Triumph recently sprung to fly a whole load of journalists over to the UK to look at the latest line of Bonnevilles. Not ride, just look. This is not unheard of in the moto journalism world but it certainly is unusual. If anything that expense only goes to show how important the Bonneville line is to Triumph.
At last it has followed up with the first launch, kicking off with the budget Bonnie, the Street Twin. The launch is the prefered location of European manufacturers, Spain, and we sent our prefered launch guy, Costa Mouzouris, out there to ride the new Street Twin. In a break from our previous format, we’re going to kick things off with an intro article highlighting the history and technical attributes of the bike and then follow it up later in the week with Costa’s impressions.
For 2016 the Bonneville enters its second generation (that first gen had a 15-year run, and is still the basis of the 2016 Scrambler, Speedmaster and America models). It is an entirely new motorcycle, and I’m in Valencia, Spain to ride the Street Twin, one of five new Bonneville models launched in London a few weeks ago.
The Street Twin is Triumph’s entry-level Bonneville, using cast wheels, a single front disc, and minimalist trim. It also uses a five-speed gearbox, as opposed to the new 1200 cc Bonnevilles, which have six speeds. It is minimalist because Triumph wants to give owners the opportunity to customise it, releasing more than 150 accessories in conjunction with the bike.
The biggest news across the second-generation Bonneville range is the engine, which is now liquid cooled. The liquid cooling is very well disguised, with large cooling fins still covering the head and cylinders, and a narrow radiator nestled between the front downtubes.
The engine displaces 900 cc (up 35 cc), and uses a 270-degree crankshaft. Power is unexpectedly lower, offering a mere 54 hp at 5,900 rpm, significantly down on the current model’s 68 hp. However, the engine is specifically tuned for strong low-end torque, and it produces 59 lb-ft of peak torque at 3,200 rpm (an 18 percent increase). It is also astonishingly fuel efficient, claiming 26.55 km/l (3.77 litres/100 km or 75 mpg imperial, and 62.5 mpg US) – an almost 50 percent increase.
So the new 900 Bonnie is geared toward torque and fuel economy over power. This enables for a smaller 12-litre tank (which under the right conditions should give the same range as the previous unit’s 16 litre tank – about 380 km). Seat height is now 750 mm (up 10 mm) thanks to a 20 percent hike in rear suspension travel.
The Bonneville has caught up with modern times, and it now uses a ride-by-wire fuel injection system which allows it to incorporate traction control. ABS is now standard, a first for a Bonneville model, and just in case you weren’t sure of the latest Bonnie’s penchant towards modernity, there’s an LED taillight, and a USB port under the seat (with optional steering head relocation kit) so you can charge your smartphone while you ride.
That’s about as much as I can say without riding it (ride report tomorrow). However, simplicity sometimes trumps high tech and high performance when regarding riding pleasure, and I expect it will be a light-handling bike that’s fun to ride. Oh, and this latest gen is manufactured at Triumph’s Thailand plant.
The competitors (Editor ‘Arris)
Below are a few main features of the Street Twin’s direct competition for a quick comparison. The criteria were that they should be the base model option, twins, retro(ish), below $10,000 (ish) and between 800 and 1,000 cc.
At first look, the new Street Twin seems to be in good company. It’s priced about right — keeping below that all important $10,000 mark for the base colour model (full pricing for the new Street Twins can be found here). And though its power delivery is on par with the Sportster and likely the Bolt, it’s way down on the smaller capacity Scrambler that is still tuned for horses and not so much torque.
Where the Street Twin does excel, is in the electronics department, with the Fly by Wire allowing it to incorporate Traction Control. Why ABS isn’t standard on the Iron or Bolt is a little bizarre. Weight wise it does well against the Bolt and Iron, but again, the sportier Scrambler has it beat.
Bike | Triumph Street Twin | Ducati Scrambler Icon | H-D Iron 883 | Yamaha Bolt |
MSRP | $9,900 | $8,995 | $10,369 | $8,999 |
Displacement | 900 cc | 803 cc | 883 cc | 942 cc |
Engine type | Inline twin, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled | L-twin, Desmodromic, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled | V-twin, pushrods, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled | V-twin, SOHC, 4 per cylinder, air-cooled |
Power (crank)* | 54 hp @ 5,900 rpm | 75 hp @ 8,250 rpm | 53 hp @ 6,000 rpm | Unknown |
Torque* | 59 lb-ft @ 3,200 rpm | 50 lb-ft @ 5,750 rpm | 53.8 lb-ft @ 3,750 rpm | 59.3 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm |
Electronics | ABS, EFI, Ride by Wire, Traction Control | ABS, EFI | ABS (+$915), EFI | EFI |
Seat height | 750 mm (29.5 in) | 790 mm (31.1 in) | 735 mm (28.9 in) | 690 mm (27.2 in) |
Wet weight* | 217 Kg (478 lb) | 186 kg (410 lb) | 255 kg (562 lb) | 245 kg (540 lb) |
*claimed
Options
Somewhat like the Ducati Scrambler, there are four Street Twin flavours available (including the original model), though unlike the Italian bike, you must either build one yourself or have your dealer do it.
