Two years later, wife finally picked up her Triumph T100.

[SkH]

Previous topic I made

Being busy and some other things I guess we forgot about buying a new bike for a bit.  But 2 years later, she finally got the itch again on the idea and she eventually chose the Bonneville T100 instead of the Street Twin mainly because the black out design.

I guess overall, despite it being 900cc, it is good for her because, well, to be honest it is a tame bike with not much characteristics.  The MT07 is much more dangerous.  Her R3 was much more fun.  Maybe I'm biased, but coming from 3 sporty bikes to a Bonneville is kind of a bummer, but she seems to like it, especially because its a classic modern.  And yes, we had to get rid of the R3 because we only have room for 3 bikes in garage at the moment.

Here are 2 pics:  And no, that isn't her riding gear.

Edited May 14, 2021 by SkH
edited

[Devilman]

Is the R3 more fun than a MT-07?

[SkH]

On 5/14/2021 at 4:36 PM, Devilman said:

Is the R3 more fun than a MT-07?

Well, its all subjective for sure.  So this is my own personal feelings.  Yes, I did have more fun on the R3 than my MT07.  I enjoyed riding it much more.  But then, I also rode it much more dangerously.  I also seem to greatly enjoy the feeling of redlining a bike, then shifting.  With the R3, I was able to do this until around 5th gear before things started to get not so safe on city streets.  The old "ride a slow bike fast" adage definitely was true for the R3.   Redlining the MT07 on city streets maybe will get you to 3rd gear.  But even still, redlining the MT07 does not really feel too good, engine-wise which is me basically saying I hardly redlined it which might be true for most.  Also the R3 leans super quick and so turns/curves, it just feels much better.

Edited May 18, 2021 by SkH
Added words

[Pursuvant]

On the street & in the dirt, faster on the smaller bike. I'm faster on 125 than 250 in mx.

I'll have to get a Honda monkey and put this to the test on da street

[SkH]

I really should personally give the T100 at the very least a few hundred miles before I judge it because it took me several hundred miles to finally start liking and appreciating my Dragster 800RR.  I think the next few days I will devote several 45 min rides to it.

My only reservation is all my gear these days has high viz yellow on it .  I know, its a very stupid concern but I will look weird riding this bike to be sure.  Man, look at my wife's gear, even with her pink shoei helmet, she still looks good on it.

Sorry for the bad quality, these shots were taken from my helmet cam.

Edited June 6, 2021 by SkH

[SkH]

Alright, I was once again an idiot to judge a bike comparing it to low power band sporty nakeds.

This bike is nice.  Its a relaxing kind of bike.   The kind of bike you don't really go fast on.  Its very comfortable.  Low seat height.  The clutch requires very little effort to pull in.  The power doesn't come on until 4k rpm and it redlines at 7k, so unless you are extremely unreliable with your right hand, its pretty tame until you snap the throttle back hard but still, even at 900cc this bike has less horsepower than the MT07.  The shocking thing is the mpg.  Its something like 50-65 mpg and it sure enough is around there (was able to get 170 miles before reserve light came on).

Some things I don't like about it though is it is really heavy to turn.  My wife understeered several times coming out of parking lots and I can now see why.  Even with handlebars, its kind of a slog to bicycle steer.  And leaning the bike on curves is heavy as well.  The throttle is just a little too light in its springiness, I can move the throttle with a straight pinky finger rubbing down on the throttle.  The shifter for some reason is the first bike I've come across that hurts my feet the way I shift (out of 10 bikes I've rode to date- honda shadow, kawasaki vulcan, some 150cc 2 stroke dirtbike I don't remember, MT07, R3, R6, MT09, Z1000, Mv Dragster 800, and this bike).  I have to jam my feet in there to a super meaty part of my foot closer to my leg to shift so it doesn't hurt my apparently tiny princess delicate footsies.

Last time I rode it, I slapped on a nice mellow playlist and rode around just at or slightly above speed limits and had a nice thought-clearing ride.  Definitely a relaxing bike to own.

I've come to realize my current stable of 3 bikes is pretty damn good.  First of all, they are all naked bikes- my absolute favorite type of bike of all time.  I have the relaxing, heavy, slow, classic style bike (Triumph Bonneville T100 - max speed 115mph lol), the lightweight, do anything, go anywhere, super easy to ride jack of all trades bike (MT07), and the Italian supersport high powerband streetfighter (Dragster 800 RR).

EDIT>  Rode it a few more times, my final thoughts.

Definitely a nice relaxing bike.  Picked up on a few more negatives.  Wind is very terrible on it though.  Even at 50mph it hits you.  And first gear is pretty short. And both brakes seem to require a lot to get them to bite.  Oddly enough there is no temperature gauge on the bike.  Apparently there is an after market part that fits over oil cap.

I wouldn't want to only own this bike and nothing else, that would be way too boring.  In fact, the MT07 is probably one of the only few bikes that I would ever say would be great to have a single bike.

 

Edited July 10, 2021 by SkH

[13nick31]

Just read your other thread on your initial impressions on the MV. Glad it's been growing on you!

I sold my FZ07 2 years ago (I really only have the garage space for 1 bike!). I recently picked up a 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS.

I was also interested in an MV or a Ducati Monster. Ultimately got a great deal on the Street Triple and I'm a sucker for green/black. 

You ever ride a Street Triple? Amazing and very refined bike! The quick shifter and fueling is superb. 

Best of luck on your search for land and the build. The wife and I are currently saving and looking for land to buy/pay off before building

[SkH]

On 6/18/2021 at 7:01 PM, 13nick31 said:

You ever ride a Street Triple? Amazing and very refined bike! The quick shifter and fueling is superb.

Funnily enough, the two bikes that made me want to ride motorcycles are the Buell Lightning (I will get one one of these days when I have a larger garage) and the Triumph Street/Speed triples (right off the bat, I was smitten with naked bikes).  But when it came time to buy my first motorcycle I was conservative and decided on the MT07 (FZ07) and since then didn't really have the desire and urge to get the Triumph.  Don't know why.  I might very well add it in my stable down the line.

By the way, nice color, I'm a fan of the obscure less traveled colors on bikes.

Anyway, regarding the Bonneville, I admit, I am greatly enjoying riding it now.   It is so damn easy and... well, tbh it's quite possibly the easiest bike I've ever ridden.  And by that I mean, I have absolutely zero forethought and mechanical thinking to ride this bike (my Mv Agusta has the most thinking involved lmao).  Damn relaxing bike to ride (can't state that enough), and in that respect alone... dare I say one of my favorite bikes?.

Edited June 22, 2021 by SkH