Originally Posted by pal
Now 76 years old, over 4 days in June I rode this bike 1485 miles from Gig Harbor, Wa to Venice, Ca, mostly along the Oregon and California coast route.

This a Bonneville-sized bike, not a big touring model, and not really built for days in the saddle. I'm no longer up to the task of carrying a passenger, but still want to ride as long as I'm able.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]


I owned a similar bike, (2002 Hinckley Bonneville) for 9 years and had a great time with it. They're styled after the Brit bikes of the late 60s but everything about them was different. Mine was stone ax dependable the entire time I owed it.

Somewhere along the way motorcycles started to take on track bike ergonomics and the styling of the old standards fell by the wayside.

At the same time that I owned the Bonneville, I also owned a Ducati 900SS.A 200 mile ride on the Ducati was about all the fun I could stand. But I could stay on the Bonneville all day.

The Ducati soon went on to another owner.

I had owned a few 60s era Brit bikes, but keeping them on the road was far more trouble than they were worth. When the new Bonnievilles were introduced, they were the Brit bike that I had always wanted.

I put a lot of miles and had a lot of fun on the Bonneville. It was the only bike I wanted for a long time.