Do you like motorcycles? Of course you do. If you did not, you wouldn’t be here. With that established, think of the most iconic names among the many you have probably ridden, seen, or read about. Now, a magic trick. I am going to name one, and it is definitely on that list. Bonneville. Am I right, or am I right? I am not going to declare myself a seer or a mind reader because this one was simple. How can Bonneville not be on that list? The name has been around for 7 decades and has been an icon for about 2 years short of 7 decades.
You must be wondering why I am talking about a motorcycle that nearly everyone knows of already. Well, it is because of an experience that I am going to share with you. I recently visited EICMA, as xBhp does every year. At EICMA, one gets to gaze at all sorts of motorcycles. Futuristic concepts, updates to existing models, and the like. But this year, I stumbled upon one that just held my gaze for a moment longer. I forgot about the limited time I had and the plethora of stalls that I had to go to. I forgot about the interviews, interactions, itineraries, and all the hoopla. I just stood, stared, and smiled. It was just what I needed to catch a break… a motorcycle.
I am talking about the Bonneville. A very special Bonne. As I stared at it and drank in the sight, I thought of what I chose as the title for this story. The People’s Bonne. It was announced not too long ago, and it is already on sale. Yet, the life of a journalist is not exactly defined by stopping to smell the roses. So, I read about it and then went on with my duties. But here I was, stuck staring at the very same motorcycle. This made me realise that a piece of paper or a few pretty pixels can never do justice to what a motorcycle represents. What I read and saw of it did not do justice to the Bonneville T40.
I am painfully aware that when I write, I leave a fair few questions in the wake of my whimsical musings. That prompts me to explain myself as well, so I believe this particular vice of mine is something the readers can deal with. A bit ago, I mentioned that I stumbled upon something, just what I needed to catch a break: a motorcycle. That needs explanation.
The world of motorcycles is evolving. It always has been, but recently, it has been going at a breakneck pace. Aero, active aero, tons of electronics, boatloads of power, and so on. While I am not against progress, some of them lose sight of what it means to be a motorcycle. And being simply a motorcycle is what the Bonneville name represents. Simply looking at one invokes this warm and fuzzy feeling. And the Bonneville T40 brings that same feeling to the masses, to a whole new generation of riders who have probably missed out on this particular feeling.
A lot of manufacturers have recently had this truly novel idea of bringing their iconic names down to a new generation of riders. And a lot of them simply forgot that it is not just about scaling down. It is about scaling down but retaining what that name represents. Fortunately, Triumph is not one of those manufacturers. So it was natural that the Bonneville T40 held me for as long as it did. It was not just scaled down for the heck of it. It has been handcrafted to be an experience… even for the onlookers.
That classic silhouette is unmistakably Bonne. That stance is unmistakably Bonne. That teardrop tank, that round headlamp, those spoked wheels, the covered forks, the rear shocks, the exhaust and even the shape of the engine cover- everything is unmistakably Bonne. Everything about this motorcycle feels bespoke. It does not seem like a parts-bin thing thrown together as a mix of parts. The Bonneville T40 is its own motorcycle. It has a distinct character and a special personality, all the traits that have made every Bonne ever made a part of an iconic lineage.
Enchanted by it, I felt like it deserved more of my time. Everything else could wait for a little while. Up close, you can see and feel the quality and craftsmanship needed to romanticise something inanimate, a piece of art carved out of metal. The offset fuel tank cap, the Triumph badge on the tank, the Bonneville name on the side panel: the attention to detail is obsessive. Another thing that makes the Bonne special is the size and proportion. It is not amiss on the Bonneville T40 either. It has a presence that commands reverence, as every Bonne ever made does.
The roots of the Bonneville name go back decades. The year was 1956, and at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, Johnny Allen was getting ready to redefine speed on two wheels. As he pushed the Triumph-powered Streamliner to just a smidge over 345 kays an hour, Triumph knew that they had a name that would create a legacy that would endure for years to come. In 1958, the Bonneville T120 arrived, a production motorcycle with a top speed of over 120 mph or just about 200 kays an hour. What followed was a whole lot of racing and a whole lot of winning.
The name Bonneville was etched in the minds of everyone with a love for two wheels. From Steve McQueen to Evel Knievel, Bonne was the desire of everyone who wanted to be a part of the Bonneville story. Years later, the Bonneville has grown. It has everything its contemporaries have. What its contemporaries do not have is the pedigree of the Bonneville name. What they do not have is that character, those proportions, and that stance. What they do not have is the Bonneville name.
The Bonneville name has endured, and now, with the arrival of the Bonneville T40, the legend is only going to grow. The Bonneville T40 does everything that every Bonneville does: it induces the purest of emotions. As soon as you look at a Bonneville, it births a desire within you to be a part of this story. As soon as you look at one, you realise that it is a motorcycle in its rawest, purest form. With the Bonneville T40, a whole lot more people can experience that innocent, childlike feeling of looking at a motorcycle.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I broke out of my trance and saw that a whole lot of other people also wanted to walk around the Bonneville T40, run their hands along its iconic lines, and be excited that the Bonneville experience is closer to them than ever. So, I gave them some space and let them be spellbound for a while. But I did not forget to turn around and steal just one more glance at this new stalwart of a storied history.
Mental note: Ride one as soon as you’re back in India.
Ciao.
