If you want to build your own Bonneville Bobber, find a used 1970 Triumph Bonneville T120R, restore it to the best possible condition, remove everything that isn’t absolutely essential, switch to a single seat, and you’ll be close. Or you could do it the easier way. The 2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber is a modern motorcycle designed to look, sound, and perform like a classic Bonnie.
What you get on the 2017 Bobber that you wouldn’t find on an older bike makes quite a list. From a distance, and even up close if you don’t know what you’re looking at, the new Bobber looks like old custom work. However, in addition to a lot more low and mid-range torque than your grand dad’s Bonneville, the new Bobber has a lower, meaner, ready to race-look. The 2017 issue Bobber’s 1200cc 270-degree parallel twin hits 77 hp at 6,100 rpm and max torque starts low with 78 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm.
To check out the newer tech on this classic-styled ride, start with the seating. The 2017 Bobber’s single aluminum pan seat adjusts up, down, back and forward so you can change the position to fit your size or mood — down and back is more like the true bobber look. While the rear suspension looks like a hard tail, a hidden monoshock protects your own tail from taking a beating.
The exhaust appears to exit straight-through pipes, but there’s a catalytic converter rests inside. The new Bobber also has ABS brakes, electronic ride-by-wire, two riding modes (road and rain), liquid cooling, switchable traction control, a torque-assist clutch for less rider effort, an engine immobilizer, and an LED brake light that doesn’t look like one.
The 2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber base price is $11,900. You can spend more if you’d like to personalize the Bonneville Bobber with a raft of comfort, performance, and style accessories. You shouldn’t have to spend as much as with older bikes to keep the Bobber in shape with the 10,000-mile service interval, thanks to the liquid cooling system.
