Extraordinary 2018 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black First Ride Review

As technology races towards the future, style is moving the opposite direction, regressing to the past. Fortunately for us motorcyclists, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, which means we can have it both ways. Take the 2018 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, for instance – it’s a juxtaposition between modern technology and post-WWII style. The bobber style, for those of you who aren’t familiar, harkens back to the 1940s when American riders would get rid of anything they could to shed weight by cutting and removing bodywork and ‘bobbing’ the fenders. The desired effect was to be able to keep up with the lighter, faster British and Japanese bikes that began to flood American shores.

Fast-forward 70 years and the bobber look is as timeless and popular as ever. This statement is backed up by Triumph’s Bonneville Bobber, which last year was the fastest selling model in Triumph’s 115-year history. While the regular, more gentleman-like Bobber is still available, Triumph is now also offering the Black, which as its name might suggest, is almost entirely dipped in – you guessed it! – black. Although color may be the biggest visual difference at a glance, the most significant change is an entirely updated front end.
The Bobber Black receives a beefed-up 47mm Showa cartridge fork over the Bobber’s 41mm KYB unit, twin 310mm discs bound by two-piston Brembo calipers instead of a single rotor with Nissin binders, and possibly the biggest visual difference (besides the color), a 16-inch fat front wheel, down from the 19-inch hoop found on the Bobber. Both the front and rear wheels are wrapped in Avon Cobra rubber specifically developed for the Black, measuring 130/90-16 and 150/80-16.
The goal of these updates over the standard Bobber was to elicit a more aggressive and muscular stance while simultaneously adding higher-spec performance upgrades. The 47mm Showa fork is non-adjustable and offers the same 3.5 inches of travel as the standard Bobber’s front end, however, the damping characteristics are noticeably improved, providing a more balanced and, dare I say, sportier ride. Discreetly hidden under the floating solo seat is a non-adjustable mono-shock with linkage that offers 3 inches of travel. While some adjustability settings would be nice, I found that the Black’s ride was surprisingly comfortable for all of my 180 pounds.
The Black’s suspension was plenty firm and offered a solid connection to, and feel for, the road but also soaked up the bigger hits without upsetting the bike’s balance. There was one particular bump in the road that almost all of us riders hit that surely should have rattled our sphincters, but to our pleasant surprise and relief, turned out to be just a slight hiccup. We were making our way up Ronda Road in southern Spain above Marbella, coming around a blind curve, traveling well above the posted speed-limit when BOOM!

There was an approximately 6-inch deep ridge across both lanes that was camouflaged into the road’s surface. None of us saw it, not even the lead rider from Triumph, but when we pulled off the road at the next stop, we drew the same conclusion and were surprised by how well the Black absorbed the hit and stayed on track. Kudos to the Triumph engineers for designing such a compliant suspension without any available adjustment.
Adding to the Black’s handling competence are the dual 310mm front rotors and two-pot Brembo calipers. The brake lever needed a firm initial squeeze, but the bike slowed down in quite the hurry as more pressure was applied. I think the fatter 130/90 front tire lent a helping hand with this, as there was that much bigger of a contact patch with the road over the standard Bobber’s skinnier 100/90 profile. Rear-wheel braking is handled by a 255mm rotor paired with a single-piston Nissin caliper. ABS comes standard front and rear, and to my pleasant surprise, works like it should, by only engaging when you really need it. The ABS isn’t invasive, premature or unsettling, and requires an abrupt, forceful pull on the lever – but once engaged, it only emits subtle modulation at the rider’s fingers – perfect.

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