Triumph Street Triple and Bonneville: A Short Review
Let me start by saying that I'm a new rider (to motorcycles that is). I got my license in February of '12 and bought my first bike the following March. Needless to say, it was the single greatest decision of my life. There's nothing like the exhilaration a motorcycle provides.
The bike I bought was an '03 Honda Shadow VLX 600. I knew that it was a good beginner bike and due to being tall, the cruiser position was much more comfortable than any of the "beginner" sport bikes I sat on. Well, after only a few months of owning it, I've learned that "beginner" is marketing for "slow". I want something faster.
During my initial butt-testing of motorcycles at the 2 dealers that reside in our town, I found that I loved nearly every Triumph a swung a leg over. The Street Triple particularly called out to me. I recently got to take the Street Triple and the Bonneville out for test rides and thought I'd blab about my initial impressions.
First, let me describe a bit about what I'm looking for in a bike. I primarily ride around town and commute but I occasionally take trips through back roads, some twisties and I enjoy riding at a "spirited" pace. I want something sporty but not too racy, something fast but not too fast, you get the idea. I also want something unique, different, and special (even if it's only special to me).
While chatting up one of the sales people, I sat on a handful of bikes; Ducati Monster 696, Triumph Thruxton SE, Triumph Daytona 675r, Honda VFR1200, Ninja 650r... I even spent some seat time on a Honda Shadow 750 Spirit just to make sure I didn't want to leave the cruiser game altogether. The sales rep offered a test ride since I was clearly oogling the Street Triple more than any other and it took about 2 nanoseconds for me to accept.
For those that aren't familiar with the Street Triple, it features a liquid-cooled, 675cc inline 3-cylinder engine making around 100hp at the rear wheels. It features a 6-speed close-ratio transmission and weighs around 430lbs, ready to ride.
The first thing I noticed was now sensitive the throttle is. While my Shadow required some big flicks of the wrist at times, the Street Triple did not. In fact, doing so, took the tach up to a screaming 10k rpm (FWIW, redline starts at ~13k!). Despite being loud, it still sounded like absolute music to my helmet covered ears.
The second thing I noticed immediately was the world of difference between the 4-speed wide-ratio gearbox on my simple Shadow and the 6-speed close-ratio unit on the Triumph. I'm not going to say that the bike was hard to ride but between the throttle being touchy and the gearbox being particular about shifting and rev-matching, starting off wasn't as smooth as I'd liked. However, I'm sure that it's something one would get used to relatively quick.
Once I got past the first two gears, it was pretty easy from there. The bike handled beautifully and was very flickable. The acceleration and the power of the bike was enough to bring the hooligan out in any rider, new or seasoned. No matter what speed I was going, no matter what gear I was in, just a little twist of the wrist and there was power on tap. This was so nice, since on my Shadow, I've brought it to WOT in 4th gear just to pass someone in a 45mph zone. The power was more than I was looking for but the ride was nice.
For such a sporty bike, you might think that the Street Triple is uncomfortable. Even for my tall-frame, the the legroom was great, the seat was comfortable and the handlebars were at just the right height. I was leaned forward enough to be slightly aggressive but not nearly a full-race crouch. The other thing I noticed was that I didn't actually see the bike in my peripheral vision when I rode. On the Street Triple, you're siting top-center. On my Shadow, I'm just somewhere on the back half and down low so the front of the bike (handlebars, gauges, gas tank, etc) are all in front of me. With the Triple, I had to look down to visually make sure the bike was still there and I wasn't just floating at 45mph and climbing (see previous paragraph about acceleration).
The rep went on the ride with me (on a separate bike) so when we got back, I told him my experience on the Triple. The other bike I'd been eyeing and really liked was the Triumph Thruxton. To compare to cars, if the Street Triple is a Lotus Elise, then Triumph's Modern Classic line (which is made up of the Thruxton, T100, Scrambler, America and Speedmaster, all being based on the Bonneville) are like classic Jaguars and MGs, perfectly restored with modern touches.
I live in a college town in North Florida. Around town, every kid on 2 wheels is riding a Gixxer, CBR, or an R6. Sport bikes aren't difficult to come by and they're downright common. Also in town and in the surrounding areas are loads of Harleys and the, usually, older folk that ride them. With this kind of motorcycle demographic, any one of Triumph's Modern Classic line stands out as something rare and truly special.
The dealer I was at hadn't serviced the Thruxton but they did have a Bonneville with Arrow Pipes. Bonneville it was. The Bonneville is a standard motorcycle, a rare-breed among today's high-performance and highly specialized motorcycle market. Once one of the hottest bikes on the road in the 50s and 60s, the Bonneville was reintroduced in 2001 as a beginner bike for the more "mature" rider or someone coming back to motorcycling after a long hiatus who didn't want a gargantuan cruiser or an AMA superbike with mirrors.
