Bonnie

This bike pre-dates mine by sixty years, but could be considered as just an older version of the one I ride.
We had no time pressures on the journey home yesterday, so decided to detour to the Triumph Motorcycle factory in Hinckley to visit the exhibition there. Entry is free and there was a lot to look at. The original Steve McQueen “Great Escape” bike (Steve insisted on riding a Triumph, so the film crew had to try and disguise one as a WW2 vintage German motorcycle) alongside bikes featured in “Mission Impossible” and “No Time to Die”. Then there were various competition bikes as well as examples of all the current range.
The picture is of one of the first Triumph Bonnevilles at the head of a line of bikes stretching back to the very first 1902 prototype. After the resurrection of the Triumph brand in the 1990s, they reintroduced the Bonneville model. A bigger, fuel injected engine and modern electronics and brakes made sure it could cope with modern traffic conditions, whilst retaining the looks of the original. Park mine alongside this one and the lineage and heritage would be clear to see.
But…whilst I appreciate how reliable, efficient and “modern” my bike is, part of me would really like one of the originals. I suppose you could liken it to watching the Beach Boys the other night. A great band, with a clear heritage, but you’d really prefer to be watching the 1960s version!