Tell me why not to buy a Bonnie...

[cardinalflyer19]

I already know I want this beautiful 2008 bonnie in claret color scheme down at my triumph dealership, I am test riding it tommorow...and I know all you love your Triumphs....so now would you all think about the things you DONT love about your Triumphs. I used to ride a Honda Shadow Spirit 750 (good first bike) and most recently sold my Suzuki V-Strom 650 (fun but too tall)..I know there is no one "bike for everything" but I really want a Bonnie, and I would like some honest feedback of things you dont like.
-Thanks

 

[MES]

interesting first post

That's easy, there are lots of them.
I would say the top on the list would be
If you stand next to one and it doesn't give you a hard on semi instantly then you should not buy one.

You should repeat this process with different models untill the desired effect is optained, at which point you will gladly sign your soul away.

Hope this helps
welcome aboard:sheep:

Just buy the damn thing.
You know you want it.

 

[musicswapshoppe]

??

This is a new bonnie club. How can we possibly give any bad feedback? There is none. Ok will try?

-Triumph service centres charge too much
- Not everyone agrees on colour scheme which is best (between u and me scarlet is the one)
- The pipes as standard are Shite have to change to aftermarket incl Triumph pipes, but I recommend Hydes and am opening a can of worms saying that. refer to any twin TORS threads on this
- Sure more but I cant think of them

 

[AceT100]

The 1st bike I rode was a Ducati Monster...and in many ways, it will always be the bike I miss the most, I still lust after another on a daily basis......

But.....

I am older, wiser & slower than I used to be...The Bonnie I currently own was bought without even so much as sitting on it, let alone riding the damm thing...I LOVE it.

Sit on it, ride it, remember its not a sports bike (tho it hangs on well & I've scraped the pegs several times during 'spirited' riding)

It goes quite well considering its weight & lack of power, but it looks cooler than a Penguin's dangly bits, and gets a LOT of interest whenever its stopped or parked up....Of course, Red & Black is the fastest color scheme. And the dealers are expensive.

See what you think, I for one can't see me replacing it for many, many years.

In short...Ride it, research its flaws & good points, and decide for yourself :c

 

[Carnation]

You already said you want it, so buy it. Motorcycling is all about what comes from the heart, not the head.

There's nothing I really don't love about my T100 as (almost) everything is easily changed or modified to suit your own personal taste. I find the stock bars a bit of a letdown shapewise, but that is all.

Sometimes I wish I'd bought a Bonnie Black as it's more of a blank canvas to work from, but then given the money I'd have a garage full of Modern Classics.

 

[Chris in NC]

I already know I want this beautiful 2008 bonnie in claret color scheme down at my triumph dealership, I am test riding it tommorow...

So, how'd the test ride go?... I've owned 4 Hinckley Bonnies since early 2002. I've also owned as many as nine bikes at one time since then as well.

The Bonnie takes me back to when riding a bike was plain and simple fun. No posing, no boy-racer antics, just pleasurable riding.

The only downside (minor in my opinion), is that the Triumph dealer network is small, which means that if you're out on the road and something happens, you might not be able to get the bike to a dealer as easily as the lads with Milwaukee or Tokyo iron can. On the other hand, in the seven years I've owned and ridden Hinckley iron, I've never had a bike in the shop for anything other than routine maintenance.

The guys in L'ville are great guys.. You know you wanna do it.. :ride:

 

[CAPTDON]

Not

Sorry I cant do that! Havent found one yet! Love mine more every day!!

Ditto on the dealer net being too fasr spreadd out. I do all my own work so not that big a problem!

 

[six by six]

+3 on the dealers. Not a lot of them around even in Southern California. Don't buy it if you don't like being stared at and being talked to every where you go. Oh, and the Harley snobs will be snobs if you care about such things. Other than that, no real downsides to the bike. Most everybody makes some changes to suit. Buy it.

 

[Neek]

Something I don't like. ...

Well...um...

I guess...

I'm not CRAZY about the stock suspension. But the beautiful thing about these bikes is the ability to upgrade and personalize them to suit your needs fairly inexpensively. Coming from the world of modifying a Subaru STi, I am continually surprised at the low cost of some pretty significant upgrades.

 

[KingBear]

Lots of bad things about the Bonnie...

