Less bhp can (sometimes) mean more smiles
26 January 2015
The days are still short and the temperature well, its cold… in fact this week it is tyre shredding cold but if you are anything like me, and the other few hardy souls I ride with, if it’s the weekend and the forecast is anything but torrential rain, snow or hail we will be in a café having breakfast and putting the world to right before heading off… to the next café.
Winterization for us is not putting your bike into storage but to cover it in ACF-50 and ride on through! Ok, I’ll be honest, a number of the group have put their ‘pride and joys’ into storage but for not a lot of money you can get a decent winter hack and still get your riding buzz along with bacon and eggs.
Anyway, back to the reason I started writing. I’ve always been a sportsbike fan, the look of the bikes, the full leathers, the speed (where permitted officer) is my thing. I ride a Yamaha R1 4C8 in white with the red speed block design, it looks the part and ticks all the boxes I look for in a bike… well it did until I bought a Triumph Bonneville for the rental fleet.
What a revelation, I didn’t think I was feeling stale towards bikes but the Bonneville has rekindled my love for two wheels. I’m 17 years old again riding a bike that doesn’t scare the daylight out of me, it has over 100 bhp less than my R1 at 68ps and weighs approx 50kgs more at 225 but the smile it puts on my face is the same one when I first felt the freedom of my own transport.
This is a bike that isn’t looking to throw you in a hedge on cold damp roads or lift its head after a quick turn of the throttle in fact I think you can probably get away with almost anything on this bike. It doesn’t look flash, fast, or loud enough to attract angry glances from passers by, just nods from old folk who know a good bike when they see one.
It is no wonder that Triumph have sold so many of these, they’re not just cashing in on the modern retro-style that is so hot at the moment, it’s a genuinely good motorbike.
So, if your bike is tucked up safe and a winter hack is not practical there’s a black Bonneville waiting for you at Motobox UK, if like me you grew up riding 70’s and 80’s bikes then a smile is guaranteed.