Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Still want a 1000cc plus! air-cooled twin Triumph?

Are you listening Dwight? Following our recent discussion I did some checking with good ole "deep throat". For more information you'll have to beg.

What have you heard, Thanassis? Did "Deep Throat" also tell you when exactly one can "Follow the money" to their Triumph dealership and purchase one of these bikes?

Ok here's what I got. Triumph are developing a 1200cc air-cooled twin to be launched on a series of bobber/streetfighter styled bikes. Thsy are planned for autumn/fall of 2015 as 2016 models. That's all he gave me, for now.

Also, they will be radically revamping the classic range (Bonneville, Thruxton and Scrambler).

Interesting info here, T-Man. Thanks for the update.

Has your source a good past record for ultimately being proved correct?

Now that really is interesting....just hate waiting for 2 years to see what comes of the info..

Thanks Than for the tidbits.

Cautiously optimistic.

I would like just shy of 1000cc to avoid that surcharge on insurance.

I wish they would do something about cam bearing in the head to make them renewable.

$1009 USD for a new OEM crankshaft.
$1400 to $2600 for a reworked stroker crank, not new, but your old crank welded up and offset ground.
A new from the factory stroker crank is what I am wanting to see.

the cam bearings can be reworked. Unless the head is totally wrecked. the head and caps can be line bored to clean up and the cams either build up and ground to size or sleeved.

#1 A welded and reconfigured crank will never be as durable and strong as a new, drop forged one. I also agree that our heads could be machined to accept actual bearings, it seems to me, that nobody has even tried yet. Babbitt lined inserts, similar to rod/crank bearings would suffice to be an big improvement and there is plenty of metal there as to make it feasible.

Yep, I agree, OB. I have no idea why erle would think all the expense of an aftermarket big bore unit would be less than what the factory would/might charge, and especially considering if one doesn't have the mechanical expertise to do it themselves, what the additional labor charges are to have an aftermarket mechanic do the job for them, AND considering that the line workers at the factory don't get any extra pay depending upon what cylinder heads and cranks are being assembled into an engine while the motorcycle is being manufactured.

My guess would be similar to yours here and using your Sportster example as a comparison. I would think Triumph could manufacture both a standard 865cc and a larger displacement model on the same factory line, and could still make money on the larger displacement model by adding no more than a $2,000 premium.

And from what I've heard from some of those around here who haven't done their big bores to their own bikes and have had to have a mechanic do it for them, the total cost of their project was a lot more than 2 Grand.

Yes, I do as a matter of fact.

I agree with that Dwight,+1.Especially as I have ten thumbs when it come to mechanical stuff.

I want one too Chad!

For your consideration;

H/D parts are sold from U.S. distributors, Triumph is shipped from over-seas.

My replacement America bare casting head was $1,500.00 part only. No aftermarket alternative.

Triumph CDI, $640.00. Pro-com, $220.

Triumph coil, $140. Aftermarket, $70.

Triumph key blanks (two), $56.00. Arrow locksmith (two), $4.00



Where are your direct comparisons?

Show me ANY aftermarket part that cost MORE than OEM.

Yes erle, but in your argument here this would be akin to saying that a COMPLETE Triumph Bonneville America or any of the Triumph air-cooled Twins should cost a lot more than what a H-D 883cc Sportster costs, when in fact they're fairly comparable in price, and even though the Triumphs have to be shipped across the pond to us.

In other words, your "After Market vs Factory comparison" is pretty much an "Apples/Oranges" thing here. And thus, I STILL believe as long as Triumph does NOT attempt to redesign the WHOLE Twin air-cooled line(which I believe there is absolutely NO reason to do, as these bikes possess a very soundly designed rolling chassis as they presently are...well, EXCEPT for those cheap-ass SHOCKS the Triumph factory throws on all the Bonneville line anyway), and just SLIGHTLY redesign the engine so that they're as reliable and sturdy with a larger displacement as the present models are, then I see no reason at all for them to be able to legitimately charge more than that $2K premium for the larger displacement bikes which I mentioned before, AND just about the same "premium" which H-D charges for a new and COMPLETE 1200cc Sportster over their 883cc model.

Oh, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE, on the additional cost added to a "NEW BIKE".

My argument was what the cost would be to buy the "parts" from "Triumph", to fit into our existing motors, as expressed in the original post I was responding to.

OH, okay. Now I see to what you were referring...a retro-fitting to our existing machines, and NOT to a complete factory-built model.

What does Triumph charge for the kit to upgrade the 1600cc Thunderbird to 1700cc?

Triumph is missing an opportunity here. The Bonneville/America are very popular and not enough performance development has been committed to these bikes. Factory displacement kits, camshafts, and intake systems with matching specific EFI tunes direct from Triumph engineers would be very popular. I know their marketing group would just say trade up to a Thunderbird but many don't want the weight, liquid cooling or style of the T-bird.