Paul Contreras and his '07

Paul is an old friend and fellow motorcycle enthusiast. In fact, it was Paul who introduced me to the Triumph Brand with his 2007 Bonneville Black. So when I decided to start featuring those who modify their bikes, I thought; who better to kick that off than Paul and his ride?

Paul rides his Bonnie everyday, “rain or shine.” And his work affords him plenty of opportunity to visit many parts of Southern California.

When I asked him why the Triumph? He said with a smile, “All my friends kept telling me to get a Harley. They’re nice to look at but I didn’t want to get sucked into that.”

When he rode up the fist thing I noticed was the position of the handlebars and the cafe-racer-esq riding position. But the first thing I heard were those old-school pipes.

Notice the riding position and old-school style pipes

So, what about the modifications he’s done?  Again with a grin he explained what he did. “The first thing I did was replace the 18-tooth sprocket with counter-shaft 19 tooth sprocket. That gave me more high-end horse power and it doesn’t feel like it wants one more gear anymore.”

Then he replaced the front and back turn signals with Lucas replicas and added the Scrambler gel seat. The air-box is gone and he replaced the pipes with EMGO Toga replicas, added the K&N filter set-up and a 140-40 re-jet on the stock CKU carburetor, Fork Gaiters, Tach, LED Tach Lights. And rounding this off, giving it its distinctive look, are the Ace Bars from Norm Hyde, capped with round bar-end mirrors. 

Finally we chatted a bit and I asked about what he likes and doesn’t like and why he chose the Bonneville.

Likes:
“The bike has excellent power and the weight is perfect for me. The center of gravity doesn’t sit too low like a sport bike (note: The center of gravity is at your knees…so it makes the bike very top heavy) and that makes for great handling. Its weight is right at your knees but the bike is surprisingly maneuverable. And it’s easy to work on.”

Dislikes:
“Some of the parts seem just plain cheap. The OEM turn signals and the single wall pipes. Triumph could have done better with those. And then there is the seepage around the cam cover. I just recently took care of that.”

And when I asked him why he chose the Bonneville over all the other Triumph bikes he said, “To be honest, it’s because of Marlon Brando in the Wild Ones. Plain and simple. There really is no other reason.”

So there you have it, a uniquely modified Bonneville Black and a really cool looking ride!

While I have an huge appreciation of “show” bikes and would certainly welcome an opportunity to feature yours, my motivating interest is in featuring bikes that are your “special baby.”  That bike that you fixed up (or had fixed up) to be a reflection of you and what you enjoy riding. If you’re interested in having your bike featured here on Twist the Grip, email me and tell me about it.

Motorcycles