03 America aka "Fat Berta" - Bonneville America Forums

Bonnevilleamerica.com

So, after lot of times reading and riding, I finally took some pictures to show you one of my rides. Bought it abaout 10 months ago in a mint but bad condition. Now the engines running good and I did some minor changes...

New:

Cleaning up:

Geting the way I like it:

Here we go:

Dan

Nice metamorphosis Dan.
What are you plans in the future for any changes?

Jep - will be going the drilled airbox and have a nice highUp from the scrambler which I tried to fit. The problem is, as the America is a little wider at the rear

, the stock pipes do not fit. So I need to build some endcans and linkpipes to connect to the headers which is hard to do as I have no place to do so.

Just working on the street in front of my place. So this will probably take some time...

Dan

Looks good!

Should be faster, now that it's black.

BTW nice pink helmet.

Like how it's coming along, nice work.

Thanks a lot to you all! I am a little down now 'cause Bimmer didn't see his Stopsign an hit my wife on her Bonnie driving right in front of me. Luckily its just a messed up bike and nothing with her.

So next thing will be improving the front brakes of the America - do not know what to do there. Any suggestions will be very welcome!

Well that last pic of your wife's bike was a big downer...

I hope everything works out okay for her.

Your bike on the other hand is looking amazing.

Thanks Brent - she's fine. Bonnie is work in progrss - Bimmers insurance will cover it as it seems.

But does anyone know what to do to improve the Americas frontbrakes by using stockmaterial? Brakepads? Interchangeable brakes? I do not have the money to buy Beringers or something similar.

It`s a pitty that they put on the same brake as on the Bonnie/Scrambler/Thruxton on a ike thats much heavier!

On my Thrux its allright, but here on the America

...

Dan

I can lock up my front wheel with stock brakes... they seem to work very well on my bike. But here's a thread with some info for upgrading front brakes. Just scroll down a bit to find pertinent info.

http://www.bonnevilleamerica.com/forums/...art=18&vc=1

EBC pads and EBC floating rotor...Then after that caliper upgrades....The pad change out helps allot...

http://www.british-customs.com/triumph-america-speedmaster/

I like what it says on your wife's bonnies licence plate holder

. My sentiments exactly!

Haha, I liked the face of the policeofficer when he photographed the bikes licenceplate after the accident.

Dan

Dan, I agree with you on the brakes, my Bonnie compared to the America has quite a difference. I regularly free the pistons up in the caliper and decent brake pads help a lot. Your pic' of the fat Bertha with the red tank is uncannily similar to mine!

Regarding the license plate, does it say ****** work... lets ride?

Ben.

Yep - it does say this.

Dan

Ok, winterwonderland is coming, so it's time for next steps!
Need some help to decide what to do with the exhaust.

This (Sharks or Arrows)

Or this with Bonnipipes
<

Or some peashooters

Thanks for some advice!

Daniel

Quote:

Ok, winterwonderland is coming, so it's time for next steps!
Need some help to decide what to do with the exhaust.

Or this with Bonnipipes
<

Thanks for some advice!

Daniel

this looks the best of the three options given

have to disagree with Dave :-) the arrows look better, plus they are a mad sounding pipe man i luv those pipes on the bonnies. the look is very different as well.

I'm with Dave on this one.

nice bike bud.

I am sorry but I think ALL three option on the exhaust you photoshopped disrupt the flow and styling of the America. I think the exhaust you have on it looks better than any of the options you picked. Since you like the matt black I would think you would either like a short pipe or a Sceptre exhaust, or some other kind of slash cut pipe. If you want more rumble remove the baffles from the exhaust that is on it. But you will probably have to change out the jets if you do.

I have sceptres on mine and 55 main jets, and pods. I love the sound.

Quote:

I am sorry but I think ALL three option on the exhaust you photoshopped disrupt the flow and styling of the America. I think the exhaust you have on it looks better than any of the options you picked.

and that is why I worded my response the way I did

yeah, it will miss the typical cruiser looks. but I need the exhaust to move upwards as I lowerd the bike with 10.5 shocks. I'm riding pretty hard and always slip over the pipes and I do not like the short exhausts. so up it has to go. Friend of mine has an old tiger with the exhaust from an old scrambler - this realy flows with the lines but it doesnt go with the america as she is to fat on her back, so the pipes are constantly burning your legs. Tried it but it doesn't work out.

That was the look I was going for in the first place:

In the back you see my wifes restored bonni and my Thrux.

Dan

Quote:

I'm with Dave on this one.

+1 on the Bonnipipes....but I also kinda like the Arrows too.

With Dave too.

eddy

TT's !

and nothin' else!

OK, working at the exhaust right now! Found some old HighUpheaders and I am bending to get the OldSchool-Look.

Another question – as my english is not so good to find the right words and so use the searchfunction correctly: Does anyone know if the wheels (especially the rearwheel) from an old Thunderbird Sport will work? Is the spindlediameter the same so I could interchange them?

Dan

Yeah and next thing is the tank - got the Thruxton-Tank in the garage but also one from an Thunderbird Sport - so lets see which one will fit/look better...

Dan

Thunderbird sport will work fine. If you have a front wheel on a thundersporty I'll happily buy it from you.

Sorry no frontwheel, not even the rearwheel - someone was faster on fleabay. And I thin sending the wheel to the US would be pretty expensive....

Dan

So nothing new as the frontend is also blacked out and I mounted new handlebars: Flattrack-Bars which are a little narrower than the original ones but have the same pullback. And got the Raask-Foorpeg relocation 4 to the middle and around 2 up - perfect for curvy roads....

Heres a little movie from Viennas Gentlemansride, at around 3:30 you see the bike running an the new position with the pegs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkXkItw9_EU&feature=player_embedded

Regards
Dan

Fun video. You were in there for a quite a long stretch, and the bike looked great.

Thanx and it was a fun event. we didn't think that it would be more than 5 bikes as we didn't promote is so much. Finally we where 30 Bikes!

With these footpegs riding improved really well!

Dan

Nice! I like what did with your America.

Looks great cant wait to see some updated pics.

Well, nothing new up here, just ben riding a lot.
Here's a pic from this weekend somewhere in the austrian mountains at a place called Maltatal.

and here are the two beauties, actually three as my wifes there on it too...

Not so much to tell, been busy riding with my wife, so more of a spagger (my wife created that:Speed-Bagger) nowadays....

Dan

Is that a stock head light and what fairing you using?

Stock Headlight + Emgo Fairing from ebay + some headlight mountings.
Took some grinding and filing, took 'bout 2 hours.

Dan

thanks

that thing is killer!

(and I've seen bonnie guys changing out the mastercyl with a 5/8 to get more acton with a smaller pull)

... and really made an impressive step forward after going for K&N, tuning the stockcarbs, TORs, one toth smaller sprocket and changing the timing of the camshaft. Works easily like my stock Thruxton. So prob will go for the 904...

Dan

Well the bike got sold - but not before giving her a makeover and so it got a Black Beauty this time.
https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t...amp;oe=5CE93A03