Bonneville SE or T100 tall riders

J

joewhite&blue

Scooter
Hello everyone,

I have recently passed my riding licence and I was hoping to soak up some of your knowlegde before handing over my savings to a dealer!

I learnt to ride on a 600 CBF honda it was good fun but not my style. There is no doubt in my mind, Triumph is the way forward.

However having spent hours reading reveiws and going through threads in this great forum I now have come to a dilema SE or T100.

I love the style of the vamped T100's that are on this forum but the only setback in my eyes is the spoked wheels.

The SE, for the moment at least is my dream bike however being 6 foot tall I am worried about the confort.

Thanks for reading,

John
 
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Easy13

Easy13

Street Tracker
I shouldn't worry so much about comfort, John, if the SE is what you want, grab one. Handlebars are plentiful and cheap, you can easily conform the bike to fit you. At 6', the seat height should be fine and the foot controls easily manipulated. The SE is a great bike with that 17" front wheel; probably the best handling off the showroom floor of the Bonneville series. If you've been hanging around here and T-Rat, you've read of any and all kinds of modifications, so anything that doesn't fit you perfectly can be changed, replaced, or adapted to suit. So pick a color and ride!
 
B

Badlionsfan

Scooter
I'm somewhere around 5'11" and I felt cramped on the SE. I went with the T-100 for that reason, also I liked the seat better, and I like the look of the spokes and larger front wheel better, fits the classic triumph look better. Took it to the twisties, and it handled just fine, better than expected.
 
J

joewhite&blue

Scooter
Hi guys,
Thanks for your replies I am going for a test ride next weekend the dealer has both the SE and T100 so I will compare for myself. If I do go for the SE what sort of mods could I do to raise the height? I have been looking at the Burton seats they are very nice but do they make a difference to the riding position?
Thanks again, safe riding
John
 
A

an300

moped
Hi,
Don´t worry about fitting on the se! I am 185 cm (6" 2'?), and have no trouble riding over tank capasity without a stop. My cousin 205cm (6"10'?) rode it, and he liked it very much. Did not complained riding position at all, he said it feeled good.

Mine selection to SE were also aluminium wheels, nice brushed aluminium parts on engine, and loved that blue and white color.
 
tuquoque

tuquoque

Scooter
For me it was a hard decision between T100 and SE. I choosed SE because of many reasons. I am 5" 7' and SE is perfect for my use. I am riding in the city center most of the time. SE handles great.
 
G

ggfh

moped
Just try both.
I'm 182cm and the SE was a bit low for my bad knees.
But it also depends on leg-length, not only overall length.
 
S

steamfitter

Two Stroke
well, i'll throw my .02 in the ring. i, personally, favor the T100. i am not much for the mag rims on a classic bike. that being said, if that is your cup of tea, then i say go for it. a couple of things you could look at. first, as mentioned, you can go for the T100 seat. this seat is taller than the se version. also, if that doesn't appeal to you, go with a scrambler gel seat or the thruxton seat. you can usually find these for sale in the classified section. i am pretty sure that any of these seats would be a little taller than the se seat. next, you could go for an upgrade to the se suspension. i say, do this no matter which one you choose. i have the ikon shocks that i bought used from a fellow poster. if you get these, i think you could go with thruxton length shocks, which are an inch or so higher than the t100 even. there are many different shocks to choose from. any of them are better than stock. you can probably find some thruxton oem shocks for dirt cheap also in the classifieds. this would let you try out the length before you ponied up more money for the ikons, hagons, progressives, ohlins, etc. lastly, you could look at the modre lowering kit. i don't believe he makes them anymore, but from time to time, people are selling them in the classifieds. these were specifically for taller riders. i am not sure if they will work for the se's, but someone else may know the answer to that one. any of these solutions will work independantly of the others for a little boost of height. add a combination of them and you will probably be very happy with your purchase. for what it's worth, i have a t100 and i am 5/10". happy riding, keith
 
T

T100JIP

Scooter
It seems the biggest difference between the two are the bars and seat. I believe the footpegs are positioned the same on both. Change to T100 bars and seat and your there as far as how it feels when your moving. When at rest, the modified SE would still be a little shorter because of the front wheel and rear suspension height.
As long as I can hold it up at rest, the seat height to the ground doesn't matter to me. I'm barely 5 ft 8 in. and my T100 suits me fine. My riding position is far more important to me than the "seat height" at rest. I guess that's why the Sportsters don't work for me. I truly believe the riding position is all important, you have to enjoy riding it, hopefully for many miles to come.
T100JIP
 
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J

joewhite&blue

Scooter
Hi guys,
Thanks for the great advice, can't wait to jump aboard and go for a spin!
I have been looking into the dreaded buisness of insurance and yep they are going to hammer me! something a bit weird though, the bonneville SE is classed as a Roadster and not a classic so I can't get hold of the cheaper insurance.
Any advice on insuring the bonnie for the UK ?
cheers
John
 
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S

steamfitter

Two Stroke
do they give you any discounts for taking a riding course? when i bought my bonnie, i took the HD riding course and it significantly lowered my premiums. when i took the HD course they had a pretty good deal going. the course was 300.00, but i got a 200 dollar gift certificate and 20% off all merchandise the days of the course. bought a few things and sold them at work to the HD guys for a profit! -keith
 
J

joewhite&blue

Scooter
lol ! smart thinking Keith, sounds like you have found a good loop hole.
I have finally found a reasonable quote with Bikesure 270£ for the year, 3rd party, fire and theft.
I've had a look at the training courses but you need to bring your own bike! so I need insurance first. The day's training is about 160£ and they only accept UK driving licences and mine is french, too much hassel I won't bother. Anyway I just spent 1300 euros on riding lessons and the exams!

P.S
The bike I'm going to see on saturday has a 500£ voucher for Triumph goodies, I'm thinking Berwick Jacket and fabric paniers. any thoughts?
 
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Sal Paradise

Sal Paradise

Hooligan
dude!!! No.... no SE .... just no..its tiny!!

that shrunken excuse for a front wheel!!!

No. You hear me? no. Get the T100 I am 6'-3'

In fact a Scrambler would be even better...


thank me later.
 
Keith Harding

Keith Harding

Two Stroke
I'm with Sal here; get off a Bonny and then onto an SE, it feels so ... small... Apologies to SE riders but that's how it feels to me at 6'
Buy the T100!
 
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