Nulli Secundus, second to none, is the motto of the Triumph Owners Club. It was also how most Triumph employees felt about this celebrated British marque when I worked for the company in the early '60s. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Triumph Bonneville and 45 years since I last rode one around the United Kingdom. So while I was in town for the anniversary celebrations, I seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revisit my old stomping grounds.
For me, there is quite an emotional component here. My days at the Meriden factory were memorable and allowed me to hone my riding skills for a lifetime enjoyment of motorcycling. Perhaps of all the motorcycles ever built, the name Bonneville brings to mind an image like no other. Its genesis and sub-sequent evolution has been the subject of many books, both technical (John Nelson's Bonnie) and historical/political (British Motorcycles Since 1950 by Steve Wilson). As interesting and collectible as these books are, for me it is the emotion brought about by the riding experience that prompted me to re-live the days of my youth.
Whoever at Hinckley put forth the idea of designing a modern Bonneville was really taking on what could have been, from a market-acceptance perspective, a huge can of worms. But perspicuity reigned, and the end result is most certainly deserving of the title, truly an evolved, 21st century Bonneville.
Having collected a box-stock Bonnie, I took a country road less traveled through some beautiful summer farmland and, 130 miles of twisty two-lane undulating black-top later, finally entered the land of Cymru. In my days at the Meriden factory, I had often taken bikes around the Welsh mountains to put miles on them. Welsh roads in the '60s were pretty much as they are today, except now there is significantly more traffic.
My entry point was Welshpool, a traditional, bustling market town set in the upper reaches of the Severn River Valley. Many Americans have told me that "British cuisine" is an oxymoron, and in the past I have been able to see why. But now, at the fine Welsh hotels and guest houses, that analogy can be laid to rest. A wonderful accommodation at the Royal Oak Hotel put me in the mood for three days of rediscovering a land of narrow, twisty mountain roads that I had not visited in more than four decades.
As fast as I might have been in my youth, my thrashing days are indeed over. But I still get excited at the notion of running a good-handling, well-powered, standard-style motorcycle over roads that are the dream of any adventurous rider anywhere. The road from Welshpool to Barmouth is just one beautiful vista after another-a precursor of my entire route. It is hard not to stop to appreciate the scenery when every few miles a verdant valley, fast-flowing river, castle or other ancient fortification unfolds. My first appreciation of the new Bonneville was how easy it is to ride. The 17-inch front wheel certainly facilitated the quick changes of direction needed as the road flicked from left to right close to man-made slate walls. Simple luxuries like adjustable brake and clutch levers were something I would have appreciated 45 years ago-maybe.