Can I ask a question about your experiences two up on the Bonnevilles. I am an older rider who is not that interested in speed. Minimal motorway travel. My wife is new to pillion riding and last year we went round the NC500 and Orkney. What i look for is comfort and pulling ability. We currently run a Tiger 800 but I have always wanted a Bonny. Two years ago I test rode the 900 and 1200 as well as the 900 Scrambler. I loved the 900 but had reservations about the 1200 in city traffic - almost too much torque in the lower gears. But what is the 900 like with luggage and pillion? (i'm 85 kilos and my wife 70 kitted up) Any experiences please share. Thanks.
Low end torque is your friend... IMO the 1200 Bonneville needs to have a 40T rear sprocket for better low speed manners and reduced clutch wear {not having to feather the clutch all the time}.
Thanks for the comments. In the 70's i would have sold my soul for one of todays modern classics. (My other bike is an Interceptor 650!) I love the style and the feel and sound of a twin. The Tiger (and maybe a Bonneville) is primarily for our two up riding. I'm inclined to the 900. Brakes can be improved. But when I test rode both bikes the 900 felt more integrated and right. The 1200 felt a little bit coarser (!!) albeit with gobs of torque.
Millsy65 Sorry i have gone lots of places on my Bonnie and not pulled yet. But i love it felt the same as you with the 1200 and got the 900. And a good 865 is terrific so much grunt all the way through the range. The seat may need attention if you are long distancing. Regards Joe
Did a comfortable week in France with the wife on my 2014 T100, fitted comfier seat, suspension changes, top box and soft paniers. However my winter steed, a Honda 500x is ultimately more comfortable and better suspension but unlike the Bonnie no one ever stops to admire it.....
Maximum Payload of the T100 & T120 is 210kg A change to the rear sprocket (40-42 tooth) is a must for the less travelled roads
Many thanks for everyones comments. Out of curiosity how long is the seat on your bonnevilles? The Tiger is 70 cm long and feels like plenty of room. The interceptor is 60cm and feels too short for extended two up riding. (Not that it was bought for this purpose). All these questions and I cannot travel to a dealer to check them out! Once restrictions are lifted I'm going to fix up a two up test ride.
I'll put in a plea for the now discontinued Bonneville America 865. My wife and I have toured two up extensively on these bikes....roomy and comfortable and fast enough to use in the real world. Worth considering in my view.
I rode from Cambridge to Cornwall, Yorkshire and Inverness at various times, on a Triumph Tiger 100 (the Meriden one) and down to S of France and Tunisia on a pre-unit 6T. Course, I was younger then...
I rode from Cambridge to Cornwall, Yorkshire and Inverness at various times, on a Triumph Tiger 100 (the Meriden one) and down to S of France and Tunisia on a pre-unit 6T. Then I had a 600cc BMW R60/6 which would carry anything you could strap onto it, two-up.. I used to have panniers, a topbox, tank bag and a pair of throw-overs above the cylinders on long trips. Course, I was younger then... I’d reckon my Bonneville T100 865 was plenty for touring, now I’ve got the Triumph King and Queen Seat replacing the quite hopeless original ironing board.
When I was starting out on bikes a 650 / 750 was considered awesome. Now anything of that size is a commuter! I don't doubt the T100's ability. Just need to convince my pillion / manager that it can be a comfortable ride.
my wife needs the back rest as we are getting on , the Deauville has a top box with back rest and the Bonney just has the back rest I think there is plenty of power 2up though if you don't crank up the shockes a notch or 2 the Bonney will bottom out now and again I have the better seat on the Bonney the original is a bit hard
I have a 1200 with the Royal (King and Queen) seat, a Givi Topbox with backrest and small (21ltr) panniers for when we go away. The other half loves the comfort and will happily do endless miles on the back. The Bike doesn't even notice the extra weight even when fully laden.
+1 for the K&Q seat. It's really plush. Just make sure you're comfortable with the relationship to the bars as you'll not have much room for manoeuvre, unlike on the plank.
That’s a general comment on seats of that type. I’m not tall (5’8”) and find it quite comfortable. I also don’t worry about pillion room, I sacked my good wife as a reluctant, dangerous and useless pillion nearly forty years ago. I do find the seating position more comfortable than my early 90s Sportster, which suffers above all from a lack of legroom (I’ve been meaning for years to get low rearsets, which transform this bike’s riding position, but I’ve never done it) My #1 seat of all time for trips of an hour or more, was the “pogo seat” on my early 1970s Electra Glide.
My wife loves riding on my 2018 Bonneville. It’s her favorite motorbike of all the bikes I’ve owned. Big comfy bench seat, solid passenger pegs, grab rail, relaxed but solid power delivery. It’s aces for a passenger. Currently I also have a Speed Twin, and she will ride on it but would rather take the Bonnie every time. You can see what fun she’s having in my avatar!!
I have a 900 Street Twin. Mine below. My wife and I are fine 2 up. True the seat is smaller than the T100 but I wanted the tubeless tires (cast wheels) for safety reasons versus spoked wheels and inner tubes. Also I can fix a flat on the side of the road if needed.
I agree about the tubeless tires. I’ve converted my 2018 Bonneville to tubeless (it’s actually pretty easy) and am out touring with my wife at this very moment! Well, ok, at this very moment I’m actually back at the hotel drinking wine but we WERE cruising the countryside about an hour ago.
"Too much torque" What is that, Milsy? I didn't know there was such a thing. Anyway, joking aside, I'm sure you'll be able to get some good advice and suggestions from this group. Good luck with your decision.
Ahh, just saw the original post date on this, @Millsy65. By now you've probably made you choice long ago. What bike did you choose??
