New Triumph Bonneville Bobber cruiser spied

The rampant success of Triumph’s Bobber, which has even managed to eclipse the firm’s own success with the T120 Thruxton, looks to have already spawned a new model spin-off that will replace the America and Speedmaster.

This blatantly US-focused new cruiser, spied last week on the roads in Spain near Triumph’s test facility, uses the clever hard-tail mimicking monoshock Bobber chassis and T120 parallel-twin engine, but wraps them in far more traditional cruiser packaging. And far from being a nearly prototype lash-up designed to test rider positioning, parts fit and performance, the bike that was spotted looks absolutely production ready.There are no rough prototype brackets, bodged panels or duct tape compensating for elements still under development.

TOP STORIES

• TT Marshals to be armed with Fireblade SPs
• Vicious bike gang assault rider in attempt to steal her bike
• Gallery: Cleverly priced, punchy middleweights
• Buse waterproof overalls will keep you dry
• BSB: MV Agusta BSS team hit by thieves

There’s also only the bare minimum of evaluation paraphernalia attached, suggesting that the test team have already answered all the major questions over stability, handling, performance and emissions. There may be no badges on the tank – the mounting holes are clearly visible – but there’s no question over the bike’s branding, with the sissy bar pad clearly displaying Triumph’s triangular logo, which is also repeated on the extreme forward-mounted footrests.

There’s no doubt about the engine, either. While the design and fake carbs are clear enough give aways alone, the ‘1200 Bonneville’ badge is also just visible behind the rider’s right leg, confirming this isn’t the 900 unit. Significant changes are led by the addition of a rear subframe with pillion and luggage provision, the switch to a 16in front wheel and the significant repositioning of the main rider foot controls – which have now slid forward from the mid position to a more traditional forward position.

Even more extreme is the large chromed front bar, which sports a set of forward-mounted cruising footrests.The seat is now a plush all-day comfy item replacing the Bobber’s adjustable saddle, and the headlamp boasts a deeper bowl, attractively-styled daylight running lights and appears to be all-LED.

With this new cruiser appearing production-ready, and the America and Speedmaster being non-Euro4 compliant,we’d expect to see it revealed at the end of the year as a 2018 model.

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.