Page 15 - Indulge April/May 2016
P. 15
theroadis life.”By Patrick O’Donnell for his man cave
–Jack Kerouac
Courtesy Indian Motorcycles
Leader Ricky Adams said the bike maker “definitely has a
loyalty to it, and it has a lot of heritage. … when you come to
a stop sign on a Bonneville, you hear, “Oh, my Dad had one
of those … I can’t believe how it looks just like the old ones!”
Where it differs, he says, is in the technology. Stories
about “vintage” bikes always include a glitch — oil leaks,
electrical issues, hard starts — but all that is history, thanks
to fuel injection, cooling improvements and better engines.
Adams had me sling a leg over a Bonneville, which
is a world apart from the Chief. It’s a “naked” bike
— it doesn’t have a fairing. It’s slim, has an upright
seating position and weighs about 450 lbs.
Salesman Brian Kemp gave me the skinny before I hit the
starter. He pointed out out the carburetor covers and a choke
lever, and for a second, I thought Triumph really had turned
back time. Then Kemp explained they disguise modern
throttle bodies; the lever adjusts fuel mixture for cold starts.
Soon I was humming down Boyertown’s back roads. No,
really, I was humming: Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent
Black Lightning,” to be exact. (Yes, different bike, but a
good song’s a good song, and it fits this Bonnie fine.)
The bike is a dream. At 865 cc, it’s got guts;
handling is beyond nimble and that retro-style seat
is comfy. On a steep uphill S curve, I gave it a quick
downshift as I entered, then leaned into it, first right
and then a quick left. The Bonnie didn’t break a
sweat; it was like carving butter with a steak knife.
In the end, I couldn’t decide which bike I liked more.
The Chief is big, brash and comfortable. The Bonneville
is stylish, speedy and fun. But they’re both perfect.
So I did what any sane biker would do:
I left with both an Indian and a Triumph ...
… mug.
Photo by Sarah Evans april/may 2016 • indulge | 15
–Jack Kerouac
Courtesy Indian Motorcycles
Leader Ricky Adams said the bike maker “definitely has a
loyalty to it, and it has a lot of heritage. … when you come to
a stop sign on a Bonneville, you hear, “Oh, my Dad had one
of those … I can’t believe how it looks just like the old ones!”
Where it differs, he says, is in the technology. Stories
about “vintage” bikes always include a glitch — oil leaks,
electrical issues, hard starts — but all that is history, thanks
to fuel injection, cooling improvements and better engines.
Adams had me sling a leg over a Bonneville, which
is a world apart from the Chief. It’s a “naked” bike
— it doesn’t have a fairing. It’s slim, has an upright
seating position and weighs about 450 lbs.
Salesman Brian Kemp gave me the skinny before I hit the
starter. He pointed out out the carburetor covers and a choke
lever, and for a second, I thought Triumph really had turned
back time. Then Kemp explained they disguise modern
throttle bodies; the lever adjusts fuel mixture for cold starts.
Soon I was humming down Boyertown’s back roads. No,
really, I was humming: Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent
Black Lightning,” to be exact. (Yes, different bike, but a
good song’s a good song, and it fits this Bonnie fine.)
The bike is a dream. At 865 cc, it’s got guts;
handling is beyond nimble and that retro-style seat
is comfy. On a steep uphill S curve, I gave it a quick
downshift as I entered, then leaned into it, first right
and then a quick left. The Bonnie didn’t break a
sweat; it was like carving butter with a steak knife.
In the end, I couldn’t decide which bike I liked more.
The Chief is big, brash and comfortable. The Bonneville
is stylish, speedy and fun. But they’re both perfect.
So I did what any sane biker would do:
I left with both an Indian and a Triumph ...
… mug.
Photo by Sarah Evans april/may 2016 • indulge | 15
