Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Were you here before you bought?

Back in the Spring of '03, my neighbor brought back a Triumph brochure from a Carlisle PA car/bike event. I found it on top of a stack of magazines in his garage and immediately fell for the America.

I had a '96 Firebird Formula that was for sale at that time, but with no takers. I sign up for the old forum and begin gathering info to make a used purchase. I remember my first post referred to the bike as the "Bonneville American". Someone pointed out, I can't remember who now, that the bike is just an "America".

Shortly after signing onto the old site, I found my America for sale on Ebay, but the auction ended with reserve not met. A few weeks later, I have a bite on my Formula and the bike gets relisted. I call the owner, who is surprised someone from Maryland would travel two hours to see the bike. He apparently has the reserve at $6,500 but the two auctions only bring $6,300 and he won't sell for a penny less than $6,500. The bike is showroom with 1,200 miles on it and a lot of accessories (windshield, pipes, back rest, light bar, luggage rack, floor boards, clock).

I show up one beautiful August afternoon for a ride and to meet the owner. He's an older guy who is into vintage planes and seems like a real nice guy, who owns a small body shop. He bought the bike a year earlier, put on all the accessories and than blew a motor in his Cessna. A plane motor rebuild is about $15k, so he's selling his toys to pay for it. He really didn't ride the bike, it only has 1,200 miles on it.

He's also unhappy with the bike because it is popping big time on deceleration and the pipes are blue/brown. I know from this site, that a good running bike is only a few turns of the air/fuel screws away. I think the guy was afraid I wasn't coming back, I was gone so long.

I tell the guy the bike is sold as soon as I complete the deal on my Formula. He says I can use his tag to ride the bike home, if I need it.

I haven't had a bike for 20 years and go to DMV to get my learners permit. They look at my license, laugh and point out that my bike certification is still listed. I've lived in WVA and PA, but apparently, when I came back to MD, they reinstated my bike license. I determine that's Karma and tell my wife the deal on the Formula is going to work out. Sure enough, the guy buys my Formula on Sunday. I call the America owner and tell him I'll be there Monday evening.

We take my brother-in-law's truck but I'm aching to ride the bike. By the time I get to the bike (Allentown PA, near Hermey's), it's dark and the clouds looked a bit threatening. I decide to bring it back in the truck and the guy loads it using his roll-back. We head home on I-81 (which at the time was under heavy construction thru Harrisburg). As soon as I get on the interstate, the clouds open up and it's raining so hard, I have to pull over in the truck. I would have been in deep trouble had had I been on the bike and would have had no way to get it into the truck bed, with my ramps and just my wife.

We get home safely and the next day I have the carbs adjusted in about 10 minutes. 35,000 miles later, I'm still smiling.

Here are some pix from the first time I saw the bike and the night it came home, in July of '03:

Great story, but was all that before or after you found BA.com?

I went into a dealership to look at a Bonneville and only then learned about the America. Sat on one, loved it, spent months reading everything I could find while working on the wife to cave in to my whining about wanting a bike. Found this site, learned a lot. Finally got the bike. This site's been a big help.

I ended up here as a result of buying my bike. Did some Google searches to find info and such and up came this place. Glad I found it!!

I had seen the ads in magazines and really liked the look. I try to be informed before spending my dough so went looking for reviews. Found one written by a Robert Wade who said he liked the bike so much that he made a web site dedicated to it.
Checked out the site and joined in fall of 2002, asked questions and read posts. I remember the great Speedmaster debate, is it the same, it's too ugly, why mess with perfection, etc.,etc.
Bought my Speedmaster in April of 2004 and yes, the site played a big role in that decision.

I first saw the america at the local bike show,it really caught my eye.Talked a bit about it and did nothing.One fine day I said to myself,self were gona get on that goldwing and ride over to the triumph dealer.I was chatin it up with the salesman when he introduced me to the speedmaster.That was it,I'm on my second one now.As fer the answer to the question,I also ended up here as a result of google searches afterwards.

