Ross: You didn't say what was "uncomfortable" about your current setup, but here are a few ideas:
A decent windshield will make riding less tiresome. Doesn't need to be huge but should be big enough to take the wind off your chest. If you don't have a battery tender, you should get one, and then you can attach a heated jacket liner to the same connector as the battery tender - believe me you will enjoy that on long, cold rides in fall, winter and spring.
Seats are a matter of personal preference. I swapped out the seat on my Scrambler for one off of a bonnie because I liked the lower profile of the Bonnie seat. I also put risers/spacers under the handlebars (see my reply to Ghis on the Facebook page) to give me a more upright seating position as I was getting neck pains from leaning forward.
Finally I put on a Renntec rack and a rear trunk for luggage and with that setup, I did 3 trips to Triumphs in Taos, most of which included at least one 400+ mile day (I would always take an extra day and go 'the long way back.') The trunk does kind of wreck the 'classic' looks of the Bonnie, but it's very convenient! Nice to have a place to lock your gear if you're going to walk around or go into a restaurant and it's nice to know your stuff will stay secure and dry.
With regard to seats, keep your eye peeled on eBay and Craigslist, you may be able to find a replacement seat and then take it to a custom seat maker to have it shaped just for you.
As far as long distance riding, the Bonnie's biggest Achilles heel is going to be its range. I could get 160 miles or so on a tank in my carbureted Scrambler but my understanding is that the EFI models have a smaller tank due to the fuel pump that's inside. Depending on how invested you are in boosting your range, you could probably rig a way to get a 1 gallon RotoPax can on a side rack and that would buy you another 40 - 50 miles of range.
If you don't have one already I'd strongly recommend getting a center stand for the bike. It makes chain maintenance much easier. Also makes it easier to load the bike for travel.
There are lots of people that tour on Bonnie's so don't think it's not capable. You just have to be aware of the bike's limitations.
Martin
From: Ross Borgida <rborgida@gmail.com>
To: "emrat@googlegroups.com" <emrat@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2015 12:09 PM
Subject: [emrat:7431] Re: Crazy Question - a bigger bike:)??
Thanks for everyone's responses. Another option. If I keep the Bonneville, what can I do to the bike to make it more comfortable for touring? At this point and for the next couple of years, I will be sticking with the Bonnie until I can afford a second bike for touring.
Thanks,
Ross
On Friday, July 24, 2015, JEFF WALTERS <jeffswalters@msn.com> wrote:
> Martin is absolutely right about the accessories. I was recommending the Thunderbird if you are wanting tostay with Triumph. There are also many Asian brands that offer bikes that are reasonably priced. I believe that Yamaha has a pretty good track record on some of theirs. I myself just prefer the Triumph line and know that the Thunderbird has received many accolades for its design and handling in the cruiser line. It is also very customizable depending on what you need the bike to do. And it still gets respect from the Harley "dark side" crowd. But the ultimate test is to go ride the various bikes and see what speaks to you and what you are comfortable with. Anyway you go, you will be riding and that's what's important!
>
> ________________________________
> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 17:05:36 +0000
> From: emrat@googlegroups.com
> To: emrat@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [emrat:7425] Crazy Question - a bigger bike:)??
>
> Ross: It was this very dilemma (liking my Triumph Classic but wanting to do more long distance rides) that prompted me to sell my Scrambler in 2013 and get a BMW.
>
> The main reason I went with a Beemer instead of sticking with a Triumph is that BMWs have been around longer, there are more of them on the market and thus cost is a lot lower (I paid $3700 for my 2002 R1150R.)
>
> I could have gotten an older Sprint for around the same price but I don't care for fully-faired bikes (just a preference of mine.) Nor do I like "cruisers." "Naked Standard" is pretty much what I wanted and most of the Triumphs that fall into that category are either relatively recent (like the Tiger 800 Bonneville Bob recommended) and therefore still very pricey on the used market, or they are unicorns like the Hinckley Trident, which is almost impossible to find (yes, I've tried!)
>
> If you're OK with fully faired bikes and you want to stay with Triumph, I think the Sprint is a good choice. I see them on CL all the time.
