Triumph Bonneville

One of the first times I ever did 100mph on my own was as a teenager on a mates mint, tuned classic Triumph 750 Bonneville. It was an empty airfield on a dry summer’s day and I remember the bike getting there immensely quickly with a loud rasp from the pipes as I shifted gear at 5000rpm. Ten years later on a straight road I’m riding the new 790cc Bonnie. Although the bike’s been on sale since November 2000, I’ve so far avoided riding one. Nothing can ever be the same as that illegal ride ten years ago, can it? Well know. This one’s more refined, smoother, not so quick and is struggling to do 100mph.

But 1072 people this year think this is the bike for them and once you ride it how it’s meant to be ridden (slowly and gracefully) it’s a really mice riding experience.

The motor makes the right kind of muffled noises. The parallel twin engine layout is a 360-degree firing order which means the pistons rise and fall together like the original Triumph Bonnie. The motor looks similar and the key on the lefty-hand side of the headlight is even in the same place.

Not many bikes can be described as nice. This is one of them. It’s not exciting. It’s not cutting edge. But it’s relaxing and in the summer, popping on an open face lid and a pair of shades for a 70mph cruise would be a real good day out.

Even the professional old bike testers on Classic Bike magazine reckon the new Bonnie is gutless but I think it’s pleasant enough. And why you’d want any more power or top-speed from a bike with these 2-piston caliper, single disc front brakes beats me. They’re fine for the kind of riding this bike is designed to do, like the engine which lacks real noise but Triumph offers a set of cans for ‘off road use only’ and that will make it seem at least 50 per cent faster.

Once you’ve got over cruising around looking cool, you can park up and look cool. The new for 2002 colour scheme of electric blue and silver with a gold pinstripe might be a bit too bright for some, but for me really plays on the Triumph’s genuine looks.

Not many manufactuers could carry this bike off, but Triumph has done it perfectly, it’s just a shame there’s no kickstart for that special confuse the hell of the unknowing moment. For 2002 the bike also gets brushed and lacquered aluminium cases on the right side of the engine and left-hand clutch cover which just helps make it look even more authentic.

I mean, even the side panels are made from metal, the front mudguard and there’s a new variation of the triumph insignia on the tank, made from metal. But why the colour-matched rear mudguard had to be made from plastic beats me. Just that bit of metal could make all the difference to the great pretender.