So I just completed a year with my Bonnie.
As you have read in my earlier blog, the initial experience was anything but
satisfactory. Heres a recap of my first year with the Triumph Bonneville T100
The journey started when I went to Mumbai to collect my bike
after the repairs (to replace the ECM) and the first service. The bike was 1 month old with 500 kms. on the odo.
The return journey from Mumbai to Nasik was a
mouthwatering 200 kms. of nice expressway (After I could get out of the
congested Mumbai traffic of course J).
In the workshop, firstly I insisted that
the bike servicing, including the oil change be done in front of me. The dealer
claimed that the servicing was done, but thanks to my earlier experiences, I
got the servicing done in my presence and departed happy.
The ride back to Nasik lived upto its
expectations. The smooth roads and open throttle led to a smile, which lasted
for days. The bike ran perfectly. The smooth throttle response, the torque and the long rev range, which had first made me fall in love with the bike were all back. The zero vibrations, even at speeds above 100 kmph was a very different feeling from my usual RE, but this was one thing about the RE that I did not miss.
The bike was back at home base. All the drama was behind me and the bike was as good as new. The ECM had been replaced and the first servicing was done.
I started using the bike gingerly. The bond between a biker and his bike is very sensitive. And me and my Bonnie had not really started on the right foot. It took some time for me to understand and trust the bike again.
A new bike warranted a change in riding style too. This was not easy at first, but eventually I got used to being more aware of the signals given by the bike. No vibrations meant that I had to base the gear change on the RPM, a meter that I didn't even have in my RE.
One thing that I did miss is the support of fellow riders. I have a great group of riders for my RE and we always discuss and support each other when problems and doubts arise about our bikes. I sorely missed having such a group for my Bonnie. I was helped to a far extent by the Indian Bonneville Group on whatsapp. Riders in larger cities will definitely benefit and I strongly recommend forming a group of like-minded riders.
The bike was running great and I was throughly enjoying the weekend rides on the highway and short city rides whenever I could slip away from home.
But as with every bike, the road was not completely smooth.
My first (and thankfully only) puncture occurred. The rear tyre was punctured. I found this at home, and thank God that the tyre did not deflate on the highway. This was a big problem. I had preferred to buy the T100 because of the large tyres and the fact that it came with spoked wheels, which as per me have more strength that alloy wheels. But spoked wheels also mean tube tyres instead of tubeless tyres.
I understood the basics of the tyre puncture repair. Unfortunately, the owners manual did not give much detail for this activity. I am told that many riders close to the showroom choose to use the RSA to send their bikes to dealer workshop for this job. I did not have this luxury with the distance between Nasik and Mumbai being 200 kms. So it had to be a DIY job.
The removal of the tyre was easy enough, by removing both the exhausts and the axle. The problem came while refitting the tyre, as the pieces just did not fit together.
Tip: Place all the parts while removing in the same order in which they have been removed i.e. the last piece farthest and the first piece closest to the tyre. This makes it very easy to install the parts in the same manner.
Finally after 6 hours of painstaking labour, the tyre was back in place. Whew!!
Other than this, it was pleasant sailing. Yes, the bike does overflow if kept it on the side-stand and then started immediately after. Yes, the bike tends to be a little rough when the engine is not upto temperature. But these are quirks of the bike and you get to learn and go with them over time.
Learning restraint is a much tougher job. The bike will keep accelerating and requires discipline from the rider to control speeds, especially on Indian highways, which look deceptively open but can have dogs, people or anything else you can think of come in the way at a moments notice.
I am glad to say that the Bonnie has lived upto my high expectations and shown me a side of riding that is new and wonderful.
Read on for my blog on the second serving after the first year of riding..
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