cidre in English!?)... (here you see the typical Hessian afternoon snack... ) Prost!
... and sorry, can not help you with this, but I am sure there are quite a few experienced technicians out and about on this site! My Trumpets always have been fairly new... And my Yamaha 1300 is supposed to run 100.000 Klicks easily. Man would I be proud to achieve that... Cheers!
