Hi ya from sunny South Jersey. I'm new to the vertical twins. I rode HD most of my life, then in 2001 I bought a Victory and never looked back. I swore off HD. I owned several Vics. Awesome bikes. In Oct. 2019 a guy offered me more money than my Vic was worth, so I sold it. I contemplated buying another. Although they were becoming legendary for their reliability, one never knows. It's not like there are junkyards full of them. The aftermarket was growing before Polaris pulled the plug, but not tremendous. I worried about parts availability. I was pissed at Polaris after throwing Victory under the bus, so the Indians were out. I always liked the Triumphs, so I looked them over and bought a leftover 2018 Bonnie Speedmaster in November 2020. I'm still getting to know her. I'm an all weather rider, but it's been downright crappy here, so I haven't gotten a lot of wheel time in yet, but so far, I'm liking this bike. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can about these machines from you folks.
Hi, welcome from the North West Coast. I too, am a new Triumph owner. I'm hoping that these latest models will live up to everything expected - so far, so good (..apart from the dealerships!)
Fork Lock Welcome to the family. Great intro. However do hit the upload a file button bottom right corner and show the beastie of to the inmates here in the asylum. They do like pictures. And a great choice of steed so well balanced. Joe.
Thanks for the welcome all. I haven't done any performance mods yet, just cosmetic stuff. I got rid of the space antenna mirrors, pinstriped the tank and I had to put the iconic tank pads on (so veddy British, you know). Added throw over bags and I'm good to go for now. In the future, maybe highway bars and some pipes. Not much more. Might do a windscreen. My long hauling days are over (Daytona, Myrtle beach, Laconia - never got to Sturgis). I'll put up a pic.
This is what I got off of in October 2019. 2004 Vic Touring Cruiser. Hell for stout bike. 25k on the clock and never a single issue till then, just regular maintenance stuff. The rear wheel bearing went and I had a buddy replacing it when a friend of his offered to buy it for far more than it was worth. The Bonnie is a whole different animal, so light and nimble! I think we're gonna have fun.
Welcome to the forum, Fork Lock. Loved reading your intro talk about Victory. Congratulations on that beautiful Speedmaster. Spent a winter at Fort Dix as the on-site USAF commander shepherding Air Force members through Army combat skills training...and to say it was challenging is kind. ...And then there were the seven nor'easters that blew through that year. Might not have the most accurate impression of NJ but I do remember it was the land of diners and donut shops! Ride safe.
Diners rule! I was a police officer for 26 years. Did some training at Ft. Dix. It's about 30 miles from El Rancho Fork Lock. South Jersey is flat! Nothing to protect us from the nor'easters. Thank you for your service.