The Bonnie's bench saddle...
The Bonnie's bench saddle and traditional springs remind your buttocks of the good old days.
Building the Better Bonnie
How do you recreate the archetypal sporting road bike, one that eventually became a cultural icon? (A vibrating, leaking cultural icon, but still...) Triumph had to tread carefully when redesigning the Bonneville legend, to not sully the memory of glorious British twins with a clumsy modern showboat. It was a tall order to recapture the sheer rush of the T120's quickness and agility, with none of the mechanical hiccups (or belches) that plagued the early models.
Triumph's intent to produce a machine combining timeless appeal with modern function explains the new Bonnie's old-school 360-degree vertical twin layout and updated, four-valve heads. Rose-colored memories of the past don't always keep step with the latest technology, so Triumph decided to forego rigid historical accuracy and focused on making the 2001 reissue a solid, all-around motorcycle that pushed at least some of the warm and fuzzy buttons. Nevertheless, the designers were resolute in casting the bike closely to its forebear in look, geometry and size.
The Bonnie's 790cc makes noticeably more power than the W650's 676cc, and in a smoother fashion. Two balancers in the upper half of the horizontally split cases arrest most of the intolerable vibration of your father's Triumph. But one ride on the brand-new Bonnie illustrates the main difference between it and the W650; where the Kwak comes up with a flaccid 41 bhp, the Triumph's twin jugs make a respectable 61 bhp. And the bike offers you gobs of torque and a powerband that lets you barrel down the road with nary a snick at the shifter. This Bonnie is beefier than the Kawasaki in every respect. What's even more respectable is the fact that most of the power is usable from 2700 rpm all the way to the rev limit. The Triumph's broad spread of grunt yields linear, easy acceleration too, except for a flat spot off idle.
The Triumph's parallel twin cylinders are air-cooled, but they have two overhead cams instead of the pushrod valves of your dusty T120 model. A discreet oil cooler tucked behind the frame downtubes ensures consistent running temps. The powerplant looks chronologically correct, and the oil drain tube at the front of the engine is made to resemble a pushrod tube from the old unit. With the five-speed gearbox reversed, a final drive chain ends up on the right instead of the left, allowing room for the traditional Triumph engine case on the right. The twin balancer shafts reduce high-speed vibrations, but these are tuned to ensure the new iteration isn't overly smooth -- which we think it still is.
A 4.3-gallon gas tank will spirit you out of city environs with room to spare, delivering range in the area of 150 miles. The Triumph's 29 degree rake makes for a more comfy commute at highway speeds. There's better feedback from the Bonnie's front end than the spindlier W650, probably due to the Triumph's stouter 41mm stanchions, which track a longer 58.8-inch wheelbase and 88.6-inch overall length. This bike is longer, lower and heavier than the Kawasaki, and the weight difference is noticeable. The Bonneville tips the scales at 499 pounds wet to the W650's 472 pounds. All those characteristics make this Triumph a stable ride -- we're talking cruiser vernacular here.
But even though the Bonneville steers more heavily than the Kawasaki (keep in mind both bikes are more nimble than common cruisers), it's still eager to participate in twisty road euphoria. Naturally, the suspension on the Bonneville feels sporty, with chassis geometry similar to the '60s model. But there's also the comfort a semi-standard riding position brings. With a low 30.5-inch seat height and flat, wide bench saddle, the Triumph locates your feet just a hair to the rear of 90 degrees. The Brit bike's low bar has you hunched forward at a more aggressive angle than the W650 -- which we preferred over the long haul. The Triumph's five-speed transmission shifts efficiently and without fuss, albeit a bit loudly.
The brakes are marginally better than the W650's, and we experienced a bit of fade with the front after intense use. The rear brake held up admirably though, and the Bonnie wins this round with its discs front and rear. We found the Bonneville's clutch to be so light and cornering clearance so reasonable, it fortified us with the glow of Anglophilia. So we dragged the limey lunk around a sanctioned track school for a couple of laps. It performed exceptionally well, given that it was surrounded by sportbikes the entire time.
The Bonnie's exhaust system should look familiar to Triumph owners of the '60s -- the peashooter silencers follow the look of the original. There's a catalytic converter in some models and all incorporate an air-injection system to reduce emissions, but crack the 2001 throttle and all you'll hear is a stuttered whine from the pipe, and a sigh of disappointment from your lips.
The Bonnie's speedo sits forlornly...
The Bonnie's speedo sits forlornly by the narrower handlebar, lacking the traditional Britbike tach to keep it company.
No worries, mate -- the classic tank badge on the side of the flowing, authentically scalloped gas tank still remains, complete with indents for optional knee pucks. Two-tone paint comes in red and silver and green and silver. And while we found the analog speedo to be serviceable, we couldn't understand why there wasn't a flippin' tach. We didn't find a tool kit either; and did we mention the ignition switch was buried somewhere to the side of the headlight?
