TriumphBonneville.org is a personal blog site sharing my experiences in owning, modifying and riding a “modern classic” carbureted, air-cooled, 2008 Triumph Bonneville Black. I share milestones and experiences with various aftermarket products and services, do-it-yourself garage performance and styling modifications.
I also share experiences in following professional and amateur flat track and road motorcycle racing, and taking my own solo road trips and rides with friends and other enthusiasts!
2007-2008
In 2007, a friend gave me a Honda CB750 which I got running and rode around for a year. Based on a boyhood dream, I traded it in on the purchase of a new Bonneville in July, 2008. I have been riding and wrenching on this carbureted British Twin machine ever since, putting on over 75,000 miles.
2013
In January 2013, I purchased a 1976 Triumph Bonneville 750 in Madison, Wisconsin. I share about bringing it down to Chicago, making a few modifications and necessary maintenance and selling it a few months later in the Spring of 2013.
I also include my lowest point… my personal story of a motorcycle accident in November 2013 and surviving with only a broken ankle (thankfully)! I share my physical and mental recovery path, the repairs and modifications to the Bonneville, and the joy of riding once again.
2014
In October of 2014, I purchased a used 2012 Thruxton 900 to ride while I made some major modifications to the 2008 Bonneville. I rode it about 8,000 miles in 2014-2015 and sold it in November of 2015 when I neared completion on the 2008 Bonneville. During that year I made some modifications to the Thruxton, and share those experiences as well!
2016
In January 2016 I took a road trip to Bonneville Performance located near Daytona Beach, Florida, and spent a week putting a BP race-prepared rebuilt engine back in the Bonneville. Bill Gately, the owner, had converted my former 865cc stock engine into an 1100cc race engine, using the same techniques and technologies he uses in building the Triumph factory-sponsored American Flat Track Supertrackers. This experience, fully highlighted and detailed in this site, has been the zenith of my Bonneville experience thus far.
2018
In July 2018 I moved away from the Chicago area to the Madison area of Wisconsin. I now have a larger garage space that will allow me to work on multiple project bikes. My first purchases were a used 2006 Scrambler 900 with only 3,500 miles on it and a 2002 Bonneville with 2,400 miles on it. Project bike #3 is a 2004 Bonneville.
2019
I was able to sell the Scrambler 900 in March. I completed the 2004 Cafe Racer and have it and the 2002 Bonneville up for sale. Over Memorial Day weekend I was able to ride my 2008 Bonneville around Lake Michigan (my third time) with a group of buddies from the Windy City RATs. In June, a new adventure presented itself when a friend was able to purchase a 1977 Yamaha XS650D. With that project completed, I purchased a 1981 Yamaha XS650S and a 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 as project bikes 5 and 6.
In conclusion…
This blog contains my personal experiences, practical how-to’s, and things to do and not to do based upon my experience with the 2001-2015 Hinckley “Modern Classic” Triumph air-cooled twin motorcycles.
I hope you find the site helpful and enjoyable. Your comments, questions, and inquiries are always welcome!
Randy
Recent Posts
1976 Triumph Bonneville 750
I am very excited to have purchased this motorcycle. I will be taking delivery of it tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin, and hauling it back to the Chicago area. As you can see, it is very clean! I will be the third owner of the bike, which is almost entirely original,...
Avon AM26 Roadrider Rear Tire
The 130/80-17 MEZ2 stock Metzeler rear tire I put on my 2008 Bonneville about a year and a half ago was showing signs of serious wear in the center. It had a very distinctive flat spot and I was noticing some slipping during turns. I decided to give another brand a...
My Heated Firstgear Setup
In my last post I shared about my experience purchasing some heated gear for riding in the cold Chicago winters. Here I've taken a series of photos showing how I have integrated the gear with my current riding clothes. [gallery link="file" columns="2"...
Best Triumph Bonneville’s of 2012
I like to monitor a number of Triumph motorcycle and British cafe racer related websites, blogs and Facebook pages mostly for photos and details of customized and modified Hinckley Triumph Bonneville's. I've compiled a gallery of the best Bonnie's I've seen in 2012,...
My Heated Riding Gear Experience
Motorcycle riding in the Chicago area can get rather challenging in the winter. The commute to and from my office location downtown can get pretty cold when the temps drop below freezing. Up to this year, I've managed to get by with extra layers of clothing, and...
My Dynojet Carb Kit Experience
As I have shared on a number of previous posts, I have been on a journey to find the optimum carb tuning setup for the stock Keihin twin CVK carbs that are standard on the 2008 Triumph Bonneville. The reason for this journey is that I have made changes to both the...
Garage Floor Upgrades
I live in an older suburb of Chicago with lots of homes built in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Ours was built in 1915. It has a one car garage which I have turned into a one motorcycle garage and shop. One of the problems with an old garage is that the concrete...
Ride from Chicago to Galena, Illinois
This past weekend on Sunday was a perfect weather day for an extended motorcycle ride from Chicago. I decided to ride out to Galena, near the northwest corner of Illinois, not far from the Mississippi River. Here is a map of my route for your reference. View Galena...
Re-jetting the Keihin CVK Carburetor
As I have shared in earlier posts, I've had to learn about re-jetting the stock Keihin CVK (36mm) carburetors used on the 2008 Hinckley Triumph Bonneville because I modified the air intake and exhaust system. To take full advantage of these performance modifications,...
Triumph Motorcycle Technical Blueprints and Photos
I ran across this wonderful resource a year or so ago. It's call The Blueprints. It's a website created by a guy named Onno van Braam that contains hundreds of technical drawings and photos of many items including many Triumph Motorcycles. For example, there are...
Randy’s Garage
Just a late night peek at my garage where all the work on my 2008 Triumph Bonneville takes place! Had to put a new lock on the door the other night... so I took this photo.
Gingerman Raceway – Track Day
I attended the Gingerman Track Day sponsored by Motoworks Chicago on August 13, 2012. Gingerman Raceway in located near South Haven, Michigan, about 2.5 hours from my home near Chicago. View Larger Map The event started at 8 am, and since I lose an hour going from...
Replacing Brake Lines
As part of a 24,000 mile maintenance check up on a Hinckley Bonneville, it is recommended to check and potentially replace brake lines and brake fluid. I decided to replace mine due to my year round riding and the salty grime that is produced on Chicago area roads in...
Tire and Wheel Balancing
Did you know that you can change and balance your Triumph Bonneville tires yourself? Dealers and shops can charge up to $30-$40 per tire for this service. Obviously you can save some serious money over time. Tire and Inner Tube Removal or Repair I purchased this tool...
Drive Chain Replacement
My 2008 Triumph Bonneville just turned 26,000 miles. One of the factory recommended items for maintenance is the drive chain inspection and potential replacement. I had been increasingly experiencing the following symptoms for the last 2,000 miles, especially in...