For those that aren't familiar with the Bonneville, it and the other Triumph's it's based on is an Air-Cooled, 865cc engine putting out about 70hp. It features a 5-speed transmission and dual-shock rear suspension (unlike the monoshock/swingarm combo found on sport bikes). It's ready to ride weight is probably just north of 450lbs but most of the weight is down low so it feels lighter than it is. By normal motorcycle standards, it's a relatively lightweight bike.
As a new rider, I can assure you that it's an easy bike to ride. The bars have a rise and sweep that keep you at a surprisingly comfortable upright position. The foot controls aren't tucked up like a sport bike, nor are they in another time-zone like some cruisers. They're right under your hips which gives the feeling of control and inspires confidence. The transmission didn't complain about my shifting and the handling was superb. It actually felt a little better than the Street Triple to me. It took turns like they were nothing.
Despite appearing mild-mannered, the Bonneville actually has a fairly powerful engine. The throttle response was crisp thanks to fuel-injection but it was smooth and linear. Want more power? Just give it more throttle: It won't scare you but you'll need to hang on. It wasn't supersport fast but it had what felt to be a good amount of power. My favorite thing about the Bonneville was that it could perform when you wanted it to or it could be a nice, calm, comfortable bike for cruising, 2 up riding with the Mrs, commuting, etc. It's such a versatile bike. There's a large online community available, tons of mods possible on these things and they can fly like a bat out of hell or Grandpa can take it for a spin around the block and relive some glory days.
(The only thing I didn't like about the Bonneville was the handlebars but that's why I wanted to ride the Thruxton. The M bars have a smaller rise and sweep, making for a more forward, aka aggressive, riding position, which I liked. My Shadow had swept back bars and it made me feel like I had halfway through a push-up. I swapped them out for drag bars which have no rise and very little sweep. If I got a Bonneville, my first change would be new handlebars but that's certainly no fault of the bike.)
My only scary moment I had on the Bonneville was actually quite funny looking back at it. During the test ride, we were merging from a residential street onto a 55mph zone highway. Now, on my Shadow, being a cruiser, I don't grip the tank with my knees. In fact, my riding position is pretty spread-eagle when it comes to my legs. The Shadow's seat is low and curved up in the back so it keeps me from sliding back. Well, on the Bonnie, it's s flat seat all the way back. Wanting to see what this reinvented classic could do, I got onto the road, gunned it and slid back about a foot before pulling myself back into position. This particular model came with Triumph-branded rubber knee pads on the tank. Now, I know they were on for a reason.
In short, I've all but decided that the Bonneville will be my next bike. It does everything better than my Shadow. It's faster and more powerful, it's unique and cooler, and the bike practically spoke to me during my test ride. Riding it was effortless and incredibly fun. I was almost disappointed when I hopped back on my Shadow to head back to work, ending a long lunch my boss thought was for a doctor's appointment. While I love the Street Triple, I feel at this point that getting one just might be newbie confidence telling me to get more bike than I can handle. I can easily see making some mistake that the Bonnie would overlook while the Triple would bite back. I just felt more comfortable on the Bonneville.
Unfortunately, my lady and I are moving next month into a condo so money is currently tied up in that. After that, we may be going on vacation to Michigan for Christmas, which will also have money tied up in that. I'm hoping to buy a new bike early next year but we'll see how things go. In my life experience, it never turns out the way you plan.
To any regular readers, thank you for reading. To any motorcyclists, stay safe, stay vigilant and keep the shiny side up.
The bike I bought was an '03 Honda Shadow VLX 600. I knew that it was a good beginner bike and due to being tall, the cruiser position was much more comfortable than any of the "beginner" sport bikes I sat on. Well, after only a few months of owning it, I've learned that "beginner" is marketing for "slow". I want something faster.
During my initial butt-testing of motorcycles at the 2 dealers that reside in our town, I found that I loved nearly every Triumph a swung a leg over. The Street Triple particularly called out to me. I recently got to take the Street Triple and the Bonneville out for test rides and thought I'd blab about my initial impressions.
First, let me describe a bit about what I'm looking for in a bike. I primarily ride around town and commute but I occasionally take trips through back roads, some twisties and I enjoy riding at a "spirited" pace. I want something sporty but not too racy, something fast but not too fast, you get the idea. I also want something unique, different, and special (even if it's only special to me).
While chatting up one of the sales people, I sat on a handful of bikes; Ducati Monster 696, Triumph Thruxton SE, Triumph Daytona 675r, Honda VFR1200, Ninja 650r... I even spent some seat time on a Honda Shadow 750 Spirit just to make sure I didn't want to leave the cruiser game altogether. The sales rep offered a test ride since I was clearly oogling the Street Triple more than any other and it took about 2 nanoseconds for me to accept.
