Bonneville T100 Reliability?

[latech70]

Okay, so not that I'm in the market anytime soon for another bike--but I'm kinda taken with the little T100...especially the white and orange scheme.    Anyone on here who has had a T100 long enough to comment on reliability and/or any issues you've had with it.

It looks like it would be a neat little bike to just hop on and ride without any formal plans...you know, one of those, "Hey, I think I'm gonna hop on the bike and take a spin."  Only to come back about 300 miles later.    I know it's not a speedburner and that's okay with me.

Like I said, I'm not really in the market for one at the time...just doing some research.


Thanks!

[Sport-Touring]

[roughcut]

Very tough, my Thruxton is like a stone.

[CafeTBird]

ALL of the Hinckley Triumph are extremely reliable.  John Bloor made this a primary focus of the revived Triumph.  He knew this was essential for the success of his new venture - to overcome the reputation of the old company.  Consequently, the bikes are somewhat overengineered, but also cheaper to maintain than other European bikes.

I don't know where this "urban legend" comes from that Triumph's don't maintain their resale value - must be leftover from the old mentaility of nuevo-Harley riders, that their bikes are considered an investment ?!? .  Ducs and Beemers may appear to maintain their value slightly better, but the initial investment in them is also greater, and maintenance costs are also higher.  

I compared Triumph to a Honda Shadow - in 4 years it depreciated 34%. The Bonneville depreciates 33% in the same time, and a Ducati Monster depreciated 32%.  I don't see the difference as being that great.

In terms of overall investment, and total cost of ownership, Triumph's are a steal of a deal for European bikes!

[ctfz1]

Suspension cheap.  So are most others. What's ya weigh?  Change brake pads too. Fun not fast.

[CafeTBird]

This thread adds further credence to the build quality of Triumph:

https://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,4061.0.html

[stevent]

I put 45K on an '02 Trophy 1200, 3 K on an '05 Thruxton and so far 7.5K on my '06 T100, all with no problems other than wear and tear IE brake pads, chain and sprockets on the Trophy. So far the Triumphs have proven more reliable than the VFR, K 100, R 1150 and R 100's that I've owned, among others.

[BBB]

ALL of the Hinckley Triumph are extremely reliable.  John Bloor made this a primary focus of the revived Triumph.  He knew this was essential for the success of his new venture - to overcome the reputation of the old company.  Consequently, the bikes are somewhat overengineered, but also cheaper to maintain than other European bikes.

I would beg to differ on the point that Triumphs are cheaper to maintain than other european bikes. Maybe the twins are, but the cost of servicing my 2004 Sprint ST is far greater than the cost of servicing my R1200GS ( I am comparing franchised dealer costs here for a fair comparison) A 12 k service on my ST in the UK is in the region of £450. Compare that with the cost for the same service on the GS coming in at £230. Those costs are based on the routine service schedules.

I don't know where this "urban legend" comes from that Triumph's don't maintain their resale value - must be leftover from the old mentaility of nuevo-Harley riders, that their bikes are considered an investment ?!? .  Ducs and Beemers may appear to maintain their value slightly better, but the initial investment in them is also greater, and maintenance costs are also higher.  

It may be different in the US, but in the UK Triumphs do not hold their value as well, so it is no urban legend. I sold my original 1999 Sprint ST in 2004. It had cost me just over £9000 new in 1999. At 5 years old and with 35000 miles on the clock it was in excellent condition cosmetically, but I only got £3000 for it. A year later I sold a 1999 BMW R1150GS with 40000 miles on the clock for £4600. The new price of the BMW had been £8200. The figures speak for themselves.

As for the maintenance costs, I don't disagree with the comparison in maintenance costs with a Ducati, but getting a Triumph triple serviced at a franchised dealer is far more costly than getting a BMW serviced, in my personal experience.

I compared Triumph to a Honda Shadow - in 4 years it depreciated 34%. The Bonneville depreciates 33% in the same time, and a Ducati Monster depreciated 32%.  I don't see the difference as being that great.

[taximan62]

Servicing an R1200GS is a far easier job than servicing a Triumph Triple.  The BMW you don't have as much labour as the triple it is just the way it is designed.  A BMW 4 cylinder like an S100RR would be more to service than the Triple.  Comparing apples to oranges has nothing to do with the manufacturer.

[grantm]

I have a 2006 T100 Bonny, and it has been ultra reliable - however I have upgraded a number of things to make it go stop and handle better - they come with cheap suspension, so Hagon shocks in the rear and Racetech springs up front  sorted that out. New bars to suit me, and a Burton seat made it more comfortable. a 19T engine sprocket so you aren't always looking for that missing top gear helps a lot...and to make it sound like a Triumph, better mufflers ( cant recall what they are, but bought them off a RAT forum member ) along with the airbox mod allows it to breathe better . EBC brake pads on the std calipers front and rear and I wonder why some grizzle about lack of brakes .....mine stops very well now..... and last but not least Bridgestone BT45 tyres and it really handles the twisties, with great front grip.
The costs to do all these mods was probably about $2k NZ tops
yes a lot of mods to make the bike work for me - but I would never sell it  ....and as for the new models, I just can not understand why Hinckley have changed the new bikes to a different (270 deg I think ) crank throw layout -they now sound like an old Honda 360 that my brother owned ..I love the look of the new Thruxton , but its grossly overpriced...hell one can buy a new car for the price they are asking....and it doesnt sound like a Triumph twin any more - and that , to me , is one of the main attractions to owning and riding a twin - the sound that a 360 deg crank makes.....Hinkley - you screwed up there, not matter what your tech people say - you can and did make smooth 360 crank engines.