2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber

Triumph Bonneville
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Triumph Motorcycles is both way behind the curve with this one, and is also ahead. For a long time custom builders have been creating some pretty cool looking air/oil-cooled Hinckley Bonneville choppers, brats and bobbers, and it was only natural that sooner or later the new liquid-cooled T120s would go under the backstreet knife. But we didn't really expect Triumph would jump on the bandwagon—and in doing so steal a march on pretty much everyone else. Maybe we should have, but you can't look everywhere at once.

The bobber scene is still strong, and in hindsight we might have anticipated a Hinckley version any time over the past ten years. Hence our comment about the factory also being way behind the curve. But with this new machine, the company has made up a lot of ground, and we're glad its finally joined the party.
 

Triumph Bobber features

And what a party this is. A 1200cc 270-degree, liquid-cooled parallel twin with an 8-valve head. ABS. Fuel-injection. Traction control. A ride-by-wire throttle. An immobiliser. Wire wheels. Rigid looks (but with a monoshock rear end taking all of the "hard" out of the "tail"). A sprung saddle. And foot-controls in a more sensible and practical mid-position.

Additionally, a large range of accessories is planned for this bike including full-blown ape-hangers straight out of the 1960s. With its low riding position (27-inches/690mm), its macho/urban looks, and the Harleyesque front end, it's pretty obvious which bikes are looking to be taken down by this factory bobster—and a lot of rival bikes will undoubtedly lose out in the showroom wars.

This, for a large chunk of the market, will be viewed as a pretty cool looking motorcycle that's going to draw in some big bucks for Hinckley.

Bobber custom scene

But wait a minute! Doesn't the idea of a factory custom kinda kill much of its appeal? Well for some guys and girls it might. And with all the weight that's piled on to ensure everyday practicality (and legality), you can argue that it's not really much of a bobber anyway. Certainly not in spirit. And some might even call it a cynical attempt to (belatedly) cash-in on a fad that really belongs with the everyday folk looking to express themselves in their own way and thereby demonstrate some kind of rebellion against conformity.

Well we can recognise the arguments, but we don't really see it like that. Triumph has simply responded to fashion and has produced another motorcycle that thousands of motorcyclists are going to want. And if these bikers want to take a hacksaw and a blowtorch to this newcomer in the comfort of their sheds and garages and re-interpret it, that's their business.

Certainly, at the very least, this machine is going to frustrate a few custom bike builders looking to produce something different to the stock roadster T120s.

Other features of the Bonneville Bobber include a neat adjustable saddle that slides up and down on a runner thereby varying the height and attitude. The electrical stuff has been cleanly tucked away, and there's a large and fairly stylish flip-up speedometer that's adjustable for whatever seating position you choose.

We don't yet know what pillion provision is being offered, but we're fairly confident that Triumph would have looked that far ahead.
 

Bobber prices

There are no prices yet, so watch out for an update. Triumph hinted that something like this was coming. We were expecting something ... well, something else. Something a little less safe, perhaps. Something that pushed off in a totally new direction. Or maybe even an electric Triumph. But we're not disappointed.

If you're looking for another reason to buy British (albeit produced in a foreign factory) this could be it.



www.triumphmotorcycles.com