Bonnie: Air Cooled Vs Water Cooled

Im wondering what the collective's thoughts are regarding air vs water cooled Bonnies...

Im sure the 2017 forward Bonnevilles with the water cooling are more efficient in terms of engine heat management ... but there seem to be some exceptional deals on the pre 2017 air cooled Bonnies.

TIA for any comments.

PS. I have my eyes on a 2017 (water cooled) and a 2010 (air cooled) T100 Bonnie. Id have bought the 2010 on the spot but for the mag type wheels and the Arrow 2 into 1 exhaust. Both kinda defeat (IMHO) the retro quality of the bike... and now Im wondering about the air vs water cooling.

 

Well something doesn’t sound right. A 2010 T100 has spoked wheels. I suspect you are talking about the Bonneville SE on 17” alloy rims which is slightly lower and faster steering but otherwise mechanically identical. The water cooled bikes are that much more emissions friendly and have more detailing but, as the owner of an 865 carbed T100, I would be guided by your wallet.

 

In my view there is no right or wrong choice, they are all great, all I would just suggest is try to get some test rides and see which you prefer.

I've had a couple of water cooled Bonneville derived bikes (Street Cup and Bobber) both were great. After those I specifically wanted a more traditional air/oil cooled carbed Bonneville, I've now had a 790 (2007) for almost exactly a year which I love and I don't see myself ever letting it go.

 

Unfortunately if you live near London and like/have to visit; your wheels need to meet ULEZ standards and my older Carbed Speedmaster didn't.
So when it got totalled decide to move as far up the emissions ladder as I could.
So invested in a 2016 LC T120 which needed some love after a light shunt.
Not had a chance to ride it yet as it needed a few bits to make it roadworthy but it has those bits now and it's the monsoon weather is holding things back.

 

Don’t think 3S1 will be too bothered about London as he’s in California.
Ken.

 

California - the Grandpappy of emissions regs......

 

Kommifornia!
Ken.

 

No ownership experience with the air cooled models, but I have heard people say the watercooled seems to have helped with some of the snatchiness of the throttle at low speed and engine heat. The heat is definitely something to consider if you're dealing with clogged roads.

 

Not so much with bikes. I run 3 old carburetted Triumphs. They (cops) pretty much leave us alone. Of course if you are some idiot making 150 decibels through town, you deserve what you get. All 3 of my bikes originally came from other states. I have them all licensed here. California's reputation is far worse than the reality. ...J.D.

 

I will say that having reverted to the original silencers, left off the AI pipework and sensors and had the bike retuned at the local dealer during servicing, it isn’t much slower and behaves much better in traffic, with the former low speed snatching pretty much eliminated.

 

I will say that having reverted to the original silencers, left off the AI pipework and sensors and had the bike retuned at the local dealer during servicing, it isn’t much slower and behaves much better in traffic, with the former low speed snatching pretty much eliminated.

 

Hi, my thoughts are the air cooled bonnies are better as they are a lot more in keeping with original bonnies. They sound much better with the 360 crank. I like the mag wheel bikes as some 70s bonnies had mag wheels and that was when I first got really into bikes. (Most of us know exactly what you meant when you said T100 mag wheel). The carbed bikes looked a little better with the slimmer tank but the EFI makes life less complicated with modern fuel containing ethanol, in the UK at least, which will be more of a problem when/If E10 is introduced.
The air cooled bikes will have better long term resale value as well I reckon.

 

I don't even WANT a new bike. The older they get, the cooler they become.
...J.D.

 

Post pics of your three bikes. I would like to see the side profiles.

 

I’m not sure about Triumphs, but Norton, Matchless and BSA were all fitting 2:1 exhausts in the 1950s and 1960s

 

Actually all I have are old pictures. The side pictures are of the America just after I rescued it out of a garage down by the Mexican border in 2013. That was before I added bar end mirrors, passing lights, a heel-toe shift, Pretech brake, gauges, bar risers, tachometer, etc. The Legend and the Sprint still look pretty much the same as the old pictures:



There you go Gil. As requested. ...J.D.

 

They look great! That America looks mint for being rescued. You have motivated me to get a second bike.

 

When I was buying I would follow Cycle Trader. Especally in November and December. Nobody is riding here that time of year. They are all worried about raising.money for.Christmas. You can find some.real.deals that time.of year. A lot of.people buy bikes here in the US because they are mostly for recreation. A lot of the time they sit in a garage somewhere for a few years until the owner remembers he has.it and needs some cash. ...J.D.

 

Having just spent a lot of time and money re-commisioning my '04 790cc T100, I'm VERY pleased I didn't have a water-cooled injected version (with ABS and all the associated electrickery). It's much more civilised than it was now it's got modern (and new) Avon's and "prosper" pads on the discs. I never found a problem with the engine hunting at low speeds or oil lower gears, but then the secondary air injection failed very early on in my ownership of the bike so rather than replace it, I blocked it off and re-jetted the carbs.

 

personally I have had water-cooled bikes and air cooled if you are riding in a lot of traffic I prefer water cool, air cool tend to get hot they radiate a lot of heat stop start, where water cool tend to be cooler but when it comes to Bonnies i prefer the air cool my Deauville is water cool the Bonney air cool