New Triumph Bonneville Spied!
Spy photos from the Emerald Isle look like a new Twin is near completion
In December we published spy photos of a Triumph “Street Tracker” prototype, which boasted a new liquid-cooled parallel-Twin engine that we theorized would form the basis of Triumph’s lineup of classically styled motorcycles.
Triumph Street Tracker R Spied!
And now come these spy photos of what looks like what’s probably the New New Bonneville, which makes sense since the last New Bonneville has been around since 2001. As such, this one is a hugely important machine for Triumph; the current Bonneville/Thruxton/America/Speedmaster line of air-cooled parallel-Twins is the firm’s bread and butter – and has been since Edward Turner built the first Speed Twin in 1938.
If anything, the bike in these photos hews even more closely to the classic Triumph lines than the current model, but the engine and chassis are completely new: The biggest difference is the radiator between the exhaust headers, which would indicate it now cools water instead of oil. The original New Bonnie displaced 790cc before later bumping up to 865; the new liquid-cooled one will probably be even bigger if history is any indication, and certainly more powerful than the 60 or so rear-wheel horses of the current range.
The frame is still tubular steel but no doubt revised, while the bodywork may be even slightly more period-correct. ABS brakes will almost surely be standard equipment to meet European regs, and the liquid-cooled engine will be likely be controlled with a ride-by-wire throttle.
The Bonneville in these pictures appears to be nearly production ready, so expect to see it in its finished form this fall at EICMA as a 2016 model. More to come…
More by John Burns
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I like the fake carbs. Fits a bike like this well. Having looked at how the Thunderbird conceals the fuel injector lines, the fake carbs are more elegant and fitting of the retro pedigree.
I also hope they get rid of the fake carb. It's one of the primary things keeping me from purchasing a Bonneville. All this talk of "heritage" and "genuineness" and "character" and then they stick this piece of garbage on there that doesn't function in order make it look older than it is. Talk about a lack of genuineness. I'd feel like a poseur every time I'd start the bike up. "Hey everyone, look at my awesome motorcycle! Doesn't it just exude character? Don't mind the carburetor knob that doesn't actually do anything." It'd be like putting non-functioning manual window controls on a car door that has electronically controlled windows. Ugh! Retro styling is one thing. Hell, keeping old tech on new a bike is one thing (see: Harley pushrods). But deliberately hiding new tech with superfluous, disingenuous, without-function body work that looks like old tech is completely ridiculous and frankly, a little insulting.
Triumph, for Pete's sake, you've got a great retro-styled bike. Quit mucking it up with the fake carb. It's not fooling anyone, especially not your potential customers.