New Bonnevilles

[Gary]

After having owned both new and old Bonnies for a total of about 20 years combined, I am disappointed in the new Bonnies.

Likes: Twin front brake discs
Fuel Injection

Dislikes: More displacement
More weight
Wire spoke wheels

Undecided: Liquid cooling

The Bonnie's fame originated with its light weight handling and performance. The brakes were weak and carbs can be a hassle, so upgrades were needed. Also anyone who has ever changed a tire on a wire spoke wheel can attest that forged or cast tubeless wheels are superior (and usually weigh less!).

Displacement creep disturbs me - 650cc original, then 750cc, then 790cc, then 900cc and now 1,200cc. Its practically a variation in the Rocket model now.

Everyone maintains that to create more HP, you will generate more heat and sooner or later to get more HP you need to go to liquid cooling. It seems to me that going to 1200cc and liquid cooling with fuel injection, the new Bonnie should have HP numbers well in to the 100+ category, but it doesn't. Maybe they are inviting people to modify their bikes for more HP? Personally, I would have liked them to go back down in displacement (and less weight) when they added liquid cooling and tuned the bikes to around 80 HP. The Ducati Scrambler is very tough new competition with its retro look, more HP and less weight.

I still have my 2003 Bonnie that's an air cooled 790cc with carbs (but heavily modified intake and exhaust) and I am 100% certain I can out accelerate and out top end any new stock 1200cc Bonneville. If I want to ride something with big displacement that's heavy and slow, I'll ride my HD. But then.... maybe Triumph is aiming at HD clone riders (99% of HD owners won't switch)?

 

[Qship]

I believe the liquid cooling was mainly to help meet stricter emissions which is already in place in Europe and coming down the pipe in North America and many other places.
Even HD has adopted a light form of liquid cooling(heads only) on it's big bikes where they can hide the rads in the fairing lowers.
Evolve to survive in this day and age.

 

[JoeCool]

Wow. Those are the specs for the new Bonnie? 1200cc?

Now I am even happier that I just bought a leftover 2014 model. I think 865cc is reasonable, though probably bigger than it needs to be for the power it makes. And mine has mag wheels, which I vastly prefer.

So thanks for making me feel even better, especially for the great price that I paid

 

[Hailwood6]

Trust me.
Bought a 2017 T120 in November.
Ride one.
Then comment.

 

[Rocky]

To each his own of course, but I think I could get along with a new T120 very nicely in spite of its "faults"

 

[mrmvolz]

I know here in Atlanta with all the craptastic terrible traffic etc. I appreciate the liquid cooling!

 

[harper6t]

I love the wire wheels, they give a bike the traditional look which is what Triumph were trying for.
I could handle the seeming lack of outright power as they are looking for usable power and large gobs or torque at low revs and not absolute power at the expense of revs and torque. There is no point in having a bike capable of 300KPH at a gazillion revs per minute when its a pig to ride at the speed limit we have of 110KPH.
Liquid cooling, nether here nor there for me, its the way they all have to go in order to stay within the noise limits, its been quite tastefully handled on the Triumphs.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Gary hasn't been seen since March 10th last year. It's all about Euro 4 and the need for all manufactures to comply if they want to sell their goods withing the EU.
Personally I love the new T100 and T120, I'd happily have either one of them. I like the Thruxtons too, but the riding position puts me off ever buying one, and no other reason than that.

 

[triumph david]

If i could afford a new T120 i would buy one too.

 

[JudgeMark]

If i could afford a new T120 i would buy one too.

After having owned both new and old Bonnies for a total of about 20 years combined, I am disappointed in the new Bonnies.

Likes: Twin front brake discs
Fuel Injection

Dislikes: More displacement
More weight
Wire spoke wheels

Undecided: Liquid cooling

The Bonnie's fame originated with its light weight handling and performance. The brakes were weak and carbs can be a hassle, so upgrades were needed. Also anyone who has ever changed a tire on a wire spoke wheel can attest that forged or cast tubeless wheels are superior (and usually weigh less!).

Displacement creep disturbs me - 650cc original, then 750cc, then 790cc, then 900cc and now 1,200cc. Its practically a variation in the Rocket model now.

Everyone maintains that to create more HP, you will generate more heat and sooner or later to get more HP you need to go to liquid cooling. It seems to me that going to 1200cc and liquid cooling with fuel injection, the new Bonnie should have HP numbers well in to the 100+ category, but it doesn't. Maybe they are inviting people to modify their bikes for more HP? Personally, I would have liked them to go back down in displacement (and less weight) when they added liquid cooling and tuned the bikes to around 80 HP. The Ducati Scrambler is very tough new competition with its retro look, more HP and less weight.

I still have my 2003 Bonnie that's an air cooled 790cc with carbs (but heavily modified intake and exhaust) and I am 100% certain I can out accelerate and out top end any new stock 1200cc Bonneville. If I want to ride something with big displacement that's heavy and slow, I'll ride my HD. But then.... maybe Triumph is aiming at HD clone riders (99% of HD owners won't switch)?

Everyone has their own likes. I have a '17 black T120 and love everything about it, especially the wire wheels. The bike is nimble and accelerates great. The electronics are useful and the hand warming grips are much appreciated when the air is in the low 50's.

 

[jk_t120b]

Love the new engine. Appreciate the liquid cooling. Not too heavy for me. Not a fan of the spokes but looks are what they are, so...

just my $.02

 

[triumph david]

I know i am old school, but i like spokes better.

 

[Gary]

Everyone likes the looks of wire wheels, but their appeal quickly diminishes whenever you have to fix a flat or change tires - can you say "pinched tube"? I always buy two new tubes whenever I have to fix a flat on a bike with wire spokes, as I often pinch a hole in a new tube, and have to redo the repair.

Just a week ago I was riding with a group when a rider with a bike with wire spokes discovered after lunch he had a nail in his rear tire and his tire was half flat (we were about 50 miles from home, a good one hour ride). I had a 12 volt pump and a plug kit for a tubeless tire that wouldn't work with his tube type tire. Luckily, I had a smart phone and Google found a bike shop only 6 blocks away. We used my pump to reinflate the tire as much as possible, then babied it the 6 blocks to the bike shop. Two hours and $65 later the flat was fixed. If it had been a tubeless tire, the fix could have been done in 5 minutes at no cost with the repair kit I had in my saddlebag.

I wish my T100 had some lightweight cast aluminum wheels.

Lastly, Its very hard to test ride a Triumph when there isn't a Triumph dealer in my state. I would have to ride by at least 3 Harley dealers to get to a dealer that has a new Triumph. Its about the same with cars in most of the USA; you will probably pass by 4 to 6 Chevy and Ford dealers to get to any non-USA brand car dealer. The value of a warranty goes waaaay down when the nearest dealer requires a two day round trip and $50 or more just for gasoline.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

I must admit that's the only thing that's always in the back of my mind when I go out on my Thunderbird. But I wouldn't let it stop me going on a long trip.
That's one reason why I bought a V Strom with full luggage carrying capacity, last year for touring, and the safety offered by tubeless tyres, and as you said Gary the ability to fix them at the side of the road, that and I couldn't afford a Tiger 800