The anniversary Triumph Bonneville wraps modern engineering in beguilingly retro Rocker leathers, writes Alan Cathcart
Triumph Motorcycles is marking the 50th anniversary of its iconic signature model, the Bonneville, by introducing a re-styled and revamped version. The born-again Bonnie mimics John Mockett's original Y2K styling for the wire-wheeled, replete with swinging-Sixties design cues presented in a modern context.
The bike has been designed by Tim Prentice, the Californian stylist responsible for the Thunderbird 1600 cruiser and American Honda's acclaimed Rune Stratocruiser. Prentice has retained the basic structural components of the original bike, adapting them to deliver a modern feel.
Weight reduction was one of the key objectives and this has been done by reducing the bike's unsprung mass. The 17in alloys, which replace the tubed, 19in tyres of the originals, are now shod with tubeless Metzeler rubber, and that has helped shave 6kg.
Besides that, the smaller diameter wheel has also shortened the bike's wheelbase to 1,454mm from 1,500mm.
The riding position is altered too, with the previous authentically Sixties-looking flat platform, which however wasn't too comfortable for long, now replaced by a more Seventies-looking stepped seat, which, at 740mm in height, is not only 35mm lower than before, but has also been narrowed at the front to make it easier for shorter riders to touch their feet down at rest, especially women.
Visually, among the most striking features of the Seventies styling are the Thruxton café racer short mudguards and the megaphone-style silencers. Triumph's established 865cc air/oil-cooled eight-valve parallel twin motor, with twin overhead camshafts, remains at the heart of the new Bonneville.
Revved out to its 7,500rpm power peak, 67bhp is on tap while 69Nm of torque is delivered at 5,800rpm. But the best part is that 90 per cent of that torque comes at 2,500rpm and is maintained all the way through to the 8,000rpm redline, providing smooth and effortless acceleration through a five-speed gearbox.
Just straddling the '09 Bonneville makes you immediately realise this is a different package than before, and that translates to the road, where it changes direction with more panache than the previously more languid-steering model, thanks to the effects of the wheel sizes on the geometry and steering, the recalibrated suspension and reduced weight.
And because of the engine's twin gear-driven counterbalancers, there's absolutely no undue vibration of any kind felt through the seat, handlebar or footrests.
The engine gets its fuel via electronic injection but that hasn't altered its output figures. I had a hard time believing that Triumph hadn't particularly massaged the motor in this model or reprogrammed the management system because, in terms of responsiveness and zest, it was outright fun.
However, that broad spread of torque and accessible power wasn't the thing that most impressed me about this Bonneville. It also had an exceptionally smooth, crisp gear-shift action that arguably made it the best gear change on any Triumph I've tested yet. The adjustable clutch and brake lever are handy in heavy traffic manoeuvring.
My only real complaint is the way the recalibrated rear shock absorbers are adjusted. Only for preload, they deliver 6mm less travel at 100mm, supposedly in the interests of greater control.
The rear suspension stands out even more because it's worse. The back end doesn't iron out bumps any better than before, and rebound damping could certainly be improved.
The Bonneville costs £5,439 (Dh30,000) in the UK. Although not yet on sale in the UAE, Qatari dealership Alfardan Motorcyles (alfardanmotorcycles.com) is the nearest regional Triumph dealer.
