Bonneville as first 'real' bike

P

plutoz

moped
I am thinking about buying a Bonneville which is why I registered for the site. Mainly because I love the look of the bike and have read all the good things folks have to say about it.

I've been riding a 200cc scooter for the past two years and I'm looking to move up to something bigger. I've never ridden a bike with gears before and am a little intimidated by it.

Wondering whether anyone thinks I am better to start with something smaller and get used to the gears and get a Bonneville a few years down the road?
 
B

Badlionsfan

Scooter
I think a bonneville would be fine. These engines are quite smooth, user friendly powerplants. The bikes are neutral and well balanced. You've got the basics from the scooter, now you just gotta add shifting which is no big deal.
 
T

T100JIP

Scooter
Beginner Bonneville?

Plutoz,

I've been riding for many years, since the 60's. I just returned from 2 weeks in Scotland. To ride anything 250cc and up in th UK, you must past 3 levels of testing. All 3 include written, on-road and off road driving. In addition, you must also have 6 years riding experiance. That's for a 250cc. Their death rate per rider is far less than in the U.S.A.. Am I trying to scare you? Yes. I own a new Bonneville, after a long line of high performance cycles. This thing is FAST.....just like it sits, quiet exhaust, factory stock, it Moves!! For someone who has not had to deal with "gears" and all the other stuff that happens with fast cycle, well let me put it this way, if I were you, I would seriously consider a 250 Suzuki, or Honda, or Yamaha first. Get a used one, they are cheap, drive it a year, then re-think what you need after that.
I took an hour drive last week on a GZ 250 Suzuki, it's my girlfriend's. I really like it, plus it instills confidance in a new rider, it doesn't surprise you in a bad way. It's very predictable. This thing about a low seat height, being the sole criteria for a beginner, that's one small factor in what a beginner bike has to have. Don't let peer pressure influence you. Treat motorcycling with respect and you have many years of riding ahead. Good Luck!
T100JIP
 
innominate

innominate

Street Tracker
The Bonnie was my first bike. I took delivery of it the weekend of my MSF course. If you haven't taken a motorcycle safety course I highly recommend it. I have been riding for 4 yrs now and have other bikes. But I still have the Bonnie and still love it. It was a great first bike for me.
 
S

strokerlmt

Moderator
Bonneville would be fine......I would suggest strongly that you take two or three weekend riding courses. You will be fine with the gears.
LMT
 
Kirkus51

Kirkus51

Hooligan
I'd take a MSF course and get a Bonnie. It's a dependable bike that's a kick to ride. Like all vehicles if you ain't careful you'll get hurt. But having a skill set ahead of time helps out 100%.
 
2Monkeys

2Monkeys

Street Tracker
If you get a smaller bike you will just want to trade up again. Buy the Bonnie and don't look back.
 
P

plutoz

moped
Thanks everyone for their feedback. I have booked myself into a two-day MSF course for the end of August, hoping to pick up a lightly used Bonnie on Labour Day weekend :)
 
Demar

Demar

Two Stroke
I had a 1971 Yamaha 250 as a first bike. That was in 1979. I rode it for 3 years and then sold it. I came close to buying a new Moto Guzzi California EV (1064cc) in 2001. Then, last November, I saw a Ducati Diavel at the motorcycle show and thought - "That's the bike for me!"

I have been saving for a new bike for about 3 years and went to the Ducati dealership last month to look at the Diavel. I left the dealership owning a new 2010 T100. I love the bike for so many reasons. I am very pleased with it. It's a great bike at 1/2 the price of a Diavel. I may get a Diavel in the future but I don't see myself parting with the Bonneville. It's great fun to ride.

I took the MSF course last May (cost me $250). If you buy a new Bonnie (2010 or 2011), Triumph has a promotion running thru the end of 2011 and will reimburse up to $225 the cost of the MSF class. Take the class before you buy the bike, bring your class receipt and copy of completion certificate to the dealer and Triumph will send you the reimbursement.

Newbonneville.com is my new best friend.

The Bonnie is a great first bike. Just take it slow in the beginning. Speed is your worst enemy when starting out.
 
Last edited:
tooblekain

tooblekain

750cc
If this was a Triumph Daytona 675 forum I would tell you absolutely not and to ride a Ninja 250 first. Hell even an SV650 is a somewhat of a stretch as a first timer bike.

Are there better choices for a first bike than a Bonneville? Sure, but a Bonnie compared to a sportbike is much better choice. IMO I think the Bonnie is more along the lines of an SV650 than it is a Ninja 250

The only worry I would have in your shoes if if I drop or crash it. If you feel you need more seattime on a smaller bike after passing MSF then buy a cheap 250cc used bike and have at it for a while and then resale or trade for a new Bonnie.

Take it from me that bought a Daytona 675 as a first bike. It was the Bonneville that made me a much proficient rider.

