2017 Bikesales Bike of the Year: Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Name: 2017 Bikesales Bike of the Year: Triumph Bonneville Bobber
Brand: Triumph

The 2017 Bikesales Retro Bike of the Year is an enticing blend of old school cool and modern technology…

Triumph knows better than most that heritage sells – it's got one of the biggest classic lines of any modern manufacturer to prove it. And while the latest addition to its retro stable, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, might not be styled after any one single motorcycle of way back when, it is perhaps the most visually exquisite of the bunch.

First unveiled in October 2016 and then released in Australia in March 2017, the Bobber is loosely based upon Triumph's T120 Modern Classic family, deriving the same 1200HT ('High Torque') parallel-twin engine around which is wrapped an all-new tubular-steel twin-cradle frame.

Bobber job

The styling cues hark back to the original 'bobbers' of the 1940s. This was when returning servicemen spent their army paycheques on new bikes, both British and American, before setting about removing bodywork or components that weren't crucial for forward motion, and 'bobbing' – or chopping – front and rear guards.

Judged purely on style, the Bobber triumphs, pardon the pun, on just about every level. Purists will cry that a volume-production bobber is an oxymoron, but if you can move past that the Bonneville Bobber is a class act. From the gold coachlines on our test bike's two-tone tank (which attracts a $250 premium), to the faux carburettors (simply covers for the fuel injectors) to the spoked rims, the hardtail-look rear-end and the skinny Avon Cobra rubber – those not in 'the know' will have to look long and hard before they realise this isn't a well-cared-for WWII-era classic.

Everywhere we went, the Bobber drew double-takes and positive praise – to the extent that Steve, owner of Victoria's Flowerdale Hotel, said he reckoned he'd found his next bike.

Parallel-twin punch

As our four-day Bike of the Year road test amply demonstrated, those yesteryear looks were backed up by some solid performance, with the 1200cc parallel-twin punching out a broad wave of torque that can propel the Bobber to go-directly-to-gaol speeds if enthusiasm gets the better of caution. Certainly it offers performance the likes of which the bikes it seeks to emulate could only dream of.

Physically it's long and low, with a 690mm seat height that makes it accessible to those shorter of leg. The seat position can be shifted back a couple of notches with the aid of a socket or spanner, but riders over average height will find the Bobber quite cramped, with only modest leg room and their knees splayed wide in the breeze.

The basic suspension does a good enough job but at highway speeds the rear is spine-jarringly harsh over bigger impacts. Still, this bike affords plenty of bend-swinging thrills through the twisties, where its progress is moderated by modest ground clearance and a braking package better suited to city running than track-day high-jinks.

There's no adjustment on the front 41mm fork but there is preload adjustment on the rear monoshock, and the collars are easy to get to.

The anchors comprise a single disc with twin-piston caliper up front and a further disc at the rear. Editor Fattore managed to cook the rear brake heading down to Khancoban along the Alpine Way, but only after some 'enthusiastic' usage that the Bobber's creators probably didn't have in mind when they first penned the design.

Light and easy

With a 270-degree firing order the Bobber emits a pleasant boom through the stock pipes – not offensive but certainly enough to give it a bit of character – and the controls are all light, precise and easy to use. The fuelling is good but the gearing is hopelessly tall for a bike of this nature. At 100km/h in sixth gear the engine is barely ticking over at 2650rpm, and indeed sixth gear really isn't needed.

That's probably a measure by Triumph to improve fuel economy and eke some extra range from the Bobber's tiny 9.1-litre tank. You can expect a working range of around 170 kilometres from the Bobber, which is a nuisance should you ever want to cover some serious distance. Still, the fuel economy is reasonable – we achieved a healthy average of 4.7lt/100km.

The 1940s looks are, thankfully, countered with thoroughly modern motorcycle technology and engineering. The built quality is right up there and the Bobber has present-day niceties such as electronic fuel injection, two ride modes (road or rain), multi-stage (and switchable) traction control, antilock brakes and a digital LCD display set into the face of the stylish analogue speedo. The display can be cycled through a comprehensive trip computer's features, including tacho and a range-to-empty feature, although the latter appears to be rather inaccurate.

With a full tank the display reads a range of 130km, but often a number of shorter trips can be covered while that figure just keeps rising. In any case, on occasion I ran the bike down to a remaining range of zero and it still hadn't conked out, which I guess is more important than accuracy at the top of the range…

Summing up
The Bobber is a sunny Sunday (or Saturday night) city fun machine. It looks great, it goes well, and at $18,000 (or $18,250 for this two-tone model) plus on-roads, it represents reasonable value for money, too.

Triumph deserves to sell a stack of these Bobbers, as it continues – on the Modern Classics side of its range – to ride the coattails of the glory days of the British motorcycle industry.

SPECS: 2017 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BOBBER
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke eight-valve parallel-twin
Capacity: 1200cc
Bore x stroke: 97.6mm x 80.0mm
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 77hp (56.6kW) at 6100rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 106Nm at 4000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel cradle
Front suspension: 41mm KYB conventional fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: KYB monoshock, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 310mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear brake: 255mm disc with single-piston caliper
Tyres: Avon Cobra, front 100/90-19, rear 150/80-16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 228kg
Seat height: 690mm
Wheelbase: 1510mm
Fuel capacity: 9.1 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $18,000 plus on-roads
Colours: Ironstone (matt), Morello Red, Stunning Competition Green/Frozen Silver or Jet Black
Test bike supplied by: Triumph Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres

2017 Bikesales Bike of the Year: Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Tags