T120 Test by Peter Egan

[Ulvetanna_imp]

It's not always about horsepower. Egan bought the same color Bonnie my little brother did, who could care less that it doesn't have the Thruxtons hp. He loves his, as apparently does Egan.

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That was not my point, just that in the same powerplant configuration, Triumph gives us over 100 HP in the Thruxton, but a seriously detuned version in the Bonneville. I first thought perhaps the bike was a lot lighter than the CB1100 and they were seeking a power/weight ratio suitable for a more docile rider, but I noted that the bike actually weighs exactly the same as a CB1100 Standard, 540 pounds.

It has perhaps a little more torque but is down 10 HP and I have to say, after my ride yesterday, the CB1100 has just enough power but could use 5% more across the entire range. So thinking of that weight, but down ten horses, that is going to make a difference in sales and long-term satisfaction. When one is getting on the freeway those ten horses come in very handy, this is not an inexpensive bike, and that peak power figure does not reflect the real, urban world.

Hustling a porker like a CB1100 onto the freeway is interesting at times; from a purely marketing perspective, yes, the bike looks very nice in whatever color Egan liked, and the pseudo-Amal carbs and other vintage touches stimulate nostalgia and very much help to open the wallet.

But take it all around (and I bought a 2000 Bonnie which I finally had to admit was not what I had hoped after several years of trying), after two or three years, many of these will likely be sold. We're seeing that right now on this forum, many owners who just loved their CB1100s are now selling them. Some we know about, other owners have just stopped posting (I have been lurking here since July, 2013 so I know the names) which would probably indicate disenchantment and a sale of the bike.

If Triumph had just given the bike the same peak HP as the CB1100, they'd still have a premium worth paying for in the Thruxton, but would be selling a bike with a higher level of physical exhilaration as well as a significantly more practical usefulness in an urban environment where reasonably quick throttle response can mean the difference between a close call or accident or not.

Anyway if it wasn't all about HP then let's all buy the Sym Wolf Classic 150 and call it a day, lol...15 HP, $2999, buy two! And it has a real carburetor and a kick starter.

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BTW, Good morning.

I just received my copy of Rider and read the Eagan story.
He certainly seems well satisfied with it - as would I.
I'm a bona fide old fart too and am well satisfied with the older Bonneville I already have. I suppose I could trade up, but don't feel the need - and another but - don't temp me

Well "hell's bells" as my grandma used to say, here is what I said about the Triumph:

"Good review, and a nice motorcycle, were my thoughts."

But now I've already been roundly slandered and subtly maligned for suggesting it's flawed because it's not producing sufficient power.

And color? What color? There is a splash of some variety of vermilion on the top of the tank. That is not a color, it is an accent.

And good morning to you, too, sir.