Triumph India has just launched the newest addition to its retro-modern range, the Bonneville Bobber, in India. Borrowing bits such as primarily the 1,200cc motor from the Bonneville T120, the Bobber slots in between it and the range-topping Thruxton R which was introduced last year. The Bobber has been designed with a ‘factory-custom’ aesthetic from the get-go and its styling harks back to the chopped-up bob-jobs that made their debut in the American motorcycle customisation scene back in the 1930s and reached their heyday in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The Bobber gets the same liquid-cooled 1,200cc parallel-twin engine in the same High Torque (HT) guise as that in the Bonneville T120. It also retains all the modernities that we’ve come to expect with that motor, such as the ride-by-wire throttle, switchable traction control and two riding modes (Road and Rain). This engine is mated to the same six-speed gearbox we find on the T120 and also keeps the slip-assist clutch that helps prevent rear-wheel lockup during hard downshifting and makes for a light lever action. However, Triumph has gone out of its way to engineer an aural experience for this motor that stands apart, thanks to a unique twin-airbox setup with two filters and short slash-cut twin exhaust pipes.
The Bobber’s styling is beautifully minimal, with a clean, low stance and a lot of throwbacks to bobbers of old such as the wide-flat bars, a battery box with stainless-steel strap cover, bar-end mirrors, traditional rubber gaiters on the front suspension and even a rear wheel hub that resembles an old-school brake drum. To complete that classic bob-job look, this Bobber rides on a 19-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear with unique Avon Cobra tyres which were specially designed for the bike.
One of the biggest design innovations that the Bobber brings to the table is a rear ‘swing-cage’ setup that resembles a proper old-school hardtail setup, thanks to a monoshock neatly hidden under the solo rider’s seat. Even the seat has a traditional bobber look and its position is completely adjustable due to it being mounted on a unique rail system. At the lowest setting, the seat height is just 690mm, which should make the bike accessible for shorter riders as well.
Triumph is offering potential customers a whole lot of options for customising their Bobbers with almost 150 accessories which can be brought from the showroom. These include LED indicators, different handlebar styles, bags, Vance & Hines exhausts and custom suspension units from Fox. There are also two ‘inspiration kits’ available which package a bunch of custom parts together to either convert the bike into a hot-rod style ‘Quarter-Mile’ Bobber with clip-on handlebars and blacked out exhausts, or a ‘Old School’ Bobber which features signature ‘ape-hanger’ handlebars.
The new Triumph Bonneville Bobber has been launched in India at a price of Rs 9.09 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and is available in four colour options – Morello Red, Jet Black, Stunning Competition Green with Frozen Silver (a British racing inspired paint scheme) and finally a matte finish called Iron Stone.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
