Triumph Bonneville America reviews

I have had my America for over a year now and my opinion has not changed. Wherever I go there are nothing but compliments. People are glad to see that Triumph is back and making great looking bikes. I have gone on several day trips and the performance is great. Would not trade it for anything. Show less

This is the motorcycle I focused on when I got my license. But I did the practical thing and bought a Suzuki 250 to learn on, and was ready to make the move to Bonneville one year later. The ride is balanced and strong - I don't have to white-knucke it when a truck passes or I'm doing 55 mph. The bike has power to accelerate and pass, yet does not get out of control. On my first trip home after picking the bike up from the dealership, I did not hesitate to take on the highway - I felt that confident in the bike. The second day I was stopped at a traffic light, and a Harley pulled up next to me and said what a good looking bike it was and wanted to know the make and model. It is classy, has a history - Steve McQueen rode one - and maintains it value and good looks. Show less

I rode Triumphs back in the 70s and early 80s, and really loved a lot of things about them, but the faults got to me, so I gave them up, and started riding Japanese bikes in 1983. Then my brother bought a brand new Triumph Thunderbird in 2000. That started me looking at Triumphs again. Last summer, I rode a 2002 Bonneville that a friend of mine picked up...and I made up my mind that I needed to have one. Last week, I bought a 2008 Bonneville T100, with less than 600 miles, and I am one happy camper! What a truly WONDERFUL motorcycle! It's everything I loved about the old Triumphs, without ANY of the faults! Each time I ride this bike, I'm a kid again! Smooth...good power, excellent brakes, and outstanding handling. The icing on the cake is that it has the classic, timeless good-looks of the old Bonnevilles. Often times our memories of machines we've owned make them better than they were in reality. The new Bonnevilles make those gilded memories a reality. I feel like I've come home again! Thank you Mr. Bloor, and all the Triumph team for not just bringing back a great old name, but, making it better than ever! Show less

My 2009 America has me smiling every time I ride it. It has plenty of power and when it comes to life at 5:00 a.m., it doesn't wake the town up. I got mine for a great deal but I would have paid full price:) Show less

The T100 is by far the best bike I've taken for a ride. It looks beautiful and handles great. Everything about this bike is great. All accessories and upgrades available for the bike make it an endless project. The only downside... it sounds like a scooter if at all. Very quiet, almost too quiet. But again, that upgrade is available as well... and fast approaching. Show less

Took it out for the 1st ride today. WOW! This bike does not disappoint. Have mainly been a Harley guy but wanted something else. Decided on the America because I loved the retro looks. Bike is smooth as silk and the tranny shifts like butter. I love it. Get one. You won't be sorry plus you cannot beat the price. Show less

I bought my 2008 T100 new last Spring. The 2009 models were out but I preferred the looks of the 2008. And 2008 was the last year for carburetors on the American version. I felt that a minor problem with carbs might make the bike run poorly while a problem with EFI might stop the engine completely. In over 4K miles I haven't had a moment that I wasn't thrilled with this beautiful machine. It has the looks of a classic Triumph and engineering like the best Japanese bikes. The 2008 has more plastic than preceding models but that helps keep the weight down. The bike is the size and weight of my old 1974 Honda CB550 but with an 865cc DOHC twin engine. Sweeeeet! It has more torque than any other vertical twin I've ridden plus a plenty of pep when you get the RPMs up. This bike is a blast to ride. My favorite kind of riding is way-back twisty and not very well-paved roads and my Bonnie loves them. No bagger, cruiser or crotch rocket could keep up with us on my favorite bad roads. The one drawback to this bike is that it draws a lot of attention and comments. Every time I stop I risk having to talk about the bike with some admirer. Many riders complain about how quiet the mufflers are, but I like a silent bike. And there are lots of complaints about the rear shocks. Mine were back-breakingly stiff at first but after a couple of thousand miles they seemed alright. Some people remove the air injector, but in case I ever move to California (which is possible) I'd better leave the emissions equipment alone. With louder pipes and a removed (and louder) airbox I could wring out a couple more horsepower. But I don't need a couple more horsepower. This thing already has more hp than my 1972 Karmann Ghia did. that's plenty for me. Stock, the T100 goes from 0-60 in five seconds flat. I'm not often in THAT big of a hurry. Show less

My 2009 Bonneville Black is a very early model. It came from England built looking like a 2008 model but with a EFI motor. I have the T100 spoked wheels, peashooter silencers, and tank badges instead of the Triumph stickers. There are numerous little differences between the same model within the same year. My Triumph twin has been dead solid perfect, in every way and as reliable as the Japanease brand it replaced. My bike is garage kept and isn't ridden in the rain. I have performed all my maintainance and kept the gastank filled when needed. It usually averages between 48-50 miles per regular gallon of gasoline. The terrain I ride in it around 80 feet above sea level and is low lying coastal plain. As a testament to the Triumph Bonneville, If it were stolen today, I would buy another model of the same bike to replace it with, as that's how much I have enjoyed riding this machine over the last 14 months! Thanks for reading. Show less

I decided on the Bonneville America after looking at the Honda Shadow Aero, the Suzuki C50T, and the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 and the HD Sportster 883. I didn't care for the riding position on any but the America and the Suzuki. The Suzuki, however, was much heavier and had much less horsepower. I wasn't able to test drive any of the bikes so I had to go by sitting still. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with this bike, it eats up curves, is fast, and really comfortable. Its build quality is right up their with the Japanese Bikes and superior to the Harley. The reason I gave it only 4 stars in performance is that I wish it were louder with the stock pipes. It's too quiet. Show less

We have #91, and this bike is way too much fun to leave on a pedestal. This is my wife's bike, and it's hard for her to keep me off it. [She learned to ride on a 25th anniv Bonnie, so this is like homecoming for her.] It is really stable in the corners and plenty quick -to say nothing of how many comments you get riding this beauty around! People are really impressed by the color scheme and how true to the original look it is. Show less