Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge New Guy Saying Hello

Hello all...I have been lurking around the forum for a few days now and decided to join. I am active duty US Air Force stationed in Japan and I have a '06 Bonnie or what I call the Creamsicle. I am most likely on my last overseas assignment where I will be returning to the states in a few years where I will have reached my twenty years plus a few. I am looking forward to returning back home and re-joining the civilian lifestyle even though it has been one heck of a ride for me.

The main reason I have joined this forum is because I plan on getting a cruiser when I do return home...call it a retirement present to myself. I love my Bonnie and will never get rid of her but I would also like to have a cruiser in the shed along side her. I have been really combing over the T-bird, Rocket Roadster, HD Softail Deluxe, and the gorgeous Indian Chief Deluxe that are coming out of N. Carolina. I have been riding a motorcycle for almost 36 years now so I have an idea of what I like and what I don't like. It finally dawned on me as to why am I messing with such a good thing; I love my P-twin engine on my Bonnie and having the Speedmaster just seems to make sense to me. I know a good deal on wrenching with these engines and I am already fully aware that these engines are more than capable to be a tourer as I have just got done touring my Bonnie all over the UK during my last assignment. Speedmaster makes a whole lot of sense to me and at a price that won't put as big of a dent in my wallet. So here I am to hunt around and hopefully here all of your impressions, likes, dislikes, and whatever other information I can get. Thanks for having me.

Well hello back atcha!

Welcome! Thank you for your service! You absolutley will not be dissapointed with a Speedmaster!

hi to you from the UK...
I think you just have to read the threads in the forum, and you will get a very good idea on why we love the speedmaster & america. Welcome and just buy one.

Too bad you aren't back here looking now. A member here bought one but his back problems prevent him from riding so he is selling. He is asking a low price and the bike has something like 400 miles on it. Very clean blue and white machine. and Welcome to the zoo.

Welcome! Look forward to see you around both before and after you buy that Speedy.

You came to the right place!!Welcome bro!

Thanks for the welcome; I would love to pick one up now but getting a bike in Japan is a nightmare to say the least. It is going to cost about $3,000 just to get my Bonnie licensed on the road due to the import vehicle test. Unfortunately, the speedy will have to wait until this assignment is over. I did see the bike for sale with only 400 miles and would love to jump on that...oh well, I guess the timing for that just isn't there for me.

Welcome to the forum. This place is packed full of good information, mechanical tips, tricks, and a good laugh or two. You can't go wrong with a Triumph.

Love the creamsicle color scheme!

The Speedmaster is a great bike, and if you enjoy your Bonnie, you will definitely enjoy the Speedie. I think the two Triumph cruisers (America and Speedmaster) are the best bikes out there!

Welcome!

Welcome Matthew!

Yep, I too think you'll find the addition of a Speedy to your garage a very good move.

(...and btw, thanks for your service to our country!)

Welcome Matthew.What state will you be calling home?

Welcome Matthew. Allow me to give my opinion on your situation.

Thank you.

Welcome and we know you'll do the right thing....

Welcome to the madhouse

Speedy or America, they're both Bonnies

BTW, Welcome to the group and thanks for your service.

Thanks for the great welcome! I am originally from New York, a place called Poughkeepsie which is right on the Hudson river, a couple hours north of the city. I do plan on returning back to the Hudson Valley when my service is over and hope to find work at West Point or at Stewart. While I will be retiring from active duty, I still wish to serve but in a civilian capacity. It will be really nice to buy a house and not have to worry about moving in four years...

I like the America a lot but I do think that I am going to go with the Speedmaster. My Creamiscle has a ton of chrome and I think it would be nice to have a blacked out engine for a cruiser that I can run a hose over and wipe her down. Polishing chrome on one bike is enough for me. Plus, I like the aspect that the Speedmaster has the dual front brakes and a tach already on it. I have toured all over the UK on my Bonnie and will be roaming all around Japan here soon. The only difference is that my boy will be old enough to come with me once we return back to America and the Bonnie isn't the best of bikes to do long tours on when you are two up. I love this P-twin engine; great sound, solid, and reliable. Just makes sense to me to get another one but that is set up as a cruiser. I've been riding long enough to realize that I do not need a 25,000cc bike to travel down the highway. I have ridden a Speedy before and really got turned on by the engine to weight ratio. The bike went down the highway nicely and it is still light enough to have fun in the twisties. I am a roadster rider at heart and will always rubber neck for a set of twisties. So I will continue touring on my Bonnie seeing that I am by myself right now as a rider but plan on spending some time here and getting ready to put the Speedy in the shed alongside the Creamsicle...life is pretty hard sometimes

Welcome, Matthew. Glad to have you aboard. Get (AMERICA) the (AMERICA) bike (AMERICA) you (AMERICA) want (AMERICA).

