I took a test ride

I took a test ride today.

Some kind soul (I don't know who or whether it was serious or a mickey-take) popped a card for a Royal Enfield dealership through my letterbox yesterday. I'm guessing it was someone who knew about my fruitless search for a used Triumph Bonneville.

So, fate being what it is I had a free afternoon and rang up for a test ride.

To cut a long story short I was very pleasantly surprised.

I may have to buy this bike rather than the Bonnie I've promised myself!

Interesting information, maybe its time for me to try one. They do some very nice trail bikes in the range. Did that one have the latest FI engine. You get many more MPG from one, compared to a Bonneville.
I will ask a friend if a used carbed Bonnie that one of his customers now can't ride is for sale.

Ged,

Can you expand on what you meant by pleasantly surprised during your test ride.

BrianG

It was an EFI one Dave with less than 1000 miles up.

Superb motor, pulls like a train which with the GSX14 as reference says something indeed.

I really did not expect to like it as much as I did. Motorsense have the "Trials" version with the alloy trail tank, knobblies and high level pipe in their little showroom. It looks peachy.

Here are a couple more photos I took today.

Now that is very nice ! whats the performajnce like in traffic ? can it keep out of the lorries way on the motorway ?

Cheap to run with a brilliant spares availability, I'd quite like one myself, Ged. I've always found the Bullet to be a most attractive machine.

Glad you liked it.

By the way, have you seen this Bonnie (it's in Fleet): http://www.classicsuperbikes.co.uk/product.asp?ProductID=376

BrianG wrote:

Ged,

Can you expand on what you meant by pleasantly surprised during your test ride.

BrianG

I didn't expect it to be so pokey low down, Brian. I thought I'd like it but in a "that's cute but not enough for me" kind of way but I really had to reel myself in from putting a deposit down when I returned it.

philmel wrote:

Now that is very nice ! whats the performajnce like in traffic ? can it keep out of the lorries way on the motorway ?

Impeccable, Phil. I figured it would be and I wasn't disapointed. Yes it can keep you out of the big wheelers' way I reckon but I'd tend to avoid motorways if I had one.

Keith wrote:

Cheap to run with a brilliant spares availability, I'd quite like one myself, Ged. I've always found the Bullet to be a most attractive machine.

Glad you liked it.

By the way, have you seen this Bonnie (it's in Fleet): http://www.classicsuperbikes.co.uk/product.asp?ProductID=376

Nice Bonnie and sounds like a thoroughly decent dealer. The only thing that puts me off is that it's a 790 and they were a bit "wheezy" especially low down. The carb 865 is the motor I'd go for by preference. On the upside it does look fantastic!

capitano wrote:

BrianG wrote:

Ged,

Can you expand on what you meant by pleasantly surprised during your test ride.

BrianG

I didn't expect it to be so pokey low down, Brian. I thought I'd like it but in a "that's cute but not enough for me" kind of way but I really had to reel myself in from putting a deposit down when I returned it.

philmel wrote:

Now that is very nice ! whats the performajnce like in traffic ? can it keep out of the lorries way on the motorway ?

Impeccable, Phil. I figured it would be and I wasn't disapointed. Yes it can keep you out of the big wheelers' way I reckon but I'd tend to avoid motorways if I had one.

Keith wrote:

Cheap to run with a brilliant spares availability, I'd quite like one myself, Ged. I've always found the Bullet to be a most attractive machine.

Glad you liked it.

By the way, have you seen this Bonnie (it's in Fleet): http://www.classicsuperbikes.co.uk/product.asp?ProductID=376

Nice Bonnie and sounds like a thoroughly decent dealer. The only thing that puts me off is that it's a 790 and they were a bit "wheezy" especially low down. The carb 865 is the motor I'd go for by preference. On the upside it does look fantastic!

Just an update. That Bonnie was sold when I enquired about it, Keith but Chris seems like a prince amongst dealers. If he gets a decent Hinckley Bonnie in at the right price before I head to the Enfield dealer in despair I'll be tripping over there.