Triumph Street Triple 675
For those that aren't familiar with the Street Triple, it features a liquid-cooled, 675cc inline 3-cylinder engine making around 100hp at the rear wheels. It features a 6-speed close-ratio transmission and weighs around 430lbs, ready to ride.
The first thing I noticed was now sensitive the throttle is. While my Shadow required some big flicks of the wrist at times, the Street Triple did not. In fact, doing so, took the tach up to a screaming 10k rpm (FWIW, redline starts at ~13k!). Despite being loud, it still sounded like absolute music to my helmet covered ears.
The second thing I noticed immediately was the world of difference between the 4-speed wide-ratio gearbox on my simple Shadow and the 6-speed close-ratio unit on the Triumph. I'm not going to say that the bike was hard to ride but between the throttle being touchy and the gearbox being particular about shifting and rev-matching, starting off wasn't as smooth as I'd liked. However, I'm sure that it's something one would get used to relatively quick.
Once I got past the first two gears, it was pretty easy from there. The bike handled beautifully and was very flickable. The acceleration and the power of the bike was enough to bring the hooligan out in any rider, new or seasoned. No matter what speed I was going, no matter what gear I was in, just a little twist of the wrist and there was power on tap. This was so nice, since on my Shadow, I've brought it to WOT in 4th gear just to pass someone in a 45mph zone. The power was more than I was looking for but the ride was nice.
For such a sporty bike, you might think that the Street Triple is uncomfortable. Even for my tall-frame, the the legroom was great, the seat was comfortable and the handlebars were at just the right height. I was leaned forward enough to be slightly aggressive but not nearly a full-race crouch. The other thing I noticed was that I didn't actually see the bike in my peripheral vision when I rode. On the Street Triple, you're siting top-center. On my Shadow, I'm just somewhere on the back half and down low so the front of the bike (handlebars, gauges, gas tank, etc) are all in front of me. With the Triple, I had to look down to visually make sure the bike was still there and I wasn't just floating at 45mph and climbing (see previous paragraph about acceleration).
Triumph Bonneville
The rep went on the ride with me (on a separate bike) so when we got back, I told him my experience on the Triple. The other bike I'd been eyeing and really liked was the Triumph Thruxton. To compare to cars, if the Street Triple is a Lotus Elise, then Triumph's Modern Classic line (which is made up of the Thruxton, T100, Scrambler, America and Speedmaster, all being based on the Bonneville) are like classic Jaguars and MGs, perfectly restored with modern touches.
I live in a college town in North Florida. Around town, every kid on 2 wheels is riding a Gixxer, CBR, or an R6. Sport bikes aren't difficult to come by and they're downright common. Also in town and in the surrounding areas are loads of Harleys and the, usually, older folk that ride them. With this kind of motorcycle demographic, any one of Triumph's Modern Classic line stands out as something rare and truly special.
The dealer I was at hadn't serviced the Thruxton but they did have a Bonneville with Arrow Pipes. Bonneville it was. The Bonneville is a standard motorcycle, a rare-breed among today's high-performance and highly specialized motorcycle market. Once one of the hottest bikes on the road in the 50s and 60s, the Bonneville was reintroduced in 2001 as a beginner bike for the more "mature" rider or someone coming back to motorcycling after a long hiatus who didn't want a gargantuan cruiser or an AMA superbike with mirrors.
For those that aren't familiar with the Bonneville, it and the other Triumph's it's based on is an Air-Cooled, 865cc engine putting out about 70hp. It features a 5-speed transmission and dual-shock rear suspension (unlike the monoshock/swingarm combo found on sport bikes). It's ready to ride weight is probably just north of 450lbs but most of the weight is down low so it feels lighter than it is. By normal motorcycle standards, it's a relatively lightweight bike.
As a new rider, I can assure you that it's an easy bike to ride. The bars have a rise and sweep that keep you at a surprisingly comfortable upright position. The foot controls aren't tucked up like a sport bike, nor are they in another time-zone like some cruisers. They're right under your hips which gives the feeling of control and inspires confidence. The transmission didn't complain about my shifting and the handling was superb. It actually felt a little better than the Street Triple to me. It took turns like they were nothing.
Despite appearing mild-mannered, the Bonneville actually has a fairly powerful engine. The throttle response was crisp thanks to fuel-injection but it was smooth and linear. Want more power? Just give it more throttle: It won't scare you but you'll need to hang on. It wasn't supersport fast but it had what felt to be a good amount of power. My favorite thing about the Bonneville was that it could perform when you wanted it to or it could be a nice, calm, comfortable bike for cruising, 2 up riding with the Mrs, commuting, etc. It's such a versatile bike. There's a large online community available, tons of mods possible on these things and they can fly like a bat out of hell or Grandpa can take it for a spin around the block and relive some glory days.
