Triumph Bonneville Bobber

The Triumph Bonneville Bobber is one great example of how a motorcycle need not be too flashy and in-your-face to warrant attention. The graceful, traditional single-seater stance of the Bonneville Bobber, along with the elegant, old-school design derived from the Bonneville T120, make it a timeless motorcycle. It is the reason why despite being on sale for eight years now with no major changes to its overall design, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber remains a charmer.

The front profile of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, like all the Bonneville models on sale, consists of a rounded headlamp, which though here features LED illumination. Even the rounded and clear lens turn indicators, which are mounted on stalks attached to the front forks, are all-LED units, while the front look of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber is further completed with the rubber gaiters over front forks and compact but simple-looking front fender. 

The authentic bobber appeal of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber is more evident when you see the motorcycle from the side. The Bonneville Bobber has got all the traditional virtues which a bobber motorcycle should get in the first place – a floating, curved and large-sized single seat, broad tyres with thick sidewalls, spoke wheels (which here are finished in a blacked-out theme) and round-themed front and rear fenders and fuel tank. The trapezoidal side body panels positioned below the rider’s seat have rounded edges, complementing the rest of the design of the motorcycle. While the engine and other cycle parts around it feature an all-black theme, the twin exhaust pipes come with a brushed chrome finish.

At the back, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber has an ovular LED tail lamp, which is attached to the rear fender along with the rounded turn indicators. The absence of a pillion seat here gives it an authentic hard-tail look, but robs off the practicality, leaving no room for pillion. The low seat height of 690mm makes riding the Triumph Bonneville Bobber very easy even for shorter riders. The single-pod instrument console placed above the headlamp includes an analogue speedometer and an LCD panel displaying fuel gauge, odometer, trip meters and a couple of real-time riding data. 

Having the best chassis setup among all the Bonneville models on sale right now, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber is based on a tubular twin cradle steel frame with 47mm Showa cartridge forks at the front and mono-shock with linkage at the rear. The Bonneville Bobber gets the most unique set of tyres among all the models of the Bonneville range, including MT 90 B16 front and 150/80 R16 rear tyres. Triumph has equipped the motorcycle with twin 310mm discs at the front and a single 255mm disc at the rear. 

The Triumph Bonneville Bobber shares its four-stroke, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 1200cc engine with the Speed Twin 1200 and Speedmaster, the other two higher-spec retro motorcycles from the Triumph Bonneville lineup. With an 8-valve layout and 270-degree crank angle, this engine is coupled with a 6-speed transmission and churns out 78 PS of maximum power and 106 Nm of maximum torque. 

For a retro motorcycle, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber is decently equipped with modern safety essentials like dual-channel ABS, two riding modes, switchable traction control, engine immobilizer and cruise control. However, for its asking price, we do expect more riding aids on offer.

The Triumph Bonneville Bobber is all about the show while focusing less on practicality and daily usability. The motorcycle is high in style while having all the classiness of a traditional Bonneville motorcycle. The torquey motor only adds to the glory of the Bonneville Bobber.