You call it abusing. I call it breaking in...

I found the (old) forum a few months before I bought mine. I was looking at bikes and had mostly decided on an America or Speedmaster. A friend of mine found me a Bonnie forum on Delphi so I lurked there for a few days before someone there directed AM/SM folks to look at this site. Once I was here I started reading posts and asked a few questions. The vibe I got from the people here sealed the deal that I was going to have one of these bikes in my garage and hang out on this site. Then I started figuring out what I wanted to do with my bike once I got it and it was all downhill from there. I think I mostly blame Pat for all the modding I've got myself into

Bought mine very early in -02. Picked it up April 5:th the same year. Found the Bonneville America site on Delphi forums and still remember April or May when Robert came there to say that he had just started ba.com. I followed the link and became member 33 on the old site. Some names are still here, many new have found us. A number of trolls and pot stirrers have come and gone, but the majority of members here are nothing but good people. Got many new friends from all over the world on this site, as have you all I guess.

I bought my red TBA in Sept of '02. I was looking for some tech information and came across this site. I was member 129 on the old site. I bought a used sissybar/luggage rack from Robert.

20th August 2006 first post had been nosing around a guest for a bit and you lot led me astray ...cost me hunners of pounds over the years ...but by christ was it worth it loved every rain soaked grit blasted wind blown minute of my bike .....

I was still looking at the VTX when I found this site. I had seen two Triumphs outside a casino, and that got me looking at them, and searching some links I turned up the old Forum.

I found most of my questions answered (displacement? two-up capability? water cooled? shaft drive?) without me ever having to ask. Enough so, that when that 2003 brochure hit my mailbox, one quick read told me what bike was right for me.

I had a '79 Bonnevile Special 750 which I had fallen into a great deal on. Would you believe $500 bucks for a bike with less then 200 miles on it? The owner was a degenerate gambler and owed to shylocks and wanted to borrow $1000 on it. I asked for and received the keys, signed title dated for a month hence and applied a very large and strong chain and padlock to the bike in his back yard. A month went by and no Joey. He turned up later in the trunk of a Cadillac at Kennedy Airport with 3 .22 slugs in his left ear.

I rode the Bonny like I stole it for 3 years and the wife was worried about my health etc {she was more concerned about the steady paycheck} and I reluctantly sold it in '83 for twice what I had paid for it.

In '05 I got the urge again after seeing one in a parking lot and talking to the owner. I mentioned this to wife no. 2 and she opined "If you buy a bike, you will pay for the divorce". I again made a mistake. I did not buy the bike. However I did pay for the divorce in '06.

After a period of soul searching on St Patrick's Day in '08 I plunked down my deposit on a '07 leftover Speedmaster that was still in the shipping crate at the dealers. I had been coming in to the dealership every month for the last 6 months and I finally had argued myself into taking the plunge.

They gave me a grand deal and with all the options I was beholding a note for about 11K.

I found this site while looking for some info on maintenance for this bike as I do not feature spending $83 an hour for dealer work on my bike. I can change oil, maintain the chain and keep an eye on it. I will probably need some help next spring when it hits 12K and the valves need adjustment.

A splendid machine which takes me where I want to go in high style and everytime I ride it I get thumbs up at stop lights and some old geezer comes up and starts to talk about his '67 Trophy etc. I love this bike and I will ride it until I am unable to fork the saddle. Then I might opt to make a trike out of it.

I didn't know of this site before I bought my 04' BA in the spring of 04'. I knew I didn't want a HD or I look-a-like bike, there is a dealer in my area and on the way home from work I decided to check out the bikes and to see if they went the look-a-like bike route too! When I walked in I saw a blue and silver one and a red and silver one it was lust at fist site! I was glad that they kept the Brit bike look, my first street bike was a black 72'Norton 750 Commando, and being black is my favorite colour I asked if they had a black one and they said "we have one in the back" I came back a few days later and rode it home.