Hackers Highjack New Bonnie

HACKERS HIGHJACK NEW BONNIE

Amazing thing, the internet, except when it all goes wrong. Which is what happened at Triumph when a disguised photo of the new Bonneville model was put up on the company website. Hackers de-disguised the image and the next thing you know, a sideview of the 2001 Bonnie is whipping around the globe via the World Wide Web-a full three weeks before the bike’s official unveiling at the big Munich Show. Ironic, a retrobike’s cover being blown by modern technology...

Anyway, here t’is. Early reports promised the spitting image of a late-’60s Bonneville, maybe the prettiest Britbike ever. That’s not quite the case. To our eyes, the new machine more closely resembles the less lovely oil-in-frame models of the 1970s (inset), except with an unfortunate jink in the exhaust tubing. Regardless, the oldsters on staff gave the new bike’s looks an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Mechanically, we know the parallel-Twin is oil-cooled (note the rad just visible behind the downtubes), displaces 800cc, has dohc and is rubber-mounted. Other than that, little info is forthcoming-well, until the next Internet oops, that is.

David Edwards