Following the success of the Bonneville Bobber – the fastest selling motorcycle in Triumph’s 115-year history, the British brand has spiced things up for the 2018 model year, with the darker, meaner and stronger Bonneville Bobber Black edition.
Powered by a 1200cc parallel twin engine that delivers peak torque of 78 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm and maximum power of 76 bhp at 6,100 rpm, the Bobber Black’s single seat and hard tail look are teamed with wide flat bars, minimal bodywork and fenders, and wire-spoked wheels. Pretty much every detail is blacked-out, including the exhaust complete with its twin ‘slash cut’ sawn-off black peashooter silencers.
Additional details include a “fat” 16-inch front wheel (vs. 19-inch on the Bobber) and chunkier 47 mm Showa cartridge front forks (vs. 41 mm on the Bobber). Stopping power comes via 310 mm twin discs on the front with twin Brembo two-piston calipers and a single rear disc setup with single piston caliper.
ABS comes as standard, meanwhile, as does single button cruise control, ride-by-wire, switchable traction control, torque assist clutch and full LED lighting both at the front and back.
The reveal of the new bike coincides with the opening of a new visitor centre at the company’s Hinckley factory, which itself comes on the back of a landmark fourth consecutive year of growth, and record sales of more than 63,000, with 15 new motorcycle models launched in the last two years.
Triumph has this year also entered into a partnership with Bajaj, the world’s third-largest manufacturer, to develop its global coverage of the world motorcycle market. On top of that, the British manufacturer has signed a new global partnership with Dorna – the company that owns exclusive commercial rights for MotoGP – to become the official engine supplier to the Moto2 Championship from 2019.
