Why Are There So Many Alloy Wheeled 865 Bonnies For Sale??

Newchurch model fitted my bill perfectly

 

I dream of owning a California T3. Gorgeous.

 

So do I but mines a California EV 1100 rat bike come bobber sort of thing

 

Might just be the alloy wheel ones were fuel injected and the styling a bit less pure of the original.

 

Two pluses in my mind.

 

I would have preferred carbs as they offer more possibilities to play around with, but wasn't bothered with it having EFI. There was a Bonnie produced in 1979 I think with alloy wheels.

 

Later T100 also had EFI but a 17" front wheel was the big sell for me with the SE. A bit less like ploughing a field than the 19" thing on the T100.

 

In 2017, I really wanted a Moto Guzzi V7. Choice was either the Special with spoke wheels or the matte painted Stones with cast wheels, but black exhaust. I don't like black exhaust, matte paint or spoke wheels, so looks won out and I got the Special. Kept telling myself I was going to get a flat with these tubed tires. So, it only took 300 miles to get a screw in the back tire out riding the back roads far away. Called for a tow truck, got home and ordered the Stone wheels. I guess I talked myself into a flat. And yes, I've ridden many bikes since the '60's without getting a flat.

 

Yes the cast wheel model of the seventies was where the modern day version came from.

 

There were some, however the 1st mag wheel was pretty much just a T140, a friend had one, black with gold pinstripes

 

No wasn’t referring to a US style spec but we had it around the time of the gear lever change over.

 

I only bought mine a few weeks ago buy spent a couple months looking. I'd say it's about 50/50 spokes vs alloys. I believe the alloy wheel version was particularly popular with those with shorter riders but I'm 6"1 and it's perfectly comfortable for me.
I just ended up with an alloy wheel model because it was the nicest bike in my budget.

 

The plus side is that the cast wheel version is slightly quicker to corner as wheels are more nimble. I had that version for many years and it rode well.