• Chicks dig it, have to keep pushing them away.
• Not enough dealers. Buy a Harley so from the front door of one dealership you can see another.
• Not enough of them on the road. It gets lonely out there being on a unique bike surrounded by all the V-twin cruisers and sportbikes.
• No identifying costume. I hate not being invited to the costume parties where you get to dress up like a pirate or a Power Ranger.
• Engine is too small. If it doesn't look like a John Deere, it doesn't belong on the road.

Oh, and what the other guys said too.

 

[Bonafide]

about the only reason I can think of is they have less than 100 HP ...

if you want something that's a blinding-terror-hell-on-wheels - go buy something else. If you want to go 200mph, go buy something else. Otherwise, the Hinckleys pretty much fit the bill. They're very enjoyable to ride, nimble and handle great. Just a great all around bike that can modded or not into your personal style and preference, unless you're trying to win a Stuntas trophy or a podium finish in the MotoGP.

If you get one, just be ready for every time you stop - having to deal with people wanting to chat with you about your bike.

:ride:

 

[Ben Quick]

Nothing else is a Bonnie. You will get chatted up by total strangers and often.
Great bang for the buck so after market shocks or pipes are doable because ya didn't brake the bank. Again, Nothing else is a Bonnie. You will get chatted up by total strangers and often.

 

[Neek]

Nothing else is a Bonnie. You will get chatted up by total strangers and often.
Great bang for the buck so after market shocks or pipes are doable because ya didn't brake the bank. Again, Nothing else is a Bonnie. You will get chatted up by total strangers and often.

So is anything else a Bonnie? Do you get chatted up by total strangers and often?

 

[uk59]

The "kink" in the exhaust @ the silencer joint.Could be I'm old school.
The exhaust headers turn blue.
I'm 100 miles from a dealer [buy a shop manual and ask for help from this forum's members].
The bike is too unique. "Hey man, I like your restoration".
Seat is like a 2x12 piece of lumber after thirty minutes.
You couldn't get this bike away from me if I couldn't get another one!!!!!!!

 

[retrorider]

Don't get it if you want to dress up in leathers and chains and pretend you're a Hells Angel. Don't get it if you want to join HOG and ride with 30 other guys in fake Hells Angels outfits in a parade going 25 miles per hour. Don't get it if you want to spend every penny you have adding chrome that weighs as much as you do. Don't get it if you want an 1800 cc engine that struggles to move an 850 pound bike. Don't get it if you have a small penis and need to compensate with a big bike that you'll drop some day in the parking lot going 5 miles per hour.

Because if you're a poser, a 60 year-old trying to be cool, a pussy trying to look like a tough guy, this bike is not for you.

 

[Texas94fs]

I hate that i don't get to ride mine enough

 

[MikeZenArt]

Nice! I see from the post that I am among like-minded people.

 

[T-boy]

Don't get it if you have a small penis and need to compensate with a big bike that you'll drop some day in the parking lot going 5 miles per hour.

Because if you're a poser, a 60 year-old trying to be cool, a pussy trying to look like a tough guy, this bike is not for you.

Aw-w-w crap...That's exactly why I bought mine!

 

[drlapo]

Don't get it if you want to dress up in leathers and chains and pretend you're a Hells Angel. Don't get it if you want to join HOG and ride with 30 other guys in fake Hells Angels outfits in a parade going 25 miles per hour. Don't get it if you want to spend every penny you have adding chrome that weighs as much as you do. Don't get it if you want an 1800 cc engine that struggles to move an 850 pound bike. Don't get it if you have a small penis and need to compensate with a big bike that you'll drop some day in the parking lot going 5 miles per hour.

Because if you're a poser, a 60 year-old trying to be cool, a pussy trying to look like a tough guy, this bike is not for you.

HEY I'm 60 and I am cool
now you damn kids get off my lawn!

 

[retrorider]

Ok, confession time. A few years ago, I was 55 and wanted to get back into biking. I bought a Harley because I thought it was cool and made me look like a Hell's Angel and no one had thought of this before. Except that I started to notice that all of the other Harley riders I passed on the road were old guys in leathers who must have had the same idea that I had. Really, there was hardly anyone under 50 on a Harley. I wasn't unique, I was a stereotype. I also noticed that the Harley felt heavy and clumsy and I wasn't having the fun I had 30 years ago. Then I took a test ride on a Bonnie and it all came back to me. Ditched the Harley and didn't look back. I ride a Bonnie not because of image, but because it feels right and rides right. All of the mods I have done were to make it fit my riding style and make it more comfortable. I don't care what other people think -- this is my bike.

Number 1 reason not to buy a Bonnie; you ride it and it's not you.