Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black unveiled

A meaner, blacked-out look and more advanced mechanicals make the Bobber Black the more premium sibling to the standard Bobber.

Published On Oct 04, 2017 12:30:00 AM

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Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black unveiled

Triumph has taken the wraps off a new blacked-out version of its highly popular Bonneville Bobber named the Bonneville Bobber Black. The British bike maker has taken it a step ahead with simple visual updates and some significant mechanical changes as well. But first, let's take a look at the list of changes that give this bike its name.

Visual updates

The Bobber Black builds on the lines of the standard Bobber and retains all the features that made the original such a handsome motorcycle. That means it continues with the lovely hard-tail look where the rear monoshock is cleverly hidden beneath the cantilevered single seat. All other clever touches like the retro-themed battery box, rear drum-style wheel hub, flat bars, wire-spoked wheels and steel mudguards are carried forward.

Triumph took the Bobber base and applied copious amounts of black to give the bike a meaner, more sinister look. A large number of parts have been blacked out and we’ve got the full list below:

•           Black-painted exhaust (silencers, headers and upper finned casting)
•           Black-anodised brake pedal and footrests
•           Black-anodised gear lever
•           Black-plated gear linkage
•           Black-anodised brake and clutch levers
•           Black-painted handlebars, with black anodised risers and clamps
•           Black-painted seat pan
•           Black powder-coated engine covers, cam cover and sprocket cover
•           Black chrome-plated headlight rim
•           Black-painted wheel hubs

However, the visual changes go beyond the black treatment and many of these updates are to the mechanical bits. So, here's what's new:

Mechanical changes

The Bonneville Bobber Black receives a huge overhaul of the front end, starting with the new 16-inch rim and a fat 130-section tyre. This is a big change from the 19-inch rim and 100-section tyre on the standard Bobber, and along with the newly developed Avon Cobra rubber, the new Bobber gets a more slammed stance. Braking gets a boost too, as Triumph has added a second disc brake to the front end. Both discs span 310mm and are slowed by new 2-piston Brembo calipers. Finally, the forks have been updated from the 41mm KYBs to chunky 47mm units by Showa. Crowning it all is a powerful new, full-LED headlamp which was previously offered as an optional accessory on the Bobber.

Ride-by-wire throttle continues, but the Bobber Black now gets Cruise Control as standard fitment. As before, the bike offers ABS and switchable traction control as well as two riding modes – Road and Rain. The Bobber Black continues with the same tune for the 1,200cc parallel-twin engine, producing 77hp at 6,100rpm and an impressive 106Nm at 4,000rpm. Twin slash-cut exhausts belt out a carefully tuned exhaust note that is deep, powerful and befitting a custom-looking bike like the Bobber Black. Dry weight has gone up from 228kg on the standard Bobber to 237.5kg.

The Bobber Black is available in two shades, Jet Black and Matt Black. As before, Triumph offers a huge range of over 120 accessories, including everything from seats to controls to exhausts and multiple visual trims.

An India launch is currently under consideration and the bike could arrive in small numbers. If it does, expect the Bobber Black to cost a good deal over the standard Bonneville Bobber which is priced at Rs Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).