>
> You should have no problem selling your Bonnie. Depending on the year and miles, you should be able to get anywhere between $5k - $8k or possibly more. Here's one thing to remember, if it's at all feasible for you, you might want to remove any accessories and sell them separately. Accessories rarely add to the value of a used bike but can often be sold quite easily on the internet. When I sold my Scrambler I removed all the accessories I had put on except the windshield (which was kind of cheap anyway) and the handlebar risers. I ended up making nearly $1000 on the accessories alone.
>
> Martin
>
> ________________________________
> From: Ross Borgida <rborgida@gmail.com>
> To: emrat@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Friday, July 24, 2015 10:17 AM
> Subject: [emrat:7415] Crazy Question - a bigger bike:)??
>
> Hi Gang,
> Had a great time in Montrose at the Triumph in the Rockies rally last week. Thanks to the Bacas, Erico, and everyone else for making this a great trip.
> Crazy question. I love my Bonneville but would love something bigger for touring. I use my bike for commuting to/from work for city riding. I am only interested in street riding. What bike do you recommend?
> I would have to get rid of my Bonneville to sell or trade-in for something larger.
> Any opinions/recommendations are greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Ross
> --
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Thanks,
Ross
On Friday, July 24, 2015, JEFF WALTERS <jeffswalters@msn.com> wrote:
> Martin is absolutely right about the accessories. I was recommending the Thunderbird if you are wanting tostay with Triumph. There are also many Asian brands that offer bikes that are reasonably priced. I believe that Yamaha has a pretty good track record on some of theirs. I myself just prefer the Triumph line and know that the Thunderbird has received many accolades for its design and handling in the cruiser line. It is also very customizable depending on what you need the bike to do. And it still gets respect from the Harley "dark side" crowd. But the ultimate test is to go ride the various bikes and see what speaks to you and what you are comfortable with. Anyway you go, you will be riding and that's what's important!
>
> ________________________________
> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2015 17:05:36 +0000
> From: emrat@googlegroups.com
> To: emrat@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [emrat:7425] Crazy Question - a bigger bike:)??
>
> Ross: It was this very dilemma (liking my Triumph Classic but wanting to do more long distance rides) that prompted me to sell my Scrambler in 2013 and get a BMW.
>
> The main reason I went with a Beemer instead of sticking with a Triumph is that BMWs have been around longer, there are more of them on the market and thus cost is a lot lower (I paid $3700 for my 2002 R1150R.)
>
> I could have gotten an older Sprint for around the same price but I don't care for fully-faired bikes (just a preference of mine.) Nor do I like "cruisers." "Naked Standard" is pretty much what I wanted and most of the Triumphs that fall into that category are either relatively recent (like the Tiger 800 Bonneville Bob recommended) and therefore still very pricey on the used market, or they are unicorns like the Hinckley Trident, which is almost impossible to find (yes, I've tried!)
>
> If you're OK with fully faired bikes and you want to stay with Triumph, I think the Sprint is a good choice. I see them on CL all the time.
>
> You should have no problem selling your Bonnie. Depending on the year and miles, you should be able to get anywhere between $5k - $8k or possibly more. Here's one thing to remember, if it's at all feasible for you, you might want to remove any accessories and sell them separately. Accessories rarely add to the value of a used bike but can often be sold quite easily on the internet. When I sold my Scrambler I removed all the accessories I had put on except the windshield (which was kind of cheap anyway) and the handlebar risers. I ended up making nearly $1000 on the accessories alone.
>
> Martin
>
> ________________________________
> From: Ross Borgida <rborgida@gmail.com>
> To: emrat@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Friday, July 24, 2015 10:17 AM
> Subject: [emrat:7415] Crazy Question - a bigger bike:)??
>
> Hi Gang,
> Had a great time in Montrose at the Triumph in the Rockies rally last week. Thanks to the Bacas, Erico, and everyone else for making this a great trip.
> Crazy question. I love my Bonneville but would love something bigger for touring. I use my bike for commuting to/from work for city riding. I am only interested in street riding. What bike do you recommend?
> I would have to get rid of my Bonneville to sell or trade-in for something larger.
> Any opinions/recommendations are greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Ross
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "EMRAT" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to emrat+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to emrat@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/emrat.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
>
>
>
> --
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>
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