A day in the saddle of Triumph’s premier Bonneville

“I feel so naked and exposed,” chuckled Mac, while out on our day ride. “I’m used to large tourers with tall windshields, full fairings, deep comfortable saddles, and lockable luggage, so this Triumph just feels so small to me. I bet it would be a lot of fun up in the mountains, though.” It would that, without a doubt.

I had been invited by my friend Brian with Triumph Motorcycles to help put some break-in miles on brand new Speed Twins and their up-spec RS version, for use in their demo fleet this year. Each bike needed 100 miles (+-) on the ODO before going off for events. They reached out to me, asking if I’d help, and if I could get a few fellow riders to help as well. Putting out an “APB” among my Atlanta riding friends, several responded and had been coming to the northwest Georgia location over the weekend to ride motorcycles for the Brit brand. A fun gig, absolutely. My friends Mac and Steve arrived the day I was available, and after some bike briefing, the three of us prepared to ride this region of the state.

Triumph’s quintessential big Bonney is the epitome of classic Brit bike style, yet utilizing all the modern tech we’ve come to expect in our motorbikes- EFI, ABS, adjustable suspension, various ride modes, etc. The Street Twin 1200 rolls with upright ergos, solid shifting and braking, light and responsive handling, and that nostalgic Triumph vibe one can only experience on a Bonneville. I’m biased admittedly, owning a 2017 Bonney 900 myself, and having grown up around them with my Triumph-riding father many moons ago. I love these motorcycles.

About to head for the hills.

Brian briefed us on the new 2025 Bonneville’s features and characteristics, then pointed us down the road and turned us loose. No mapped-out, predetermined route, no time constraints, no mileage limits, just “Try to get me at least 100 miles on them today,” per Brian’s instructions. We could certainly make that happen. With three ride modes, Road, Sport and Rain, we had our share of options to make it even more interesting.

We lit out westward on GA 113 under late morning overcast, getting a feel for the Speed Twins on largely lightly trafficked roads. Steve and Mac ride large Harley tourers, and not having ridden smaller standards like these in many years, were at once enjoying the light feel and handling of the Bonneys, yet were also slightly cautious with the unfamiliar, tighter ergonomics. We rolled into Rockmart, a once-thriving train depot town for the Southern Railway line, and the home of a large Goodyear plant back in the early-mid 1900s.

While at a brief stop in Rockmart, Mac made the observation we opened this story with. Both he and Steve are 6+ ft tall, while I’m all of 5’8”, so they commented how “folded up” on the bikes that they felt. Yet both stated how much they enjoyed the “entirely different from what we normally ride” nature of these Triumphs. I of course was perfectly at home on these incredible motorcycles, with the nearly identical rider triangle as my Bonneville 900 Street Cup back home.

Steve and Mac getting acclimated to the Speed Twins, under morning overcast skies.

All three of us were on the up-spec RS versions which run on upgraded suspensions, as in 43mm USD Marzocchi inverted forks with 120mm travel up front, and twin Öhlins RSUs with external reservoirs adjustable for pre-load, compression and rebound damping and 123 mm travel in the rear. The RS brakes pinch with twin Brembo Stylemas up front, and a single Nissin in the back. You get a 6-cog smooth-as-butter gearbox with shift-assist wet clutch, an X-ring chain final drive, a 3.8 gal petrol capacity and 31.8″ seat height. The RS also sports machined bar-end mirrors, which I run on my older 900 Street Cup. I like the look and function.

We rode State 278 to historic Cedartown, stopping at a Huddle House just off the square for an early, southern-fried lunch break. Discussing the Speed Twin’s performance, Steve noted, “The power delivery is so strong, but so smooth. I like how this bike accelerates.” Mac added, “It’s instantaneous, but not head-snapping. Good strong throttle response.” They both commented how solid the brakes felt, and how smoothly the shifting worked. For a couple of grizzled Harley riders, they were clearly enjoying the Street Twins.

Good Southern-fried vittles.

We rolled north on GA 1 toward Rome, taking in the beauty of the hill country as the sun split the overcast and warmed the backs of our necks. South of town, we swung east on Hwy. 411 toward Cartersville, and the Savoy Automobile Museum. This is definitely a must-stop in NW Georgia, and I plan to spend a day wandering its exhibits soon when I have more time. We then rode further east on GA 20/Knox Bridge Highway making for the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton. A military burial ground managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the 775-acre cemetery holds 39,000 total remains, in gravesites, cremation and columbaria sites. Steve and Mac both are very familiar with this cemetery, having participated in numerous ceremonies here with the American Legion. Mac even rode escort years ago when the memorial bells were delivered from Ohio to the cemetery. This is another place I hope to visit again when I’ve got more time.

We took in some curvy country roads as we made our way back toward Taylorsville, the Harley boys feeling froggy enough on the Speed Twins to dive through some mild twistys at a moderate but fun pace. Between my broader experience on these kinds of bikes, and the new experience this was for my Hawg friends, we all were enjoying the ride. Churning out a muscular 103.5 HP of peak power, and putting down 83 ft lbs of torque to the pavement, this 270-degree, 8-valve SOHC 1200cc mill makes for many grins in the helmet when diving it through curvy tarmac.

Honoring the fallen at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton.

I toggled through the ride modes, having ridden mostly in Road. The most mild in power delivery and brake modulation is of course Rain mode, and the opposite is true of Sport mode- the throttle feels more jumpy, the gear ratios tighten up, and the bike takes on a wholly different character, wanting to play. We’ll have to sample that more another time, since we needed to break these in gently for the Triumph crew.

We finally rolled back in as the sun was colorfully setting to the west, with Mac, Steve and I having logged 116 miles on the Street Twins. What a day. Both remarked how, while they still love and prefer their big tourers, they would be tempted to make room in the garage for one of these, to blast around country roads for a day, or run “honey-do” errands around town. I however, would kit it out with throw-over bags and tour it, like I’ve done so many times with my own little 900 Bonney over the years.

A good day on a great bike.

At the end of the day, both of my H-D friends chatted up Brian and the Triumph guys, offering, “Keep us in mind any time you need someone to ride some break-in miles on bikes for you. Count us there.” I think that says it all.
I’d like to thank Steve and Mac for joining me, Brian and the great folks at Triumph for the bikes and the opportunity, and the good Lord for what turned into a gorgeous day.

Rob

For more on the 2025 Street Twin 1200 models, click here:

TRIUMPH STREET TWIN 1200

Rob’s gear: REV’IT! Restless Jacket & Davis TF Riding Pants, Bell Qualifier Helmet, Indie Ridge Tourer Gloves, Skechers/Goodyear Riding Boots

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