The number of bikes I've physically seen and not bought for various reasons has now run to 26!

I have enquired about a Bonnie, the owner has had a triple heart bypass and at the moment wants to hang onto it. There are a couple of good ones on ebay, but the prices are high. What about a Thunderbird triple?

Dave Weller wrote:

I have enquired about a Bonnie, the owner has had a triple heart bypass and at the moment wants to hang onto it. There are a couple of good ones on ebay, but the prices are high. What about a Thunderbird triple?

Tried one of those back 12 years ago and liked it lots. However it's just as heavy as the old GSX1400 was which was one of the reasons it had to go.

The America is the same. I like them, my mate Steve has one and it rides beautifully...but it is bloody heavy.

I've seen a lot of badly kept bikes, from dealers and private sellers alike in the 26 I've seen, Dave. In general those private sellers with looked after examples don't want to sell them and hence are advertising them for stupid money, possibly just to convince their wives they are selling the bikes. I haven't been making stupid offers either just realistic cash ones. eg. 7000 mile '06 T100 - my offer £4000, he wanted £4800 and wouldn't budge.

The one that really irks me is the '05 T100 that a local guy had up for £3750 in MCN. I phoned him up on te day my Son spotted it and tld me and he agreed to hold it if I came up with £3750 in cash that night. My promise was that if it was as he said I'd pay him £3750 in cash and not haggle at all, and ride it away there and then. An hour before I was due to set off he phoned and said that he'd had a cash offer from a bloke in Dorset who wanted the bike as the last bike for his 80 year old Father and that he would pay the asking price without question, no need to see the bike.

He wanted to sell it to them but had made a commitment to me. I caved in and said to let the Dorest guy have the bike. 3 days later it was back on MCN being sold from Dorset at £4450!!!!

Another experience was contacting a guy whose classified ad had just expired on ebay. The bike was up for £4200 and he'd been trying to sell it since November at that price. I asked if he'd take £4000 cash and he said he was going to advertise it again at £4700 because prices had gone up!!

Destination Triumph are the dealer nearest to me and I was recommended to go there. They wanted £5k for a 2006 T100 that quite frankly I'd have been ashamed to park outside my house it was so poorly looked after. A bit of wear and tear is perfectly acceptable IMHO but a rusty chain, leaking shocks and pitted fork tubes aren't especially on a bike overpriced by at least a grand.

New bike prices have risen, true but trying to sell 3-5 year old bikes in poor condition for more than they were new is going to send Triumph dealers like Destination down the poo-pipe eventually.

The trip to the Enfield dealer is looking more and more likely.

Edit: The Thunderbird is actually 10 kg heavier than the GSX1400!!!

I had a test ride on the Atlantic not long after they cam out and it was so tempting, nice power range and very comfortable in the few hours I had it but as you say Ged very heavy so a no no for me.

Trying to figure a way of fitting a back rest to my VN to ease the strain on my shoulders, think I've found a solution.

excellent news Del if you have.

Thanks for reinforcing what I thought. Ironically a really nice '99 TT Legend has just come up not far from me just like the one I rode back in 1999.

My mate Johnnie who owned the one I rode also put blinkers on my rose tinted specs, "By Christ that was a thirsty bike!" was his first comment when I posted him a link to the ad.

Ged I've just seen this, note the mileage
http://modernvespa.com/forum/topic78651
regards
Dave

Cheers Dave

Yes I was in contact with Ben through MV. He is emigrating later in the year. It's probably the nicest 790 I've seen and a sane sekler for once but I think I'll stick around and see if a late T100 865 comes up soon.

This one here gives an idea of how sellers are inflating prices. A used 900 Thunderbird for HOW MUCH?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRIUMPH-THUNDERBIRD-900-/250784857487?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3a63f13d8f#ht_500wt_1156

Quite unbelievable ! its not as if they are that rare either!

philmel wrote:

Quite unbelievable ! its not as if they are that rare either!

Quite!!

Spanner in the works time now. I just found out that the "new" 650 BMW single is going to be sub £5k!!!!

Now those I do like !