Triumph Bonneville Bobber test: the butter and the money of the beau-bber !
Beautiful, chic and charismatic, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber daringly dust off a genre captured by Harley-Davidson. But the Englishwoman goes far beyond the exercise of style: her dynamic behavior is also in unison with her inspired line.. Well done! First try.
Page 1 – Static: The Bonnie gets fucked in the Bobber style
With its new, Triumph becomes the first European manufacturer to come to tease Harley-Davidson on this niche appeared in the 1930s. The objective at the time was to lighten a motorcycle by stripping it to improve its performance. Bobbers based on Triumph were common then, then the genre deviated to become one of the flagship categories of the custom family, as well as the chopper genre..
And who says "custom" says "Harley-Davidson", now the main promoter of the bobber movement with its versions of Sportster like the, 15th best seller on the. With its rich historical heritage, Triumph is tackling this success head-on with a similar recipe: transforming one of its references, in this case the .
But of the classic "Bonnie", the original Bobber Triumph retains only the essentials: the liquid-cooled 1196 cc twin, the front part of the tubular steel frame and most of the peripherals (one of the two front brake discs). , the commodos, ride-by-wire injection, anti-skating and two maps). Everything else is unique, like the triangular rear frame on which sits a magnificent single-seater saddle, whose height and setback are also adjustable with tools (read our Technical point on page 3).
Placed on a beautiful aluminum support, this saddle is hyper accessible (690 mm set to the lowest) … but only to solo sailors. It is indeed impossible to add a folding seat on the rear mudguard and passenger footrests on the Hinckley Bobber, unlike the Harley "48"! This daring choice on a commercial level opens the field to an unparalleled stylistic purity: this minimalist and stripped-down stern simply leaves you speechless.
Another spectacular aspect on the Bonneville Bobber: its exceptional presentation and finish details. Each part is assembled with care, all components are of high quality and no surface treatment is neglected. The integration of the electrical network is perfect, the screws and polishing of the engine housings is top of the range: the whole outclasses the usual standards of motorcycles in this category, however rarely neglected..
The level of perceived quality is in reality almost worthy of an artisanal preparation signed by a renowned workshop. Clearly, nothing in this refined allure betrays its origin in reality … Thai! The Bobber is indeed assembled in the Triumph factory in Thailand, like a large part of the range: questioned by MNC, the manufacturer confesses that only the, the and are still "made in Hinckley". It also came from British channels, before its …
This delocalized construction in Asia is at the origin of the tariff placed of the Bonneville Bobber: 12,700 € for any order placed before January 1, 2017, then 12,900 € due to "a slight increase in the tariff schedule implemented early next year ", reveals Eric Pecoraro, Marketing Director of Triumph France. Increases of around 150 euros are therefore expected on several other models..
Fatal Beauty
But let’s not sulk: the quality of the equipment and the beauty of the line are such that they eclipse the provenance of the Bonneville Bobber. The mudguards placed flush with the Avon Cobra tires, the flat handlebars, the 19 and 16-inch spoked rims, the rear-view mirrors at the end of the handlebars, the fork gaiters, the superb brushed stainless steel mufflers and the tank in drop of water are all successful references to the bobber genre.
And Triumph was not satisfied with these cosmetic changes, far from it: the transformation is taken to a much higher level, making the Bobber a modern reinterpretation of the motorcycles of yesteryear. Here the rear suspension stashed under the saddle which gives the illusion of a rigid frame (hardtail), there the battery compartment closed by a metal strap on the left sidewall or the wheel hubs evoking the shape of old brakes. drums. So chic !
References to past modes go to the switch placed on the right side, under the injection which is itself nicely hidden under dummy carburetors common to all motorcycles in the Classic Triumph range. This arrangement is not the most practical to put the contact, but the style is well worth a few concessions. ?!
On the other hand, the final transmission by chain risks being less easily forgiven by amateurs of bobbers, traditionally accustomed to the simplicity and especially to the cleanliness of a belt. In any case, this is what logic suggested to MNC: commercial reality seems to indicate that this detail is not – for the moment – a brake, since the Bonneville Bobber would already be the subject of an incredible reception. !
"We already have 400 firm pre-orders in the world, even though customers do not yet know its technical characteristics and behavior," says Felipe Lopez, engineer and development pilot at Triumph. "Around the same time last year, we had 200 pre-orders for the and we were already super happy," he explains with a smile to Site.
Already, the Bobber of Hinkley has succeeded in its bet: to attract attention and upset the codes in force in a category precisely in need of renewal. At a standstill, therefore, this "Bonnie" slotted is already very strong … But let’s see what it is handlebars in hands !
Related articles
-
Triumph Bonneville Bobber test: the butter and the money of the beau-bber ! Beautiful, chic and charismatic, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber daringly dust…
-
Triumph Bonneville Bobber test: the butter and the money of the beau-bber ! Beautiful, chic and charismatic, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber daringly dust…
-
Triumph Bonneville Bobber test: the butter and the money of the beau-bber ! Beautiful, chic and charismatic, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber daringly dust…
-
Cruisers from Harley-Davidson, Moto Guzzi and Triumph Two-cylinder cruiser in the test Aside from galactic performance racers, knees on the ground and…
-
All Tests – Triumph Bonneville T120 Test: Bonnie to do it all! – Dynamic: cool attitude
Triumph Bonneville T120 test: Bonnie to do it all ! A true icon of British motorcycle production, the Triumph Bonneville is still evolving … for our…
-
All Tests – Triumph Bonneville T120 Test: Bonnie to do it all! – Over a century of history
Triumph Bonneville T120 test: Bonnie to do it all ! A true icon of British motorcycle production, the Triumph Bonneville is still evolving … for our…
-
Triumph Street Twin test: the little Bonneville of the 21st century With its new 900 cc water-cooled engine, its neat look and its completely revised…
-
Triumph Speedmaster test: on the road again, again The Speedmaster is back in 2018 at Triumph, in a brand new version … very close to the Bobber Black…
-
All Tests – Triumph Bonneville T120 Test: Bonnie to do it all! – Static: visual crush
Triumph Bonneville T120 test: Bonnie to do it all ! A true icon of British motorcycle production, the Triumph Bonneville is still evolving … for our…
-
Triumph Bonneville Bobber in the driving report
Triumph Bonneville Bobber in the driving report First test ride with the retro bike With the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, Triumph seems to have hit the…