Hello, too.

I am new to this site (just having discovered it in a post on TriumphRat.net). I have had my 2008 New England White/Pacific Blue America since April, 2009, and have ridden it about 7000 miles. I love the bike, and look forward to the discussions on this site. I also have a 2009 Daytona 675 (for days when I don't want the comfort of the America). I am off now to our local Inland Empire Triumph Rat group bike night in Highland, California.

Welcome, the both of you! It's a great zoo here, and they let us out a lot to cruise the unprotected highways of the U.S.

Once you guts reach 100 posts you get the code that allows you into the photopost.

It's nice to see you America and Speedmaster fellas play so nicely together

But the America was the rough draft and the Speedmaster is the refined finished product.

And don't get us started on the fact that the black ones are the fastest.

Only thing faster are the black ones with red on the side of the tank.

JET black

A buddy of mine over here in Japan has just set up a paint booth in his garage. The winters in northern Japan are long and cold so we made a deal; I supply him beer to survive through the tundras of winter out here and he teaches me A to Z on painting. I'm thinking a black Speedmaster with ghosted drak grey flames erupting up from the sides of it...I might have to get the tank before I get the actual bike

Welcome Matt, and thank you for your service!

Now on to the bikes. Hate it but it is true, I would go with a speedy being as how triumph corp has the slash cuts on the speedy now. That and the bars being narrower. However, imho anything after '08 looks like the nether regions of Roseanne Barr's rear end. Highly advocate anything prior to the buttazz fugly tanks, mag wheels amoung other pointless rantisical items.

The benefits of having a motorsickle that you can remove the cam cover of without removing the tank, the fact that your fist can slide in next to the head tube and well never mind. Dangit man.. Recalls to mind some words penned by Randy Newman,

"Sister Sue is short and stout,
She didn't grow up, she grew out.
Momma says she's plain, but she's just being kind.
Papa thinks she's pretty, but he's almost blind.
Don't let her out much except at night.
But I don't care 'cause I'm all right."

sorta like a sweet and sour candy, being able to map the fuel systems would be sweet as would being able to plug a flat.

Used americas and speedies have all the classic components and looks. might consider breathing new life into someone's used, 270 crank motorsickle.

Moe, you only jealous of us guys with 2008 onwards Speedies.
Don't listen to him Matt, the larger tank is lovely and gives the bike presence unlike the ethiopian look tank on the earlier bikes..

I'm liking the banter on this forum already. I have an '06 Bonnie and I bought it used because of the carb'd aspect. I haven't owned an EFI bike before and it is a little daunting. I know how to hold a screw driver and turn a wrench...I can do carbs. Hooking up a laptop computer to work on my motorcycle...sorry but I must be getting old because this is getting to be Buck Rogers stuff. With that said though, I honestly do not see any other choice I am going to have. I still have about three more years to do my tour here in Japan which means the carb'd models will be older and more miles cranked up on the engines before I am able to dive into the market. I guess the inevitable switch is coming regardless if I want it or not. What is the re-mapping procedures like on these EFI bikes when you slap some good pipes on them? I have noticed that the America/Speedy have some nice choices for pipes now; are there tunings offered for each of these pipes or do you have to "wing it" with some of them? I do want this twin loud...the older side in me coming through yet again.

you take it to your local dealer and for a few bucks it gets a re-map, over here in the UK it cost me £25 for the mapping.

Well Moe, in defense of the newer gas tank(and even though, like you, I do like the overall look of the original ones a bit more), at least the newer ones don't have that ugly ol' seam runnin' along the underside of 'em like ours do.

Welcome! SPOKES, man! It's all about the spokes!! Ah yes, the good old days, when Triumph put spoked wheels on the America...

And a warm welcome to you Lee

BTW, I thought mentioning this site on the rats nest was punishable by death, after being made to cook and eat your own testes while they're still attached

Or is that another site?

BTW, it safe to mention them here though. We're more liberal