Triumph Bonneville Bobber
Looks good, sells brilliantly, and rides even better than you’d ever expect it to
THAT’S THE NOISE of a motorcycle, that is. What a sound. Rich, deep, resonating and warm, the Triumph’s 1200cc parallel twin emits the kind of ear-pleasing hubbub that everyone recognises as a motorcycle. In the same way ears identify an unseen helicopter, so they instantly know the Bonneville Bobber is a large-capacity two-wheeler. There’s added aural intrigue for the rider. Using a 270˚ crank means the crank’s planes cross each other, as with Yamaha’s MT-07 engine, and like most V8 car engines. With its fat 600cc cylinders, there are speeds and points in the rev range where cruising on the Bobber sounds like the open-piped small-block Ford Mustang that I owned (for which I’ve nearly paid-off the fuel bills, 20 years later). It certainly strides off idle like a butch V8. Just get the clutch out (chunky-ish lever, but not as thick as the Americans), get the light twistgrip open, and f-e-e-l the torque. Ignore the claimed 77bhp – it’s feeble in these times of 160bhp giant trailies. The Important Bit is the Bobber’s model-specific tune and how it romps on muscular thrust. And the noise… All the Bonnevilles rumble and boom, but the Bobber’s specific pipes give the sweetest tone. This bike’s accessory Vance and Hines items simply add to the joy. ‘I love the engine,’ enthuses Bike staff writer Ben Lindley. ‘It’s got the grunt of the Harley-davidson at full wallop, with gears as long-lived as the Indian’s. Or very nearly. And the noise is hands-down the most outrageous.’ The latest range of 1200cc Bonnevilles and Thruxtons are sizeable motorcycles. Not just in terms of capacity. Slap one next to, say, a Moto Guzzi V7 or Ducati Scrambler, and they feel like ‘big’ bikes. The Bobber doesn’t. Though it’s not actually a chopped-up Bonnie (it’s a bespoke chassis, not a reworking) you could argue it’s the most authentic of these bob jobs, given the Bonneville starting point. And with short-throw suspension, dinky tank and low-flying stance it’s slim and light after the width and weight of the Fat Bob. Ben again: ‘Your shins angle inwards if your thighs are touching the slim tank. The handlebar also feels narrower, with slightly tucked elbows and more crouched stance than the imposing Harley or lots-of-leg-room Indian.’ It’s not uncomfortable, mind. My 6ft 2in frame happily copes with the 112-mile range at the 56mpg average, and the manageable proportions make it even easier to have a hoot with the capable chassis. The Bobber is no lazy cruiser – the single front disc might mean it can’t haul up like the twin-grabbed Harley, however it steers and tracks as well as anything in Triumph’s enormous ‘modern classic’ line-up. You can throw it down rolling roads at the kind of pace that will get irate letters sent to the local MP, yet the 1200 never feels flustered, short of breath or out of its depth. Enthusiastic deployment introduces the footpeg ends to the road surface, sure, but once you’re in the groove – bend-swinging lines, surfing on the torque – the chassis is more than up to brisk use. Pity the fork and shock get overwhelmed on rutted roads, and that you meet the bump stops. This bike has an accessory shock, which has high-quality damping but is also sportily firm. Not really what a bike like this needs. There are other accessories on this one, including pannier rails that double as a way of stopping ball gowns getting tangled in the wheel, and curious little bar-mount dials for air temp and time (£66 each, even though they’re are on the classy display already). With the two-tone paint (an extra £300 please) and the large, narrow front wheel it all gives too much of an English tea room feel next to dark, moody rivals. You half expect doilies on the seat. We all prefer the luxurious depth of the solid base red. Quality and finish are easily as good as the other two bikes, however. In fact some finer points and touches are exemplary, and the overall sensation is of a high-quality device. And if you want a stealth bomber image then there’s the new Bobber Black coming (first ride next issue), with minimal gloss and a fat 16-inch front wheel. There’s also the new Bobber-based Speedmaster, with a chunkier subframe to allow a pillion seat, although it’s shiny and over-styled. A bit too Virago. You’ll notice a shortage of negatives in this glowing ramble. That’s because there aren’t many. Compared with, say, the new Tiger 1200 (see page 46) the Bobber is a motorcycle of narrow focus, but against these bobbing rivals it’s perhaps the most practical and usable. Given the grins from everyone who rides it, it’s definitely the one that achieves mass appeal.
‘Triumph’s 1200cc parallel twin strides off idle like a butch V8’