You can buy one of three Inspiration Kits, which are preselected assemblies of accessories designed to customize your Street Twin. Here’s what’s in each kit, lifted from Triumph literature (prices to be released at a later date):
The Scrambler kit
– Brushed high-level Vance & Hines exhaust system (off-road use only)
– Rear mudguard removal kit with compact rear light
– Brown ribbed bench seat
– Brown ‘Barrel style’ handlebar grips
– Compact LED indicators
– Brushed aluminum sump guard.
The Brat Tracker kit
– Brushed Vance & Hines slip-on silencers
– Rear mudguard removal kit with compact rear light
– Black ribbed bench seat
– Compact LED indicators
– Black ‘Barrel style’ handlebar grips
– Brushed sump guard.
The Urban inspiration kit
– ‘Ace’ style handlebars
– Brushed Vance & Hines slip-on silencers
– Compact LED indicators
– Short tinted fly-screen
– Signature single pannier, in waxed cotton and leather.
History
Triumph’s Bonneville goes back a long way, back to 1959 in fact, almost as long as the Harley-Davidson Sportster, which out dates the Bonnie by two years. The big difference between the two bikes, historically speaking, is that unlike the Sportster, the Bonneville experienced gaps in production, as its mother company dealt with one financial issue or another.
But we’re not here to talk about those old Lucas-electrified antiques; we’re here to talk about the New Bonneville, which saw light in 2000, under the company that was resuscitated in the early 1990s by businessman and motorcycle buff, John Bloor.
This New Bonneville was powered by either a 790 cc or 865 cc parallel twin (the latter becoming the sole displacement after 2006), and it mimicked the styling of the original. Aside from gaining several model variations over the years, the Thruxton and Scrambler among the more popular variations, the basic bike didn’t change much.
It eventually got two different engine variations, one with the traditional 360-degree crankshaft, and one with the 270-degree crank, which boosted low-end torque and gave the bike a lumpier exhaust cadence. Carburetors were replaced by modern EFI in 2008.
If that fuel economy is not a typo and it really is 3.14 L/100km then that translates to 75 mpg US or 90 mpg Imperial! Please check those figures Costa.
I’m going to fess up to that one. Costa supplied the 75 mpg imperial number, which was presented correctly, but being a Canadian magazine I figured we needed to present it in metric units so did the conversion. I assume I must have converted from US gallons instead of Imperial so that the metric numbers were too high.
Apologies, they have been updated to show 62.4 mpg US and 26.55 km/litre
I see your assumption and raise you an assumption his original number was in fact 75 mpg US gallons instead of Imperial gallons. That would give a Canadian metric equivalent of 3.14 L/100km
I’ve seen this happen before and I agree it’s bloody confusing when a British company gives you mpg in US gallons.
Any which way you slice it though, it has to be said this bike has remarkable fuel economy!
[…] we took a look at the mechanics behind the new Street Twin. Today I’m going to tell you about how it was to ride through the streets of Valencia and the […]
I declare then that this is the first true modern triumph bonneville hinkley has built. Thanks!
Your comparison is missing the best – and most Bonneville like option. The MG V7.
I agree that’s a sensible comparo, but at just under 750cc the Guzzi doesn’t quite hit the somewhat arbitrary and self inflicted 800cc minimum criteria. Had to draw the line somewhere I suppose.
Thanks for pointing that out Ian – that MG V7 is a nice bike that had slipped under my radar.
Numbone is right (again). We max out the comparos at the bike in question plus three others. Even the Scrambler was on the lower capacity end compared to others but we wanted to keep that one in as it is the bike to beat in this genre. Had we room for one more, rest assured, it would have been the V7.
Two questions immediately pop into mind, as a current 2014 bonneville owner:
1) Where is the ignition located now?
2) Does the tank have a locking gascap?
Hi Christopher,
I just edited Costa’s ride report so I can answer this (he’s currently on a plane).
1) Just below the speedo
2) Yes.