Am I too small for a Bonnieville?

4

4Putt

moped
AFter a lot of soul searching I think I want a Bonnieville. NOt many shops in my area so I have not yet visited a dealer. At first, I thought I wanted a speedmaster or America but Im coming home to my roots if I can. I can no longer live with forward controls because it starts to hurt my back and Im short legged anyway.

Im 5' 5" and my inseam I think is about 29 inches. IM riding a sportster now that has a 28.5 inch seat. I cant flat foot it but its not that hard to handle and it has a high center of gravity.

Are there any short riders in here on a Bonnieville? I really would like to have a white one but Im not paying extra for paint. That is a rip off. Thanks.

I would like to also ask how these bikes handle in general. My stupid days lets say are way past me now but I would like to feel confident on the bike and want good brakes. I cannot imagine this thing being worse than a sportster.
 
Last edited:
Bonafide

Bonafide

NBR founder
Working backwards ...

1. Go test ride one. I've never heard of a Triumph dealer not having one as a demo model. It wont take but a short jaunt on one to realize they're nimble, peppy, etc... down right enjoyable.

2. When you ask for that test ride .. ask to ride the SE (short edition). They'll call it the Special Edition, but it aint no more special than any other Bonnie, except for one area .. it's short. Low seat, smaller dia front wheels, etc .. this dude is LOW. They had you in mind when they built it. Enjoy.
 
Kirkus51

Kirkus51

Hooligan
Well, I'm sort of a mesomorph so although i'm 5'11'' my inseam is right at 29" too. The bonnie will work for you. I've actually put suspension pieces on mine and have raised it quite a bit. Still a great ride for me.
 
4

4Putt

moped
Bonafide said:
Working backwards ...

1. Go test ride one. I've never heard of a Triumph dealer not having one as a demo model. It wont take but a short jaunt on one to realize they're nimble, peppy, etc... down right enjoyable.

2. When you ask for that test ride .. ask to ride the SE (short edition). They'll call it the Special Edition, but it aint no more special than any other Bonnie, except for one area .. it's short. Low seat, smaller dia front wheels, etc .. this dude is LOW. They had you in mind when they built it. Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. When I looked on the Triumph website the only difference I can tell is that the SE has a tac and a few other visual goodies. Seat height, tires, wheels where all the same unless I missed something.
 
SHERWOOD BAMBI

SHERWOOD BAMBI

moped
I've just bought a Bonnie and my choice was partly influenced by my height - I'm only 5' 5" myself. The seat height is pretty low and certainly no higher than the Honda and Suzuki 500's I've done my bike course on !
 
Bonafide

Bonafide

NBR founder
4Putt said:
Thanks for the advice. When I looked on the Triumph website the only difference I can tell is that the SE has a tac and a few other visual goodies. Seat height, tires, wheels where all the same unless I missed something.
Click to expand...

You're missing something aight and didnt look close enough. So go back to my very first recommendation, TEST RIDE. Seriously, how hard can that be? I mean, other than you'll probably wont get that opportunity til at least Tuesday.

:pick:

BTW, there's about 1.5" seat height difference in a SE (mag wheels and low seat) vs a T100.
 
sweatmachine

sweatmachine

moped
4Putt said:
Bonnieville?
Click to expand...

that's Bonneville

I'm 6' tall, but I have a 30" inseam (gorilla build, long torso, short legs), and my Bonneville has Thruxton length shocks, so it's a little taller, and it's just fine for me. There's no need to be able to flat-foot the bike. My FZ1 has something like a 33" seat height. I can't flat-foot it at all, I have to tip-toe at the lights, but it's not a problem.
 
MKNG TRX

MKNG TRX

Scooter
I'm at 5', 7" with a 29" inseam (no legs), I couldn't flat-foot on my T-100 so I swapped out the bench seat for an SE's seat and everything is now peachy. Now able to flat-foot on the T-100. Good luck. Cheers!
 
AceT100

AceT100

Rocker
Friend in England is 4.11...she rides a stock Bonnie. Has to slide off the seat a little to one side to get a foot flat, but has no issues at all.

Go test ride one...
 
Paddyboy30

Paddyboy30

Two Stroke
+1 to the SE Bonneville. I'm 5'6" with a 29" (maybe 28) inseam, and could put the balls of my feet on the ground with my 2006 T100, but with my new to me 09 SE (which has Thruxton length Ohlins rear shocks), I'm still on the balls of my feet. If I had stock length shocks, I might be flat on my feet, or at least close to it. Plus, the SE with it's smaller front wheel (which is also a 1 piece aluminum wheel), it's even more agile than the stock Bonnies.
 
Mike Britton

Mike Britton

Two Stroke
Take your Sportster with you. After you ride a new Bonnie you will want to leave your Sportster with the dealer. I've owned a lot of different iron, from Allstate 125's and Kawasaki mach3's to pan heads and SRX's. Even an old CB1100 in there. And I'm yet to find something that makes me smile more than a Hinkley Triumph. The '62 XLCH was close, but no.........
 
S

slackslider

Scooter
5'10" with 30" inseam. The Bonnie is perfect for me (Mag wheels). With boots I am flat footed and stable.

I was also concerned about the height when purchasing. In fact I chose the Bonnie over the Thruxton largely because on the Thruxton/T100 I was almost on my toes and I wanted to feel more stable.
 
4

4Putt

moped
I stopped today and my local harly shop Those pricks have run me off for good. I mayg et a moped. What a bunch of arrongant pricks. I will not buy another

The motor company can suck my dick. This is not my first rodeo. Triumph, here I come
 
Last edited:
KingBear

KingBear

Hooligan
Harley riders - BLOODY PIRATES! The price of admission into that club is riding an oversized bike and dressing up like an extra from some Jerry Bruckheimer swashbuckling movie. Plus you have to learn how to decipher the whole FLHTCHR-whatever secret code.

Thing is, despite my years of ridiculing them I was actually thinking about buying a Road King so my wife could ride along more comfortably than on the Bonnie, which is pretty much maxed out just hauling my fat ass around. I decided against the Harley, not because of the bikes but because of the people who ride them. They might be the nicest folks in the world, but they feel the need to look like a bunch of dirtbags. No thanks.

So now I'm looking into a new BMW. I've admired them for a long time and I think the time has come to pull the trigger. The ones I am looking at are about the same price as a comparable Honda but with more advanced technology (though the price of OEM maintenance is likely to kick my ass), they are sporty and stylish, and I like the marque. Not sure if I would go with an R1200RT or one of the new K1600's.

But not a Harley. Oh my, no.
 
jhillier71

jhillier71

Street Tracker
4Putt said:
I stopped today and my local harly shop Those pricks have run me off for good. I mayg et a moped. What a bunch of arrongant pricks. I will not buy another

The motor company can suck my dick. This is not my first rodeo. Triumph, here I come
Click to expand...

giver...too many gay pirates on the road anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top