The story of the retro-modern Triumph Bonneville has always far outweighed its spec sheet, but it is a perennial favorite of the motorcycling community. Before we say hello to its successor, we take one last twilight ride to see what’s made the Bonneville so popular, and where its successor may go wrong. The original Triumph Bonneville first introduced in 1959 earned its place in motorcycle lore through real means by racking up race victories from Thruxton to Daytona. It added to its lore by being the last of its kind, a case study in the mistakes and environment of the British motorcycling industry. It first fell to the Honda CB750, and then a curbstomping as the era of sportbikes descended in the 80s, by which time it was a relic. The nouveau Triumph Bonneville was a throwback in form but not attitude: less record-breaking legitimacy, more cruising in the golden light of nostalgia. But it was perfect for the upcoming generation of riders that would come of age venerating a bygone era, and experienced riders wanting a second or third bike harkening back to their first days of two-wheeled freedom. Vintage was in again, and Triumph had a hit. After making its debut in 2001 at 790cc, the Bonnie, in ensuing years, would see a displacement bump to 865cc, fuel injection hidden in “carburetors,” and various trims and special editions. But above all, the Bonnie put forward a vision of simple fun over high specs and outright performance. It wasn’t how the past was, but was how we wanted it to be. 
The suspension is basic and soft. The rear brake is grabby, the front brake lazy and unresponsive. Output is adequate at 68 claimed horsepower, and delivered with a smooth, appliance-like thrum. With a new set of performance pipes and a tune, the experience is hardly neck snapping, but at least more entertaining. But the whole was greater than the sum of its parts in the truest sense of the term. It is a forgiving and affable companion, a very competent standard motorcycle wrapped in a look that is never out of place. And on this night on the pockmarked streets of Lower Wacker drive, it’s hard to argue with this formula. In the real world, with real drivers and real terrible roads, the Bonneville is a sweet spot for making every ride seem a little bit more fun and less horrible. The Triumph stands tall amongst the financed flash of the Viagra Triangle, and ample enough to take advantage of brief holes in Chicago traffic. It gives you the impression that you’re using the entire bike, all the time, without being too wheezy. A full-spec ADV bike or sportbike in these scenarios are heads and tails above it on paper, but for a companion of the daily grind, it’s hard to turn down a machine with such a friendly, casual demeanor. If only Triumph got the memo that this bike is supposed to be fun. 
But Triumph doesn’t want you to think that, or about the flaws. Don’t remember the weak brakes; here’s a photo of Bud Ekins jumping something. Fake carbs? Here’s a picture of Steve McQueen without a shirt instead. Heavy curb weight? Here’s Marlon Brando leaning over a bike that had nearly the same top speed in 1953 as the bike you’re buying more than 50 years later. Nostalgia has always been the driving force behind the bike, but it has grown louder and louder with each year. The new one is certain to hammer this point into the back of your skull. Images of McQueen, [David] Beckham, and Brando will be played ad nauseum: unblinking and unflinching from your screen in a perpetual scowl of manly seriousness. Their likenesses will haunt every collaborated, official, or licensed piece of merchandise. There will be a marketing smoke show of anecdotes, lore, and stories that the new bike will be completely detached from, but yearning to be connected to. Triumph will be desperate to prove that you are just as cool as you want people to think you are by buying a new Bonneville. All the better to ignore that it will most likely be less “faster Bonneville” but more “slower Street Triple” at the same cost. A concerning question: Will the new Bonneville lose its largest selling point—approachable fun? Because right now the Bonneville is a larger, worse handling, slower, better looking SV650. But at the price point it sits in, those flaws aren’t as glaring, and in fact allow it to be a conduit for pulling more people onto bikes. 
And pull people it does. The most intangible aspect of Hinckley’s twin is that people approach this bike with glee. I’ve ridden faster, cooler, far better machinery, but none illicit the same enthusiasm from non-riders. Even tonight, just parked on the lakefront, a few people have approached to ask questions, see what it is, and ask where to get their licenses to ride. That doesn’t happen from the perch of a sportbike. People ask how fast you go, and tell you about someone who died on one. The Bonneville puts a smiling face to the grim public perception of motorcycling because it looks and is fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. But the Bonneville must evolve. In the last few seasons, it’s found itself outgunned, outclassed, and outmaneuvered by the Ducati Scrambler, Yamaha FZ-07, and KTM Duke 390 in the very class it help revive. And the new Bonnie may just find itself outgunned in the class it’s heading to as well. Triumph is not a dumb company. It knows motorcycles and marketing. And odds of the clever are currently on the Bonneville getting a renaming scheme, and staying right where it is. With the tooling paid for, the sales history strong, and the aftermarket community already built, the Bonneville may continue to be the lovable underdog that it is today, and the motorcycling world is all the better for it. As for how the new Bonneville will fare, well, time will tell if it will be too serious for its own good. 
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