Triumph Bonneville Reviews from United States of America - Page 3 of 3

Moderate restoration needed.

Carbs needed to be replaced (not cheap!).

Chain tensioners have needed to be replaced 3 times.

2 dead batteries.

Clutch cable broke, pulling off from a stop sign.

Front brake system easily gets in air and dirt, and is a pain to fill.

This was my first bike. Great performance and didn't disappoint the faithful.

This bike got all kinds of looks and comments when out at restaurants, shows, or gas stations... mostly from the old guys who remember racing their close Tiger cousins.

Seat got uncomfortable after an hour or two, electrics were a nightmare, painful to clean, frustrating to maintain, and had some infuriating quirks. And yet...

This all is what made it a masterpiece...

Granted, it wasn't all sugar plums and daises owning this old Triumph, but it was sublime to ride when it was working properly, and it was its quirks that made me love it. I might not spring for one in the future, but this bike made my first riding experiences full of memories, both good and bad. A beautiful specimen of British conception and execution.

Nothing, unless you count the front tire (true spoke rims) losing air on the ride home, LOL.

Could use a center stand at the expense of cluttering up the clean looks a bit.

My brother Steve and I had been after one of the new Triumph Bonnie Thuxtons for some time before finding this low mile, U.K. made example in the Portland area.

The classic look, slim waistline, and indescribable sound make me wonder why there aren't many, many more on the road.

The low rise bars can put a little strain on your wrists or back if you were to spend too much time around town. But around town isn't what this bike is about. This slender beauty is meant for back roads. You will want curves just tight enough to be fun, but not so tight as to slow you down and keep you shifting below fourth very often. A little wind over the bars will help take some of the weight off your wrists and back.

In the used market it makes no sense (to me) to settle for less than the T-100 Bonnie. The larger motor, full instrumentation, and two tone paint won't command much more than the cost of a sandwich over the standard model when shopping used.

And if gravity hasn't just yet won its endless war on your posture, the Thruxton, with its lower bars, is even better. The upswept pipes and checkered flag stripe treatment on the tank make this one of those rare bikes that you could put in your living room and just stare at. Your wife would even understand. Okay that's probably not true, but in this age of absurd gas prices, the 40 plus MPG returned by the Bonneville make it an easy sell to the Mrs.

For you and I though, it's something entirely different. It's the intangible. The thing that can't be defined. When you have just returned from a ride down your favorite road and you can't recall the little things that have been eating at you the past week, you'll understand.

Nothing.

Great ergos & handling.

Controls, clutch are light & easy.

Smooth power in any gear.

Feels solid & well built.

Gets attention wherever we go.

45+ mpg without babying it.

There was a bit of trouble keeping the primary chain (from the motor sprocket to the transmission) adjusted.

Was very nice. We shaved the flywheels, lightened the valve train, changed the cams, lowered the sprocket one tooth, raised the compression ratio to 9.5 to 1, and held on.

Pretty good for a 40 c.i. push-rod twin.

It was extremely fast. Did the 1/4 in 10.5 seconds at 135 mph, but not with me on it.