On June 30, 2010 I shot the above poorly-composed photo of my 2008 Bonneville with its latest modifications. Since then I've been too busy riding the bike to make blog entries.
My Bonnie now has three mods: Triumph centerstand, Triumph King and Queen seat and Dart Flyscreen. I put the centerstand on shortly after I got the bike last Spring. I just added the other two.
The stock seat on a '08 Bonnie is as uncomfortable a motorcycle seat as my butt has ever been spanked by. I've never had an iron butt anyway and almost always stand up during stops to let my brains breathe, but the stock Bonnie "plank" made me burn after only about ten miles. The seat and my butt got a little more used to each other after a few thousand miles, but it was still torture on a long ride.
I heard great things about the comfort of the K&Q but the seat's non-traditional look had few fans. I tried the gel seat first, but it was all wrong for my leggy 6'2" and bony butt. I swapped it for the K&Q and transformed my humble horse into a royal mount. Not only is the seat super comfortable but it actually makes the Bonnie feel like a different, and better bike. I feel more solidly planted in that seat and the bike feels more under my control. Psychological? Fine.
I'm not bothered by the looks of the big seat. To my eye the new Bonnie looks chunkier than the old Bonnies and I think the big fat seat suits it fine. Anyway, when I'm riding I don't see the seat. And my bike is for riding. But yeah, I still stand and look at it for awhile after almost every ride.
I also added a Dart Flyscreen. I don't like the look of windshields on anything but a big bike (Electraglide, Indian Chief) but I also don't like being smacked around by the wind when I'm driving at highway speed. The Dart Flyscreen got great endorsements on all the forums so I thought I'd give one a try. I love it.
You wouldn't think such a tiny screen would do much and you'd be right. It doesn't do "much" but it does some. It doesn't eliminate wind buffeting but it noticeably improves it and makes the bike feel much more comfortable and stable at higher speeds. So you still have "the wind in your face" without having the wind kicking your ass.
And I found that if I lay all the way down on the tank, I can go over 80 mph without feeling any buffeting at all. If I ever go for the "ton" (100 mph) I'll be glad I have the flyscreen.
Best of all, when I'm sitting upright the tiny screen doesn't obscure my view of the pavement in front of me. I love to ride bad back roads and I need to see the road! I would never ride a faired bike on my favorite roads. Seated on a bike with a monster fairing, like a Goldwing, you can't see the pavement directly in front of you for ten or fifteen feet!
(To be honest, even the flyscreen obscures my view of the closest foot or two of pavement, but by then it's too late to change course. In other words, it's acceptable and well worth the benefit.)
I'm still not used to the different look of my bike. All my previous bikes were unmodified naked standards. But when I'm in the saddle, cruising up and down the twisties, I'm very happy with my modifications.
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