Triumph Bonneville T100 pipedream

[sobi1998]

In the back of my head I’ve always wanted a bike but never really considered it. I really like the style of the Bonneville T100.

I’ve never driven a motorcycle...
Here are some of the specs:
-900cc engine
-55hp @ 5,900rpm
-liquid cooled 8 valve parallel twin engine
-59ft-lbs @ 3,200 rpm
- 5 speed manual
It’d be a city cruiser. I wouldn’t take it on the freeway very often.
Brand new they sell for $10,500-$11k
I found a preowned 2012 model for $5k
I guess the reason why I’m posting this is to ask, is it worth it?
Thanks


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[AustinN4]

Nice retro look. One of my first bikes was a Tiger Cub.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Tiger_Cub

 

[jrbfishn]

Nice looking bike. I had a T140v in the late '70s I rebuilt and put in a hardtail frame. Thing was a beast. Loved it.
As to being worth it?
That is a question only you can answer.

from an idjit coffeeholic

 

[busykngt]

Only you can determine it’s “worth” to yourself.
-
I rode a Suzuki GN400 for seven or eight years around Austin back in the day (when Austin was a much smaller city). It was a great little city/street bike! But my pipe dream if I ever was to step up to a larger ‘road bike’, was always a BMW. Never happened.

 

[sobi1998]

Nice looking bike. I had a T140v in the late '70s I rebuilt and put in a hardtail frame. Thing was a beast. Loved it.
As to being worth it?
That is a question only you can answer.

from an idjit coffeeholic

I guess I should’ve rephrased that. Price is just a number I feel good or bad about.
would it be comfortable to take on a 100+ mile road trip? Even bigger question is what daily short comings does a bike have that aren’t completely obvious,compared to a car (with respect to suburb/city driving)


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[busykngt]

Certainly a 900cc bike can handle a hundred mile trip without having to think twice about it. Since you’re not used to riding, your butt may be another matter.

The main concern I personally always had about riding, was being “invisible” to other {car} drivers. Having them look right through you and not seeing you. It appeared to me (pardon the pun), most motorcycle deaths occurred when a car pulled out at an intersection in front of the motorcyclist.

Call me paranoid, but I frequently took to flashing my headlights, high beam to low beam, back & forth to get their attention, if I had the least bit of suspension a driver wasn’t paying attention. Especially true out in the country, where little county roads intersected with the main highway and speeds were much greater than in city traffic. On some occasions, I even waved my arm in the air to let them know a human being was coming at them at 60 or 70 mph.

 

[Chirpy]

$5K isn't bad for a clean, low-mile Triumph. That bike will take you just about anywhere you want to go.

 

[Davetex]

Yeah, that bike would be great for what you want.

 

[texasnurse]

First things first, having never ridden a motorcycle, start by pricing out essential items. Helmet, Jacket, Pants, Boots, Gloves.

A quality helmet is upwards of $200

You will need several jackets/pants/gloves depending on the riding season.

Then price out tires and maintenance costs, motorcycles are not the same maintenance wise as cars.

Price out accessories, for a long ride you will want a windscreen of some type, it is doable without but you will feel like a sail at the end of the day.

Oh and you will need rain gear as well, leathers don’t like to get wet.

Take a MSF course, it’s a basic introductory to the feel and operation of a motorcycle and a license requirement.

Check out cycle-ergo.com (a simulation of how your body type would sit on a Bonneville or any other bike)

Insurance, you will want that, requirement in Texas.

Price out and find alternative seats, stock seats are junk, and will leave your tailbone aching.

Become familiar with counter steering it will save your life.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Above all enjoy the ride!

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[RACER X]

^solid advice

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[jrbfishn]

Long rides are do-able. Even without a windscreen. My problem 2as the position most factory bikes put you in. Made my joints hurt and made my back, legs and arms cramp after a while. That is why I chopped mine. More comfortable riding position.
Just got to where it hurt too much just to ride anything. Still miss it though.

