Triumph Bonneville Bobber Review
Bike Tested: Triumph Bonneville Bobber; Road Test No. 958; Test Location: Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 11,88,421/-
Bikes like the Triumph Bonneville Bobber with high torque engines are melodies on two wheels
The Street Triple RS was the last Triumph we rode and that too was almost 6 months back. This year, the frequency of cruiser motorcycles for reviews has been a lot! Adding one more to the list right now, we have the Triumph Bonneville Bobber with us. However, the Bobber is no regular cruiser motorcycle. One of its kind, this Bobber inherits the nature of the retro oldies. Classic design, fun-to-ride, comfortable and yet completely vivid. We spent a few days with the Bonneville Bobber and noticed that it’s definitely a fun-to-ride motorcycle despite having a few shortcomings.
Motor Quest: Triumph has had the Bonneville lineup for quite some time and the T100 and T120 were the main models. However, the lineup in the year 2016 had a major update wherein 2 new crazy motorcycles, the Thruxton and the Bobber, were added to the Bonneville lineup! Even though the Bonneville Bobber had elements from the T120 and was even powered by the same engine, it ran a slightly different electronic tune.
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The single halogen headlamp has the signature Triumph logo upfront
Styling – A quick look at the Bobber and even a layman would be able to notice that there are a few elements coming from the Bonneville brothers. Like the design around the engine, the spoke wheels come from the Bonneville T120 although there’s just a single disc up front. The motorcycle gets an almost flat handlebar with bar-end mirrors and a single-piece round headlight above which the adjustable console sits. The Bobber gets a small 9.1-litre fuel tank and a radially-mounted adjustable single-piece seat. While it has exposed chassis elements all over, the single KYB monoshock is neatly tucked in below the seat. Twin slash-cut saw-off peashooter exhausts come right next to the rear wheel and they look absolutely radical!
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A better looking single-pod cluster, same as the one seen on the Street Twin
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – A round-shaped single-pod adjustable console does the job on the Bonneville Bobber. The instrument cluster is analogue-digital and it’s the same unit that we have seen on the Street Twin. However, it has a fresher look and a few more tell-tale lights are integrated within. The speedometer is analogue while the digital unit contains all the other information such as the gear position indicator, fuel gauge, odometer with two trip meters and current as well as total fuel consumption. The switchgear is also the same one seen on all the Triumph Bonneville models and the quality is pretty good too.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/42699908662/[/flickr]
The Bonneville Bobber is the only bike in the Bonneville lineup to get a monoshock
Ergonomics – Whenever we mention Bobber motorcycles, we are reminded of a unique seating posture and it’s the same story with the Triumph Bonneville Bobber as well. An almost flat handlebar upfront with an upright seating posture and slightly front-set footpegs result in a slightly leaned-in posture for the rider that looks like one is doing some yoga. The seating is still comfortable and manageable as the footpegs are not placed far from the rider. The seat height is 690 mm at its highest position, making it easily accessible for short riders as well. But the engine and exhaust are very close to the rider which means that one has to let the legs spread outwards while keeping the feet down. Undoubtedly, mentioning it again, it still stays pretty comfortable.
