Anyone here done any long distance touring on a triumph bonneville? How did you prep modify the bike for touring? Pics of bike and or travelreport? How did it perform?
i don't know if you already saw this thread, but it's got a couple of the coolest bonnie touring pics i've ever seen! http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724536 btw- i want a bonneville. bad.
I recently did a 1400 mile (2,250 km) 3-day trip on my Bonneville. Bike did fine. The stock seat on the SE is very thin and uncomfortable. I have the Triumph solo seat, much better. I would get a bigger windshield if I was doing a lot of touring though.
The Bonnie can tour very well, get a screen that works for you and some bags and take off. I did a 1200 mile trip up to Kentucky on my Scrambler this past July and it did really well, also did some 700 mile trips on the Bonnie I did have and those trips went well. I try not to get in a hurry, stop every 75 miles or so and get gas, hydrate and stretch and pretty soon you have done 200-300 miles. You might look into some highway pegs to stretch you legs out and a better seat.
Ted Simon did it on a crappy, leaky Triumph. And yes, he went around the world no problem...so the modern Bonnies will get you through pretty much anything.
I did a 9000 mile trip on a 1979, no problems at all (and no windshield). They did have much better seats back then...
If I was riding by myself at my own pace with no time constraints to get anywhere I would be fine with no windshield. However, I usually have to do a couple of long days to get too and back from anywhere decent. I also usually ride with guys on big-bore sport tourers/sport bikes so I hate to slow them down (on long slab runs). My last day of the above trip was 580 miles with the last 450 miles interstate at a GPS-indicated 75 mph. Could have used something bigger than the fly screen.
I've been through 27 states on my Bonnie. For my big cross country tour I switched to a 19t front sprocket, got a gel seat, and some adventure touring tires. When I got to the East Coast, I added a windscreen. Both trips are in the sig line below.
Is that pic near Laramie? Just wonderin'.... ......nevermind, just looked at the link and answered my own question. thought it looked familiar.....
Thank you guys for your posts and pics Im used to bigger bikes, Harley street glide, BMW R1150GSA, KTM 990ADV and Yamaha FJR1300. So was/am a little afraid that the bonneville would be a little small for me for touring. But I really like the bike and the retro look so Im glad that you guys have had so good experiences with them The girlfriend also wants to ride once in a while so I hope the bike is fine for some 2up riding as well.
My wife and I have taken 3 day trips riding double with saddlebags and sissybar bag. The Bonnie did good, Except for the missing sissybar bag, here is the setup
I've done a few 600 mile days and a few 1200mi 3-day weekends on my '09 Bonneville SE. Everything I would say has already been mentioned. Stock seat sucks, though.. that's really the biggie. I seriously regret not buying a better one. Some better rear shocks would be the #2 item to address.
Ok it really sounds like I dont have to think about the bike is suited for longer trips Grumpy-1944 I see you have the Triumph touring seat. Do you use that everyday or just for touring? And Beaverboy you have another handlebar on you bike why did you change the bars? I went to a local dealer the other day and there was a used T-100 I could sit on. It had the triumph touringseat which felt really good. Unfortunately due to the weather I could not testride the thing. I think the bike looks fine with me on it. I was worried it would look very small.
I two-up with mine and the previous inmate who owned it regularly did trips from Northern Ontario to Florida on it. Two-up essential: Triumph King & Queen seat. Very comfy, though it came with and I never experienced the stock seat. It puts her up and gives you each a bit of room to roam in the saddle. I have a GIVI screen on mine, I was told it will give you 2-3 better mpg's and really helps shoulders fatigue. Mine is slightly bigger than tbirdsp's, but they don't have to be huge to offer great help. I forgot the name of the Avon's on my bike but they are wider than stock and aggressive thread pattern. It helps cornering at high speeds and at going through construction zones and dirt roads.
Yeah - the fly screen doesn't do much to block the wind. I just scored a used Triumph "Roadster Screen", we'll see how it is.
I have always been in love with the Bonnie SE (esp with alloy wheels/tubeless tires- easy fix of punctures on the road!). But I had read a few different reviews where taller riders felt cramped on the Bonnie for longer touring work. Also making the sitting position worse with a pillion. Would like to hear long-haul touring specific comments from any tall riders- 6ft & above.
yeah- i hear vague things like "bigger" or "smaller" ergos, but i haven't seen any actual seat to peg numbers. if any bonnie/se/t100 owners would measure that (stock) dimension and post it in this thread i think that would be helpful......
That is a King & Queen seat. I put it on when the wife and I rode double, now she rides her own yet it stays on all the time since it feels soooooooo good on my a**. "Beauty is in the comfort to the a**, I guess.
The stock seats on the mag-wheel bikes (base Bonnie and Bonnie SE) are cut out and lower than the T100 or Scrambler seats. Besides being uncomfortable, the seat-peg distance was tight for me - and I'm only 5'9" with a 31" inseam. I put the Triumph solo seat on and it's at least an inch thicker, maybe 2. That really helped. I still could use a little more room though. If I ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs my ankles are bent too much. If I put the pegs right in the center of the arch of my foot that's better, not really the best riding position though. Knees are just a tad too bent too. That said, I often hear 6 ft guys saying they are comfy on the bike Other than having a thicker seat, I haven't been able to confirm whether the T100 is any better in the seat-peg area, although I think the taller wheels make it sit higher off of the ground. There was a guy on the Triumphrat forums ("Modre"?) that used to make peg lowering brackets, he quit making them though. I don't think there is currently a commercial alternative ( and not sure I would want to lose the cornering clearance anyway). Pics of my bike with stock seat and Triumph solo.