I have ridden many bikes both on the track and off and have come to appreciate many bikes and feel their strengths, weaknesses, and nuances...The Bonneville isnt a bad choice for a first time bike.
 
ratlab

ratlab

Scooter
i cannot believe that you guys think a bonneville is ok for a first bike-i think a cbr 250,maybe a ninja 250 or any dual purpose 250 is a thousand times better-the msf course will show you how to ride a bike-it won't show how to deal with a heavy,semi fast bike with bad brakes in real world situations-ask the msf instructors what they think,don't go on a bonneville forum, what do you think people here are going to say?smaller bikes hold their value,especialy ninja 250's-you can easily sell when you need to move up
 
S

steamfitter

Two Stroke
i looked it up cause i was curious:

www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com tested an 08 ninja 250

0-60: 5.7 sec. top speed: 105 mph

rider magazine did a test of a 2001 triumph bonneville:

0-60: 5.7 sec. top speed: 105 mph

it would seem that, from a performance standpoint, the two bikes are very similiar. while the bonneville has almost double the horsepower, it doesn't necessarily translate to double the performance. i will say that the negatives of owning the bonneville as a first bike are the weight difference and significant replacement part costs. the bonneville was my first bike and i never felt over-biked. you could make a whole lot worse choices! -keith
 
ratlab

ratlab

Scooter
it also weighs 200 lbs less and has a 30 inch seat height and stops and turns easily-big difference
 
T

T100JIP

Scooter
Gents,

I stand by my feelings that a Bonneville is not the best 1st bike. Consider this: back in the day, the late 60's, the Bonneville was arguably the baddest, fastest, quickest motorcycle on the planet. The Sportsters and BSA riders will put up a valid argument. But you get my meaning. Compare the new Bonne to the old: They both will run a mid 13 second 1/4 mile time, the new one has a higher top speed, and if that ain't enough, it's a 100 lbs. heavier, and far more responsive to throttle input. Into the equation are the distractions that are present today in the car drivers: phones, TV'S, Texting, etc. Now , maybe someone can show me how in 45 years the baddest, fastest m/c thats heavier to boot becomes a "great beginner m/c" . What has changed? Are the beginner riders better, more advanced than the beginner riders of yore? I must have missed something, it wouldnt be the 1st time.:) One Summer on a 250cc would go a long way and if you do drop it, it's not a great loss, that's why they are great beginner m/c's.
 
neuroboy

neuroboy

750cc
Kirkus51 said:
I'd take a MSF course and get a Bonnie. It's a dependable bike that's a kick to ride. Like all vehicles if you ain't careful you'll get hurt. But having a skill set ahead of time helps out 100%.
Click to expand...

+1. . . an '05 bonnie has been my first bike and i honestly don't know if i'll ever want one more than it.
 
BlueJ

BlueJ

Blue Haired Freak
Depends on what you mean by a "real" bike.

My first motorcycle was a Kaw KZ400 that I got for $300 in the summer of '79. I sold it at the end of that same summer.

My *second* motorcycle is the '07 Bonnie that I got in April of 2007. Yes, that's right, 28 years later. Took the MSF course and have more than 20K miles on the clock now. I feel like the Bonnie is a fine bike for me. Fast enough, stops well enough, etc.

So sure, it's not "first" but from all practical standpoints it is. My feeling is that the more miles you have behind the wheel of your cage, the better rider you're going to be, because you have that experience. Someone who starts riding on the street at 19 or 20 or 21 is not automatically going to have a harder time of it, but I'd say that the nearly half a million miles I spent driving between bike #1 and bike #2 gave me a lot of road experience that translates into things like looking ahead, being alert, etc. etc.

Enjoy the new Bonnie - you made a great choice!
 
LA_Geezer

LA_Geezer

Scooter
ratlab said:
i cannot believe that you guys think a bonneville is ok for a first bike-i think a cbr 250,maybe a ninja 250 or any dual purpose 250 is a thousand times better-the msf course will show you how to ride a bike-it won't show how to deal with a heavy,semi fast bike with bad brakes in real world situations-ask the msf instructors what they think,don't go on a bonneville forum, what do you think people here are going to say?smaller bikes hold their value,especialy ninja 250's-you can easily sell when you need to move up
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree. I lived in Paris in the 1950's during which the limit for under 16 riders was 125 CCs. I was not in a position to have the MC i really wanted since I was only 15, but I dreamt that one day I would own a Triumph; it only took me 53 years to fulfill that dream.

Somebody mentioned the 250 Suzuki, but there's also the all-time champ first bike, the Honda Rebel, which has a lower seat height than either the CBR or Ninja. The difference in power that comes with the 865 CC Triumph is pretty mind-blowing, so I would expect your investment in a smaller bike to learn on would be money well spent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top