2005 TRIUMPH reviews

So I consider my '05 Daytona 650 my first bike (although I had an old 250 Interceptor for a few weeks in NYC, in the middle of winter) and absolutely love it. I started off quite nervous about riding it, but it just inspires confidence. Dealing with the strong winds here in Vegas is the only thing I don't like about riding, but this bike feels rock solid when being blasted by a gust from the side. I haven't opened her up much, but I did scare myself in 3rd gear once when I accelerated a little too hard and felt the front wheel lifting a little too much! I've already had a handful of people admiring the bike, even non-riders who don't care for the Jap bikes, they love this Triumph, and half the people I work with, are looking to now buy a bike, most of them wanting a Triumph! Can't wait to get the first oil change out of the way, and take it over 6k rpm... Show less

I picked up my Black Bonny in February and have been on it every weekend. You can ride this bike all day with a smile on your face. I ride with a bunch of Harleys and every where we go it is the Triumph that gets the attention. Show less

After riding a HD XL 1200R for 9,600 miles, I decided I wanted something more maneuverable. I test rode the 06 Thruxton for about an hour. I fell in love with it the first 15 minutes. It maneuvers excellently with great lean capacity. I've taken it to 90 miles per hour (don't do it-it's stupid to go so fast) and the stability is great. But I want to emphasize again that the maneuverability is wonderful in corners, weaving roads, or tight spots. It took me about 3 weeks to truly enjoy the riding position. My wrists, forearms, neck and shoulders were sore at first. But soon the discomfort disappeared. And although I have a very bad lower back, the lean position is great. The low-back pressure I experienced in an upright riding position is greatly minimized in a leaning position. I can ride for about 3 hours before needing a brief break. Show less

It takes its origins to one of the most beautiful bikes of all time, the '60s Bonneville, and it gets it all right except for reliability - unlike its ancestors, the new Bonneville seems rock solid in terms of reliability. The Bonneville was the only sensible choice for me, as I was looking for a do-everything bike, and the biz has become so specialized that it's hard to find. In my experience, the Bonneville is a capable daily commuter, a good weekend cruiser, a perfectly fine cruiser, and plenty of fun cutting through the twisties. Sure, you can find another bike that does any one of these things much better - it won't compete with a GSX-R in the twisties, it won't compete with a Goldwing on long trips, and it's not as agile as a scooter in town - but it does all of these tasks, and it does all of them WELL. With realistic expectations, this bike is amply powerful - on a recent trip to Chicago, the speedo was pointing in the triple digits with plenty left to give, while hauling me, two fully-loaded saddlebags and a roll bag. The only complaint I have is that the stock seat encourages you to get off the bike every couple hours - which works out almost perfectly with the 160-mile fuel range I'm seeing, so it's not really a major detriment. I think for serious touring duty I'd want a Corbin Gunfighter and Lady seat. The bike NEEDS the center stand, and it's annoying that Triumph sells it as an extra when it should be standard equipment. Show less

I bought my Scrambler after my KLR started leaking oil after 125,000 km or about 75,000 mi. I had just returned from a trip to Ushuaia. I presently have 36,600 km or about 25,000 mi on my Scrambler. I live in British Columbia, Canada. The bike slept outside all winter with a small heater under the bike cover. I installed a sidecar to keep from falling over on ice and snow. I rode the bike across the continent, from Kimberley BC to Washington State, to San Francisco, then to Charleston SC and back in January 2007. The bike has withstood minus 20 degree Celcius or about minus 10 F and 300-400 mile days in this weather. What more can one reasonably ask? The Himalayas next! One year old and never ridden in summer months because of my job. Show less

I had a GSXR 600 as my first rocket and didn't think it could get better. I saw this awesome looking bike, test drove it and sold my GIXXER the next day to pay for my 650. I haven't even missed my GSXR because of this awesome machine. The 650 has better power and better acceleration than the GSXR and CBR I have ridden. This is a great and reliable bike. won't sell it unless I have to!!! Show less

I agree with the upgrade of the sprocket. The 2005 865cc Speedmaster stock is a 16 tooth. I upgraded mine with an 18 tooth. I also had a 904 big bore, fcr 39mm carbuerators, nology hot wires, air box installed and changed out my pipes. My Speedmaster still has great low end and with the sprocket change it balances out the low and high end. Show less

Hi Riders, I have to tell you, the new Triumphs are great. 300 mile days are no problem. Fun on dirt roads. Easy to ride. I have two BMWs and love them but the new Bonnie is the first bike I pull out to ride. Currently looking into getting a Scrambler. I have done some things to the Bonnie. Different, flat track style bars. Triumph off road pipes, rejet and remove the air injectors. I put on a Lucus style tail light. The instructions said to relocate the turn signals...so I did. Both front and rear sets are now relocated to a box in the shed. I added Konis to the back. Progeressive springs up front with a Race Tech fork kit. When I get the Scrambler, I will do the same mods I have done here with the exception of the shocks. I will go with Olins to get a better off road shock. I have worn out the stock tyres so I need to replace them. that's it. Great bike. Great fun. Lots of looks and comments. And it may be just the easiest bike to ride. Show less

This is it! The most fun I ever had with my clothes on! A little nervous at first still get that tingly feeling when I twist the throttle. A few modifications and it makes 165 HP and 170FtLb. Only had the computer open the secondarys once. I was doing 500 in fourth, twisted the grip 3/4, then to full after about a second and now doing 70 the computer opened the secondaries and holding on for dear life, in under 2 seconds 105, front end a foot in the air and a 240 size stripe the whole way! Show less

Bought this bike after many long hours/days/months of looking at Yamahas, Suzukis, Hondas, Kawasakis, and Harley's. All had nice bikes but I kept coming back to the Triumph America. It fit me like a glove and handled real nice. It is not the fastest bike but plenty of power to keep me smilin' (I am not a speed demon!!). The look of the bike is beautiful (I have the Goodwood Green color which looks similar to British Racing Green), I get comments everywhere I go, I have even had drivers in cars roll their windows down and comment. Show less