THE RIDE VERDICT
IF A BAD experience riding a factorybuilt custom bike has put you off ever owning one, or you have previously dismissed custom bikes as not your cup of tea, the Triumph Bobber is a bike that could make you look and think again. The shortcomings that blighted other machines — such as poor weight distribution, awkward handling, unconvincing design and questionable build quality — do not apply to the Bobber. It stands head and shoulders above its custom rivals.
Add in an impressive array of official accessories — from clip-ons to pipes, cut-down mudguards to full-on ape hangers — and you’ll be able to make your mass-produced Bobber stand out from the crowd, especially as the Triumph online configurator is refreshingly easy to use. Living with a test bike for a couple of weeks has engaged me — a die-hard sportsbike lover — as a potential customer and I’ve already configured my virtual bike: clip-on bars, with Vance and Hines pipes, Fox shock, hand-painted tank, short guards and mini-indicators. Or maybe I’ll change my mind — again — and just go for the ape hangers…
It would be wrong to call the Triumph Bonneville Bobber a practical custom — partly because that makes it sound dull and utilitarian, which it most certainly is not, but also because it is limited in terms of usefulness and tank range. But bikes like this aren’t built to be practical and this at last is a custom you can live with. It blends its authentic looks with an engaging, torque-laden engine, housed in a chassis that engages the rider at almost every level. It will not only turn heads on the city streets but also work as a motorcycle out on the country lanes. In fact, the only thing that lets the Bobber down is that relatively puny tank range. Apart from that, it’s an ideal mix of show and go.