R3 and Bonneville, trade back down to Bonneville?

[alselec]

I owned a 02 Bonneville sold it and got the 06 rocket classic a couple years ago. Thought about goung back to the Bonneville, the weight of the R3 gets a little old, the Bonnie was so easy to manuver, but, love both bikes, but the bonnevilles do work better for around town and some day trips. Think I would miss my Rocket. Anyone ever drop down to the Bonneville from the Rocket. Mileage is better too.
I have 7600 miles on my R3, But don't think it would trade even for a new Bonnie, would it?

 

[Sidecar Flip]

Sounds like me but I have them both, 06 Rocket and late 02 Bonnie. Having said that, you won't be satisfied with just the Bonnie. Personally, I'd rather ride the R3 over the Bonnie. While it weighs appreciably more, that weight adds to stability. My stature makes the Bonnie seem small (which it is). I'm not overweight but I'm 6'1" and physically, the bike seems toylike. It don't impart a feeling of security (neither does my KLR) but the KLR in stature is larger than the Bonnie.

The other factor, at least with me, is manufacture. My Bonnie was made in England. The new Bonnevilles aren't. They are made in Tawain, totally. Matter of fact, the factory is adjacent to the Kawasaki assembly factory. I can't cotton to a British bike made in Tawain, in a sweatshop for peanuts. Even my KLR, while assembled in Taiwan, is assembled from parts made and machined in Japan.....

The new Bonnies aren't carbureted either. They are FI (with carburetor shells to make them look carbureted) and they are catalyized.

I would consider keeping the R3 and shopping for a used 02-06 Bonnie, preferrable one that hasn't been modified...they can be found. We all know everyone likes to personalize bikes with acessories, some enhance the looks and performance while others detract the manufacturers goal.

Just my take on things. Yours may be entirely different.

 

[TxRIIIRider]

Shoot.. You should be able to sell the Rocket and be able to buy a Bonnie and all the accessories you want!

I posted to you on the other forum, and like I said over there, I've considered selling the Rocket and going to a Bonnie or better yet, back to a Thunderbird Sport from time to time. Just because I don't get to make all the long distance rides, or almost any rides for that matter.. other than to ride back and forth to work.. lol Maybe I could con my wife into letting me get a second bike. She once said I could keep my Thunderbird Sport and get a second bike.. Might have to bring that up again..

I owned a 02 Bonneville sold it and got the 06 rocket classic a couple years ago. Thought about goung back to the Bonneville, the weight of the R3 gets a little old, the Bonnie was so easy to manuver, but, love both bikes, but the bonnevilles do work better for around town and some day trips. Think I would miss my Rocket. Anyone ever drop down to the Bonneville from the Rocket. Mileage is better too.
I have 7600 miles on my R3, But don't think it would trade even for a new Bonnie, would it?

 

[boogerdave]

Ya want a really nice 07 Speedmaster with 600 miles on it??

 

[TxRIIIRider]

Just trade for the Rocket.. then you'll have two

Ya want a really nice 07 Speedmaster with 600 miles on it??

 

[tdragger]

'07 Speedy? What color? Wife wants a Mulberry Red one.

 

[Alister]

I dunno... I'm on the eve of getting both now. I wanted something smaller and easier to ride (relatively speaking) than the Rocket for my better half. So, we're getting one of the new, fuel-injected '09 Bonnie T100s.

Now to find a pipemaker who's building the traditional-style 'teardrop' mufflers for the FI'd models...

 

[Sidecar Flip]

I dunno... I'm on the eve of getting both now. I wanted something smaller and easier to ride (relatively speaking) than the Rocket for my better half. So, we're getting one of the new, fuel-injected '09 Bonnie T100s.

Now to find a pipemaker who's building the traditional-style 'teardrop' mufflers for the FI'd models...

If you get a chance look in my photo album at my Bonnie/sidecar outfit and look at the headers and mufflers. I had the headers custom bent and put on OEM '68 Bonneville Pea Shooters. No baffles of course.

 

[Alister]

If you get a chance look in my photo album at my Bonnie/sidecar outfit and look at the headers and mufflers. I had the headers custom bent and put on OEM '68 Bonneville Pea Shooters. No baffles of course.

****, that's a sharp-lookin' rig, Flip! That exhaust could have fooled me into thinking they were factory stuff!

How's the sound, and what year is yours?

 

[boogerdave]

'07 Speedy? What color? Wife wants a Mulberry Red one.

Not really for sale . . but I WOULD trade it for a R3.