Triumph’s Bonneville is one of the most famous motorcycle names ever. The original Bonneville was born in 1959, named after the Bonneville salt plains of Utah. Making a comeback in 2000, the ‘new Bonneville’ has evolved drastically, with a capacity increase from 790cc to 865cc in 2005 and a boost in power to 67bhp.

The present day Bonneville features an air-cooled and twin-cylinder powerplant that develops 6.93kgm of torque. It’s impossible to compare the Bonneville with current sportsbikes, although you could spot a few remnants of its race bred personality from back in the day. The Triumph likes to rev, while not inviting you to redline all the time, but still feeling in tune with an aggressive riding style. Unfortunately, this refined engine isn’t coupled to the gearbox it deserves, with shifting down sometimes troublesome and finding neutral often tough. The Bonnie behaves terrific up to 190kph. Ideal cruising speeds of up to 130-135kph are a given.

The Bonnie encourages the feeling of sitting ‘inside’ the motorcycle, and handling and cornering manners are good, with pointing the bike in the right direction no sweat. The suspension of the Bonneville is quite firm and sporty, while there’s also plenty of stopping power thanks to a 310mm front disc with Nissin twin-piston caliper brakes in front.

Triumph’s Bonneville reaches India in a few months from now, and whether it’s really made for you or not depends a lot on your individual taste and riding style. Read the complete ride story in Autocar India’s April 2012 issue, on stands now.