Already driven: Triumph Bonneville

Posted on by admin

Menus

Already driven: Triumph Bonneville

Hello again

Triumph goes back to its roots and brings a legendary name back to life. Welcome back, Bonneville.

You did it, the English ?? Finally. Even if traditionalists go against the grain, Triumph is going “back to the roots”: A parallel twin is to be available at dealerships as early as November 2000. His name: Bonneville, that goes without saying. A newly designed, 790 cubic centimeter two-cylinder with a modern eight-valve cylinder head, two overhead camshafts and two balance shafts, because Triumph does not want to expose customers to the bloodcurdling vibrations of the “original Bonnie”.
Whereby the English thought very well of their ancestors when developing the new “old”. It was especially for this purpose that they imported a perfectly restored 1969 Bonnie, the legendary T120, from the USA. A very welcome demonstration object for the mostly young technicians on the development team.
Why is the Bonneville only now, when Triumph has been building motorcycles again for seven years? “If we had brought the Bonneville onto the market immediately after the Triumph brand was resurrected, everyone would have believed that we were a company that could only copy old models,” explains Ross Clifford, the responsible Triumph product manager. In addition, it was initially more important to the company to bring the production in Hinckley up to date, to establish the four-cylinder and, above all, the three-cylinder models, and to install a global dealer network.
Now, however, since Triumph has become a permanent fixture on the two-wheeler market to be taken seriously, the English proudly present their Bonneville, which they especially want to inspire newcomers to and return to. The Bonnie’s classic exterior suggests that it is primarily intended to address the “over 40s” generation, people who not only know the legendary two-cylinder from the history books, but also experienced it in person in the sixties.
But despite all stylistic reminiscences, one important detail is missing: the Kickstarter. Grist to the mill of the traditionalists. An e-starter has to be enough, the motorcycle builders from Hinckley are pragmatic. The fact that the new model dispenses with drum brakes and instead relies on a discreet disc brake with double-piston caliper can definitely be seen as a safety-relevant plus. Just like the Bridgestone BT 45, which is fitted as original equipment and is currently one of the best cross-ply tires in its class on the market.
Will all of this be enough to achieve the developers’ ambitious goal? After all, it is important to put the successful competitor Kawasaki W 650 in its place. Triumph promises a lively 60 horsepower for its retro bike and a harmonious torque curve with plenty of power in the medium speed range. Together with a sufficiently comfortable, but also stable chassis, that would be great prerequisites for a lot of driving fun on winding country roads.
D.he first kilometers with a Bonneville from the pre-series were promising. The extremely comfortable seating position, the good brakes and the pleasant power delivery of the twin are particularly impressive. And, especially pleased, the sound of the Bonnie. The Triumph technicians have obviously saved it into the new millennium, despite strict noise standards, while the vibrations can only be felt very slightly in the handlebar ends and footrests. Just enough that you realize you’re sitting on the Bonnie. News that makes you happy and makes you curious about the first detailed driving report of the Bonneville, coming soon in MOTORRAD.

Data Bonneville

Engine: Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke engine, 790 cm³, bore x stroke 86 x 68 mm, four valves, constant pressure carburetor x 36 mm, throttle valve sensor, 44 kW (60 PS), U-Kat, SLS. Chassis: double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, x 41 mm, two-arm swing arm made of steel, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, front disc brake, double-piston caliper, rear disc brake, single-piston caliper, spoked wheels 2.50 x 19, 3.50 x 18, tires 100/90 R 19, 130 / 80 R 18, wheelbase 1493 mm, steering head angle 66.5 X, caster 117 mm. Price: 14460 marks (including additional costs).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *