i have an 04 bonnie black 790cc (for sale, BTW). i find the bike to be a little small for me at 6'2", 220 some odd pounds. with a lot of modifications, it can be a really great bike. a french outfit called mecatwin does some of the best total re-workings of the new bonnies and thruxtons.
you get a lot of "i had one of those when i was younger", and a lot of "what year is that?" followed by a puzzled look when you tell them "04".
triumph did a generally good job with these, and the new scrambler is being well received by a generation of steve mcqueen worshipping magazine reviewers. overall i think that they are fun to ride, but if you want strong highway performance from them they need upgrading.
some of the typical mods that i did:
remove air intake piece of shit assembly that blues pipe headers instantly (against EPA rules but most dealers do this for you before it even leaves the dealership)
remove huge plastic air box and replace with k&n style cone filters directly mounted on CV carbs, add carb support brace
replace crappy phillips head screws on carbs that strip effortlessly w/stainless allen bolt kit, for servicing of carbs (done often in the early months of tuning and re-jetting)
replace even crappier stock hose clamps on carb rubber joints that allow air leaks w/stainless ones that tighten properly
replace stock mufflers that are so full of baffles and stuffing that they literally sound like a sewing machine (ask bluebird). in my case, w/staintune open peashooters
once all of the above are done and the air is flowin' fast, it's a voodoo formula of finding the right combo of air/fuel mixture, jetting & needle choice + shims on the keihin cv carbs. it's not like the super E carb where everyone agrees 1.5 turns out, there are a hundred people w/100 set-ups that they all swear by, etc. you just have to find what works for you. but all agree that the stock set-up generally needs to be increased to a bigger idle and main jets. then you gotta balance the two CV carbs...
the countershaft sprocket needs replacing too. a 19 tooth makes a world of difference vs. the stock 17T. i think the T100 and thruxton ship with an 18T.
most also opt for replacing the fork springs w/progressive and the rear shocks eventually due to mushy feel
most also replace stock handlebars, mirrors and lights/blinkers
....so it can get costly....
finally, it doesn't ship with a kickstart, and it's not possible or no-one has figured out how to add an aftermarket add-on, a big oversight in my opinion by triumph
you get a lot of "i had one of those when i was younger", and a lot of "what year is that?" followed by a puzzled look when you tell them "04".
triumph did a generally good job with these, and the new scrambler is being well received by a generation of steve mcqueen worshipping magazine reviewers. overall i think that they are fun to ride, but if you want strong highway performance from them they need upgrading.
some of the typical mods that i did:
remove air intake piece of shit assembly that blues pipe headers instantly (against EPA rules but most dealers do this for you before it even leaves the dealership)
remove huge plastic air box and replace with k&n style cone filters directly mounted on CV carbs, add carb support brace
replace crappy phillips head screws on carbs that strip effortlessly w/stainless allen bolt kit, for servicing of carbs (done often in the early months of tuning and re-jetting)
replace even crappier stock hose clamps on carb rubber joints that allow air leaks w/stainless ones that tighten properly
replace stock mufflers that are so full of baffles and stuffing that they literally sound like a sewing machine (ask bluebird). in my case, w/staintune open peashooters
once all of the above are done and the air is flowin' fast, it's a voodoo formula of finding the right combo of air/fuel mixture, jetting & needle choice + shims on the keihin cv carbs. it's not like the super E carb where everyone agrees 1.5 turns out, there are a hundred people w/100 set-ups that they all swear by, etc. you just have to find what works for you. but all agree that the stock set-up generally needs to be increased to a bigger idle and main jets. then you gotta balance the two CV carbs...
the countershaft sprocket needs replacing too. a 19 tooth makes a world of difference vs. the stock 17T. i think the T100 and thruxton ship with an 18T.
most also opt for replacing the fork springs w/progressive and the rear shocks eventually due to mushy feel
most also replace stock handlebars, mirrors and lights/blinkers
....so it can get costly....
finally, it doesn't ship with a kickstart, and it's not possible or no-one has figured out how to add an aftermarket add-on, a big oversight in my opinion by triumph
