Triumph Bonneville Bobber First Ride

The new Triumph Bobber motorcycle has an uncanny knack of being an exhibitionist no matter where you take it. Its raw and retro nature paired with an unmistakable 'bob job' design sets it apart from any other motorcycle on offer in India, What do we call her then? Bob Throb, obviously! 

Design & Styling of Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Taking a page from the history books, Triumph has given this Bonnie a true bob job, commonly seen back in the mid nineties. The Bonneville Bobber is long and low slung; it has a neat and minimalistic design keeping in line with bobber heritage. Triumph has tucked in a lot of technology into this motorcycle. A bare bone look with a diagonally sweeping line from the steering head to rear axle personifies the side profile of the Bonneville Bobber.         

Keeping things retro, Triumph has added an authentic looking battery box with a metal lock strap. The rear gets a fat 150/80 R16 tyre which adds to the bike's butch appeal. The spoked rims also house a drum brake inspired rear wheel hub. The Bonneville Bobber boasts of a typical hard tail look. It, however,  has an adjustable monoshock which is neatly tucked under a fancy looking floating aluminum seat pan.

Other traditional bobber fitments are the rear mudguard loop, rubber gaiters and a horizontally placed ignition barrel on right hand side panel. To add a touch of modern appeal, the Brits have also included bar end mirrors, handlebar risers, gloss black bullet indicators, retro looking throttle bodies housing the latest fuel injector technology and other optional fitment such as a gauge for temperature and time. This new Bonneville has all the trappings worthy of a bobber tag and looks the part from every angle. 

Engine & Performance of Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Powering the new Bonneville Bobber is a 1200cc, liquid cooled, parallel twin cylinder engine. The distinctly British motor is good for a little over 75 horses and belts of a solid 106Nm of torque. The same powerplant is found on the Bonnie T120. Triumph has given this one a more bobber like tuning. Peak torque of 106Nm comes in at 4000rpm while peak power of 75.9bhp comes in at 6100rpm. The power delivery is punchy and can catch you off guard. The engine has been mated to a 6-speed gear box with decently tall and crunchy shifts  

The Bonneville Bobber is truly delightful to ride. A meaty mid range provides ample of power as the bike lunges forward. You can go through the first three gears pretty quickly and will find yourself beyond the 100kmph mark in a few seconds. A ride by wire setup ensures a smooth response to throttle inputs and Triumph's Torque Assist Clutch ensures a pleasurable ride thanks to feather light clutch operation. Other rider aides include switchable traction control, ABS and different riding modes for Road and Rain.

The Bonneville Bobber rides on 41mm telescopic forks upfront with a monoshock in the rear. The suspension leans to the stiffer side with the front forks getting 90mm of travel and the rear monoshock getting 76.9mm. On smooth roads, this motorcycle is quite comfy but this is India and smooth roads are a scarcity. Another aspect one needs to be quite aware of is the fact that this bike rides low. So be extremely careful over bumps and breakers or get used to the dreadful sound of the underbelly scraping tarmac.

To ride the Bonneville Bobber is quite comfortable, the rider seat height has been set at 690mm and the bike weighs in at 228kgs. It has nimble characteristics and is surprisingly flickable. Triumph has ensured impeccable ergonomics and an adjustable rider seat ensures comfort for riders of different shapes and sizes. Another point to note is a small fuel tank capacity of 9.1 litres. The Bonneville Bobber returns anywhere between 22-25kmpl if you are gentle with her. Aggressive throttle inputs will change all that! The small fuel tank is in line with a distinctive bobber design but it also means frequent trips to the gas station, which is something I am willing to live with.  

Verdict

It doesn't really matter where you take this motorcycle, heads are bound to turn! The Bonneville Bobber draws strongly from bob jobs that have emerged over the years and Triumph has managed to keep its design as authentic as possible. Facts being facts, bobbers came with small fuel tanks to keep the motorcycle light and Triumph has even incorporated this design element despite it being impractical in today's scenario.  The 1200cc High Torque engine powering the Bonneville Bobber is  like the icing on this cake. The Bonneville Bobber is fun to ride even on a hot summer day, the heat dissipation from the engine is good and not irksome.

   th a doswith a dosween 22-25kmpl if you are gentle with her, this however can decrease effortlessly the