They say that change is the only constant in life. And so with stars in my eyes and hope in my heart, I decided to upgrade my ride from my sturdy and dependable RE Classic Desert Storm 500 to something better. Believe me, it is not possible to replace the charm of an RE, but I figured that there was no harm in trying something new.
Lets face it. Customers looking to buy high-end bikes in India are not really spoilt for choice. My search began with finding information about available bikes in India over the Internet. I started with the obvious names like Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Ducati, which were some of the first international biking brands to set up shop in India.
The Ducati Monster 796 was my first dream bike, having come across its pictures and reviews in many auto magazines. I had spent countless hours researching and ogling over its pictures on the net. Indian customers only have the option of buying the slightly lower spec Monster 795, which comes without the single sided swing arm, lower seat height etc.
The Ducati Monster 796 was my first dream bike, having come across its pictures and reviews in many auto magazines. I had spent countless hours researching and ogling over its pictures on the net. Indian customers only have the option of buying the slightly lower spec Monster 795, which comes without the single sided swing arm, lower seat height etc.
But alas, when I went to visit the Ducati showroom in Mumbai, I was told that Ducati had ceased ties with its distributor in India. Although their bikes were still available for sale from the existing stock, the shortage of spares and servicing issues in the future scared me enough to research other options.
I believe that Ducati is now back in India, but thankfully through a direct subsidiary. Check out their Indian website.
Back to my online search, I also came across news reports of Triumph Motorcycles from UK having entered India. Check their Indian website.
I believe that Ducati is now back in India, but thankfully through a direct subsidiary. Check out their Indian website.
Back to my online search, I also came across news reports of Triumph Motorcycles from UK having entered India. Check their Indian website.
Intrigued, I researched on social sites and came across a couple of bike reviews and user blogs of Triumph, India. The reviews were nowhere on the scale or volume of Harleys or other big international brands such as Suzuki or Yamaha. Just a couple of short but positive reviews.
What intrigued me initially was the line-up of Triumph bikes being sold in India. The Striple twins (Street and Speed Triple) having the 3 cylinder engines, the Rocket III having a massive 2300cc engine, the classic Bonnivelle and Thruxton Café Racer, the sporty track bike Daytona 675 and the off-road specialist Tiger covered every type of riding genre.
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| The sexy yet intimidating eyes of the Rocket III |
Excited by the new information, I had to check out these bikes. The opportunity presented itself soon, when during my visit to Pune, I got to visit the Triumph showroom on Pashan Road. They had the entire collection of bikes on display. The accessories and merchandise section also offered great selection.
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| The Tiger, Daytona 675, Street Triple and Bonnie |
I checked out the whole gamut of bikes. The quirky looks of the Tiger catches your attention immediately. But it’s the Rocket III that leaves you in awe with its sheer size and presence. The other bikes including the Street Triple and the Bonneville were much bigger than they looked in their pictures. Unfortunately, I was unable to take a test ride due to the incessant rain.
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| Rocket III and Thruxton |
Impressed by the finish quality of the bikes and the obvious heritage of the brand, but not having heard the exhaust notes or test rode the bike, I immediately visited the Mumbai showroom in the very next week.
Large, airy and glass walled with plenty of bikes on display, the showroom was inviting but not intimidating. The sunlight filtering through the glass walls helps in seeing the true colour shade of the bikes, without having to take each bike outside.
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| The Wall of Fame |
I was pleasantly greeted and given information on all the bikes in their line-up. I was given frank feedback by Zubin, the service in-charge that the Bonneville was more my cup of tea, but I had my heart set on the sporty Street Triple and so I had to test ride that bike.
No hassles or questions. No planned test-ride route or a lead rider to follow. This was really surprising as the bikes are expensive and difficult to manoeuvre in traffic and it takes a lot for any company to simply give a test ride to any person who walks in. Also, my earlier experience with other brands such as Harley Davidson was to provide driving license, fill a form and then to be escorted by a lead rider for the test ride.
A simple form was filled & I was given the keys to the Street Triple. I was advised of an approximate route. And off I went.
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| The famous Bug Eyes |
Unfortunately, the test ride of about 4 kms. was heart breaking. I couldn’t adjust to the seating position (Which was too sporty for me) and the 3 cylinder engine, which can deliver huge amount of power from a very small engine (105PS from a meager 675CC engine) was scary with the huge amount of power delivery on the lightweight chassis. I was unimpressed and couldn’t wait to complete the test ride and return back to the showroom, hopefully in one piece.
On my return, at the insistence of Paras, the sales consultant, I took the Bonneville out for a test ride. And it was HEAVEN. The seating position was just so right. The power delivery was extremely smooth. The vibrations through the handlebar were next to nil and I could actually see the road in my rear-view mirrors (Having gotten used to not being able to see anything in them thanks to the vibrations of the RE). Don’t get me wrong, I love my RE to death and have completed long rides with it, including a 4000+ kms. ride to South India. But after having ridden the Bonneville, I realized that RE bikes are still in the 19th century in terms of quality, fit and finish and technology.
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| Bonneville SE |
Back in the showroom, I was further impressed with the professionalism of the sales staff. There was no marketing pitch, no questions regarding my buying intention etc. On the other hand, they were available to answer any and all questions regarding the bike and the brand.
The only thing that caught my attention was the small service room. It had two lifts and hardly space for a 3rdbike. But I figured that with the limited number of bikes sold, the small service room must suffice.
The overall experience with the brand and the team convinced me to seriously look at Triumph Motorcycles for my next bike. The Bonneville was my clear favourite.
Read on about my views and some unknown facts about the Triumph Bonneville, which led me to making it my ride.
The overall experience with the brand and the team convinced me to seriously look at Triumph Motorcycles for my next bike. The Bonneville was my clear favourite.
Read on about my views and some unknown facts about the Triumph Bonneville, which led me to making it my ride.
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