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[jar]

Back in the early 60s I had a Bonnie. My roommate had to put his bike over when someone made a left turn from the right lane on Charles Street in Baltimore and he spent almost a year with a pin from ankle to knee and I discovered the joy of four wheels and a bigger box.

Still miss it though and dream of getting another, but then I wake up and reality sets in.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Yeah, it's worth it. I just got back off a 50mile run.

Adding to the list of stuff mentioned. Tire plug kit, tire air gauge. If you got the space, a chain tool.


Now keep in mind the maintenance isn't like a car. You'll be lubing a chain every 300miles. Or after every time you ride in the rain. You also gotta stay on top of tire pressure.

You can balance your own tires if you want. To include mounting tires. All it takes is a few motorcycle dedicated tools. Tires run anywhere between $80 to $150 each.

I also highly suggest you get a hand exerciser. The one with a spring you squeeze. It'll help build up your hand stamina. Pulling a clutch a couple hundred times around town is something you build up to. The throttle hand needs it too. It can be tiring holding the throttle in one position on a cruise.

Other areas, is lower back. You don't use your arms or hands to support your torso. It's back and stomach muscles with a good grip with your legs. Your arms do nothing but pull the levers and twist the throttle.

When you first start riding your hands will probably hurt after riding for 10mins. That means you're doing a death grip on the handlebars. You'll have to practice a light touch, relaxed grip.


The bike will feel like $hit to you for the first few hundred miles. After that it quickly becomes comfortable. You have to keep riding it. The more you do, the better it'll feel.

 

[sobi1998]

@grasshopperglock
Haha speaking of the hand cramping. Is it like when I use my old edger on my lawn and it vibrates the blood out of my hands?


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[grasshopperglock]

@grasshopperglock
Haha speaking of the hand cramping. Is it like when I use my old edger on my lawn and it vibrates the blood out of my hands?


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If it's a single cylinder motor. Yep, pretty much. 2,3, and 4 cylinders are smoother. You'll feel a vibration but it's not bad at all. It's not bad enough to make hate riding the thing.

Unless you get a single cylinder. It can be kinda rattling.

 

[grasshopperglock]

A major good thing. Something you'll enjoy. Insurance is cheap and go's for a year. None of that every 6 months like with a car.

Insurance runs me $100 for 365 days. Minimum coverage. I think full was something like $350 for a year

On the 650 I ride. Dogging it and generally not caring about how much gas it's using. I can't get it to go below 31mpg.

 

[sharkey]

I guess I should’ve rephrased that. Price is just a number I feel good or bad about.
would it be comfortable to take on a 100+ mile road trip? Even bigger question is what daily short comings does a bike have that aren’t completely obvious,compared to a car (with respect to suburb/city driving)


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Comfort is really dependent on you. That said, easy to do 100miles on most anything. For urban commuting, a big scooter is really under appreciated. All that said, your first course of action - take a MSF class to even see if cycling is for you. Secondly, visit twtex.com for advice since it is a dedicated TX cycle forum.

Cycle has many negatives compared to a car but despite that I own 2. Retros are cool, even the JAP malers have got retro models. I owned a Honda CB1100 for a bit and the new ones oozed quality and class.

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[grasshopperglock]

The CB1100 is a close match to the Triumph.

The retros are cool. Classic style of bike with the latest technology.

Is this a 1979 or 2017(?)

 

[avvidclif]

Years ago my brother rode a Honda CL350 from Irving to Galveston in time to enjoy a hurricane (think 60's). He put the bike in the motel room and rode it out. In 2010 when we made the RFTW a guy rode a Honda 400 street bike all the way. Ca to DC. me, no way in hell but it can be done.

 

[grasshopperglock]

I wouldn't either. I second that hell no. Now if it was a big cruiser with a windshield, plush seat, radio, cruise control and cups holders. Sure.