(The only thing I didn't like about the Bonneville was the handlebars but that's why I wanted to ride the Thruxton. The M bars have a smaller rise and sweep, making for a more forward, aka aggressive, riding position, which I liked. My Shadow had swept back bars and it made me feel like I had halfway through a push-up. I swapped them out for drag bars which have no rise and very little sweep. If I got a Bonneville, my first change would be new handlebars but that's certainly no fault of the bike.)
My only scary moment I had on the Bonneville was actually quite funny looking back at it. During the test ride, we were merging from a residential street onto a 55mph zone highway. Now, on my Shadow, being a cruiser, I don't grip the tank with my knees. In fact, my riding position is pretty spread-eagle when it comes to my legs. The Shadow's seat is low and curved up in the back so it keeps me from sliding back. Well, on the Bonnie, it's s flat seat all the way back. Wanting to see what this reinvented classic could do, I got onto the road, gunned it and slid back about a foot before pulling myself back into position. This particular model came with Triumph-branded rubber knee pads on the tank. Now, I know they were on for a reason.
Conclusion
In short, I've all but decided that the Bonneville will be my next bike. It does everything better than my Shadow. It's faster and more powerful, it's unique and cooler, and the bike practically spoke to me during my test ride. Riding it was effortless and incredibly fun. I was almost disappointed when I hopped back on my Shadow to head back to work, ending a long lunch my boss thought was for a doctor's appointment. While I love the Street Triple, I feel at this point that getting one just might be newbie confidence telling me to get more bike than I can handle. I can easily see making some mistake that the Bonnie would overlook while the Triple would bite back. I just felt more comfortable on the Bonneville.
Unfortunately, my lady and I are moving next month into a condo so money is currently tied up in that. After that, we may be going on vacation to Michigan for Christmas, which will also have money tied up in that. I'm hoping to buy a new bike early next year but we'll see how things go. In my life experience, it never turns out the way you plan.
To any regular readers, thank you for reading. To any motorcyclists, stay safe, stay vigilant and keep the shiny side up.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHave you bought it?
ReplyDeleteI'm just beginning my training, and thought I might try a 2nd hand triple for a first bike (though obviously would test many first), but now I've seen a Bonneville in person, I'm hooked on that. I love that vintage look, without being too in your face like a Harley.
Ibp, I haven't bought either yet. For a first bike, I'd recommend the Bonneville over the Striple simply because of how much easier it is to ride the Bonneville. Both bikes handle well, are comfortable but the Striple is notably faster and more powerful than the Bonneville. Also from a first bike standpoint, finding a well-taken-care-of used Bonnie is easier than trying to find a used Striple that wasn't raced all over town by some 19 yr old kid.
DeleteAs far as looks go, if you like the classic look and want something unique, I'd again steer you to the Bonnie. I love the Striple but the Bonnie gets my personal vote for a number of reasons.
How tall are you? I really want to like the Bonneville or T100 myself, but this bike seems cramped. OK, to be fair, *every* bike is cramped for my 6'4" frame, but I'm hoping a higher seat will help.
ReplyDeleteRobert, I'm 6'1" with a 32" to 34" inseam and the Bonneville felt fine, personally. When you say it seems cramped, is that based on assumption or experience? The Bonnie isn't a particularly large bike but it's no Honda Rebel either. And you make a good point that being that tall does mean a lot of bikes are going to be cramped. For the Bonneville/Thruxton/Scrambler, a company named LSL makes parts for these bikes including a rear-set kit. I don't recall if it's adjustable or not.
ReplyDeleteA taller seat may help but there's only so much room for adjustment. Too tall and it may feel and/or look very strange.
Andrew - So its been almost a year since your original post, any regrets going with the Bonneville over the ST? How's the Bonnie's suspension while riding? I've read a few posts that were less then flattering regarding the ride.
ReplyDeleteI find myself in the same boat as you were. Started riding just over a year ago, and looking to get out of the "starter bike" I'm in now. The Bonnie has been at the top of my list, and I just recently started looking at the Street Triple, but a little nervous about the power in this thing.
Admin (nice name, btw), I still haven't bought the bike. I'm waiting for more money and getting test rides in on some other bikes (Victory Judge, Harley Street Bob, Honda CB1100, etc). For the most part, I'm sold on the bonnie and just waiting for the money to actually go get it.
DeleteIn regards to the Striple, it is notably more powerful and is more likely to bite-back if you give it too much input (aka, too much gas, too much brake, etc.) If you're deadset on getting a sportbike then you can't go wrong with the Striple. However, the Bonnie is a bit tamer so it'll make the transition from used beginner bike to new(ish) bigger bike that much easier.