Triumph Bonnies re-engineered for 2009

January 20, 2009

Triumph's enduringly popular Bonneville range has been given a new look and feel as the iconic model moves into its 50th year.

For 2009, the standard Bonneville ($12,490 plus ORC) will be joined by the Bonneville SE ($13,490 plus ORC), which is new to the range. Both models feature authentic 1970s styling, new handlebars, 25mm lower seat heights, lighter 17-inch cast alloy wheels at the front and rear, shorter mudguards, and megaphone silencers from the sporty Thruxton.

The higher-specification Bonneville SE adds an array of special equipment to the mix, including a tacho, chromed tank badges and brushed alloy engine casings.

The SE comes in a choice of solid Jet Black or a  two-tone livery -- dark Pacific Blue with Fusion White.

Riders looking for a 1960s style Bonneville have not been forgotten, and are catered for with the wire-wheeled T100 model ($13,990 plus ORC), which has been updated with some minor detail changes for 2009.

The retro classic gets new handlebar clamps, restyled footrests, black clock surrounds and a white Triumph logo on the seat and, fork gaiters, previously available as an optional extra, come as standard.

Triumph is also introducing an exclusive limited-edition of the Bonneville -- the Triumph Bonneville T100 50th Anniversary, which pays homage to its 1959 namesake with a unique paint scheme (two-tone Meriden Blue/Exotic Orange combination), complemented with hand-painted gold pinstripes.

The livery echoes the 'Tangerine Dream' design that proved such a talking point on the 1959 originals.

Only 650 Bonneville T100 50th Anniversary edition bikes will be produced, echoing the engine capacity of the original Bonneville, and each will be individually numbered and identified with a brass plate on the handlebar clamp.

In addition, each bike comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by John Bloor, owner of Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.

With such small numbers, you'll be hard pressed to source an anniversary T100 in Australia - so don't give your local dealer a hard time unless they are family.

A comprehensive range of official accessories is also available for the complete Bonneville family. These include a new quick-release screen and performance exhaust systems developed in conjunction with the Italian company Arrow Special Parts.

The new range of Bonnevilles will be available late February, early March.

The original Triumph Bonneville, the T120, was a 650cc air-cooled parallel twin manufactured between 1959 and 1974. Today's Bonnies are still parallel twins, but have modern chassis and produce around 68hp from their 865cc fuel-injected engines.

In 2008, the 'old' T100 and Bonneville were the third and fourth biggest sellers in the Australian nakedbike market.

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