Triumph Bonneville - a motorcycle with its history, a racer and a movie hero

The history of the motorcycle Triumph Bonneville began in 1953, when the car appeared in the American film "Savage", shot by the director Laszlo Benedikom. The main character Johnny Strabler played Marlon Brando, he traveled to the "Triumph". Since the film was about bikers, the motorcycle model also played the leading role, and thus Triumph Bonneville gained wide popularity. Mass production of the model was not yet there, and the film served as the impetus for the beginning of a wide conveyor production. "Bonneville" from the very beginning turned out to be technological and successful from the point of view of designing and the subsequent assembly, and several impressive records, set on the racing version, marked the prospect of producing a motorcycle for many years to come.

Highscores

So, the real popularity waited for Triumph Bonneville several years later, when sports cars and then racing cars began to be created on its basis . The engine "Triumph 650" made it possible to reach high speeds on a flat track. At Triumph Bonneville were set several records, the most famous of which belongs to the racer Johnny Allen of the US state of Utah, who in 1956 on a bike called "The Devil's Arrow" showed a speed of 311 km / h. A two-cylinder in-line engine operated on pure methanol, and the motorcycle itself was equipped with aerodynamic skirts that reduced air resistance. Successfully chosen and the place to check in. It was a salt lake with a perfectly smooth and hard surface.

Another record was made the following year by the German Wilhelm Gertz at the same Triumph Bonneville, with a speed of 338 km / h. Johnny Allen responded by passing the distance at a speed of 345 km / h, and in the next six years no one could block this record. Only in 1962 the English racer William Johnson reached a speed of 362 km / h on the forced Triumph Bonneville. And finally, in 1966, the unbeaten record of the rider Robert Leppan was recorded, which showed 395 km / h in the motorcycle class to 700 cc / cm.

After that, Triumph's products began to enjoy high demand in the US market, and British industrialists in 1959 released a model of a road bike - T120. Model Triumph Bonneville T120 made a splash, showing excellent speed and "registering" the arrow speedometer at around 185 km / h. In addition, in 1963, Triumph Bonneville once again starred in the movie, this time in the Hollywood movie "The Great Escape" with Steve McQueen in the title role.

New generation

The next Triumph model was the Triumph Bonneville T140 model with a 724 cc / cm engine and 62 hp, produced in 1972. Due to its outstanding technical characteristics, the T140 successfully competed in the world market with Japanese motorcycles, and in 1979 Bonneville received the title "Motorcycle of the Year" in the competition of the British magazine Motorcycle News. The model was manufactured before 1988, then the production was stopped and the conveyor was stopped. There was a long pause.

The release of the new generation "Triumph" began in 2001, when the general public saw the Triumph Bonneville 790. A year later the model Triumph Bonneville T100 came off the assembly line. Since 2005, Triumph Bonneville motorcycles have been equipped with a new 865 cc / cm engine with a capacity of 64 hp. Until 2008, all Triumph Bonneville engines were carbureted, and then fuel injection became injector.

Modifications

At present, the Triumph series is represented by three models: Triumph Bonneville Classic, Triumph Bonneville SE, Triumph Bonneville T100. All motorcycles are part of the history of the company and differ in engine power and design "twists", such as the chrome lining on the tank or the location of the tachometer on the dashboard. Modifications of the models allow the customer to choose the coloring of the motorcycle, but only in a two-color version, although this is enough to make Bonneville look extremely exclusive.

Ergonomics or lack of it

The motorcycle has an unusual arrangement of the gear selector, the lever is located high enough, besides it has an unusually large stroke. It would seem that this can be attributed to the shortcomings, but the rider quickly gets used to the "inconveniences". Even the apparent lack of ergonomics, high raised legs and a significant inclination of the hull are perceived as a special style in the management of the machine. This is the specificity of Triumph Bonneville, the characteristics of which speak for themselves.

Control

If the landing is at first glance uncomfortable, then this can not be said about the helm of the motorcycle - it falls into the hands like a glove, and the management of the motorcycle is a real pleasure. Unexpectedly, the soft grip can be squeezed out with a light touch to the lever, the accelerator knob is also surprisingly very pliable. The engine reacts in hundredths of a second, and this at a power of 68 horses! Two parallel cylinders work in a perfectly coordinated rhythm.

Lack of

In general, Triumph Bonneville reviews are mostly positive. Of the relative disadvantages of this bikers note only the exhaust system, which unnecessarily studiously muffles the sound of the engine, while knocking down its "breath" during afterburner. The unmounted straight-through silencer asks for a motorcycle. But in any case, the Triumph Bonneville motorcycle is an inexhaustible source of pleasure for its owner.