If looking for a place to hang your lid whilst parked at the local java hut, you're out of luck on the Bonnie. Unlike the Kawasaki, no thoughtful helmet lock is provided. Likewise, there isn't a centerstand, but you'll find it in Triumph's accessory catalog, along with a variety of other items to clamp onto the Bonnie. We understand beefier aftermarket exhausts are on the way, too.
Triumph knew it had to take liberties with its new machine while emphasizing style, but knew the Bonneville also had to be a motorcycle that wasn't just a museum piece; it had to hold its own against the legend. With its torquey twin-cylinder engine, easy handling chassis, lean classical styling and popular $6999 price tag, the 2001 model captures the spirit of the old Bonnie well enough without relinquishing its raison d'etre to the whimsy of fashion.
SPECIFICATIONS
2001 Kawasaki W650
Suggested base price: $6599
Engine type: Air-cooled, transverse vertical twin
Valve arrangement: SOHC, 2 intake, 2 exhaust valves per cylinder
Displacement: 676cc
Carburetion: 2, 34mm CV
Transmission: Wet, multi-plate clutch; 5 speeds
Final drive: Chain
Wet weight: 472 lb.
GVWR: 551 lb.
Wheelbase: 57.1 in.
Overall length: 86.0 in.
Rake/trail: 27 degrees / 4.1 in.
Front suspension: 39 mm stanchions, 5.1 in. travel
Rear suspension: Dual dampers, 4.1 in. travel, adjustable for preload
Wheels: Spoked, 19.0 x 3.0 in. front, 18.0 x 4.0 in. rear
Seat height: 31.5 in.
Handlebar width: 32.1 in.
Fuel capacity: 4.0 gal.
Average fuel mileage: 41.2 mpg
Average range: 145 miles
SPECIFICATIONS
2001 Triumph Bonneville
Suggested base price: $6999
Engine type: Air-cooled, transverse vertical twin
Valve arrangement: DOHC, 2 intake, 2 exhaust valves per cylinder
Displacement: 790cc Carburetion: 2, 35mm CV
Transmission: Wet, multi-plate clutch; 5 speeds
Final drive: Wet, multi-plate clutch; 5 speeds
Final drive: Chain
Wet weight: 499 lb.
GVWR: 946 lb.
Wheelbase: 58.8 in.
Overall length: 98.8 in.
Rake/trail: 29 degrees / 4.6 in.
Front suspension: 41mm stanchions, 5.5 in. travel
Rear suspension: Dual dampers, adjustable for preload
Wheels: Spoked, 19.0 x 2.5 in. front, 17.0 x 3.5 in. rear Seat height: 30.5 in.
Handlebar width: 28.5 in.
Fuel capacity: 4.3 gal.
Average fuel mileage: 42.2 mpg
Average range: 150 miles
Jim O'Connor: Rationally, the Triumph is a better performer than the Kawasaki. No good ol' English charm here, just decent performance with no soul. I wanted to like the Bonnie because of its heritage, I just couldn't. And where's the tach?
But look at the W650. What do I spy with my goggled eye? A kick-starter! One kick and it comes to life with the rumble sadly absent from the Triumph. The power is down, but I didn't miss it. I liked the Kawasaki's looks, and a nice cruise through sweepers convinced me the W650 is the "retro" to own.
Cruising is what these bikes were made for and the Kawasaki does it better. If you want more performance, get the Triumph. For me? The Kawasaki gave me an impression of all the things that were great about the motorcycles of yore, without the hassles.
Jim O'Connor
O'Connor currently works for Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Cherney: I didn't quite know what to make of the W650 at first. Was it a Japanese copy of an old Brit bike or just a bare-bones standard with a few nostalgic quirks? The bottom line is it's a hoot to ride -- mushy brakes, kickstarter and all. It simply looks groovy and works pretty darn good.
And while the Bonneville had the reputation and benefit of years of admiration, it couldn't possibly live up to all that in its new incarnation...could it? I like the engine on the Bonnie way better than the W650, and the riding position and the suspension were superior, but the total package left me a bit cold.
If the Bonnie is a fast and fun ride, the W650 is my pick for clown prince of the road, generating a few more smiles for my miles.
Friedman: Face it. If there were lots of people who wanted classic British or Japanese middleweight vertical twins, they never would have stopped making them. Besides the legion of Brit bikes that have done the hippy-hippy shake off into oblivion and the original Kawasaki W1 and W2 series, we have bid farewell to the Yamaha 650 twin (which is still paid homage by a healthy owner's club), Honda's CB500 twin (and more recently a British style 500 single that barely arrived before it was gone).
If you want one, I'd grab it fast, because they aren't likely to catch fire this time around either. Which one? Well, the Bonneville is functionally the better bike, more powerful and comfortable, but the W650 is a much more faithful recreation of those old Brit bikes and what it was like to ride them -- right down to the uncomfortable seat. It has the "character" that lovers of old crocks wax nostalgic about. Now as then, the character is better remembered than relived.