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I had the Bobber Icon last year on loan from Triumph UK to review (the link to this review is below) and I was really taken with this bike so I was excited to have the new Bonneville Bobber on loan from Triumph UK when they launched it earlier this year to see how the new Bobber fares.
There are three colour options for this bike, namely, black; satin mineral grey and interstellar blue with a price tag from £13,795.
The Bobber I had came in a very gorgeous blue which looked especially beautiful when the sun shone on it (yes, I did actually have some sunshine even though it was only the beginning of March!).
Here’s a few specs for you:
- Weight: 250 kg
- Seat height: 690 mm
- 1200 cc Liquid cooled, 8 valve, parallel twin Bonneville High Torque engine
- Power: 78 PS/77 bhp (57.5 kW@ 6100 rpm)
- Torque: 106 Nm @ 4000 rpm;
- 6 speed
- Single analogue speedometer and tachometer with LCD multi-functional display
- 2 riding modes: Road and Rain
- Metzeler Roadtec tyres
- Twin rear suspension units, adjustable for pre-load
- Brembo twin front and Nissin single rear brake discs
- Two into two exhaust system with twin slash cut silencers
So let’s have a look at the upgrades to the new 2026 Bobber over the 2025 model.
The fuel tank has increased from 12 litres to 14 litres (approx. 3.7 gallons) capacity offering a better range. This is much better as I found I was always keeping an eye out for a fuel station when out for a ride on the Bobber Icon.
IMU-controlled lean-sensitive cornering ABS and traction control has been added which means a much more enhanced ABS and traction control system that will adjust itself to behave differently when cornering as opposed to just being in a straight line. Any tech added which aids safety is always a good addition in my opinion.
Now, the single floating seat is wider and has increased padding. Hmm 🤔 Personally I found the seat on the new Bobber uncomfortable after 45/50 minutes or so of riding. When I came to a stop in the traffic, I would find myself standing up and having a little wiggle just to get some feeling back into my bottom. I apologise now if you were in the traffic behind me and were witness to this horrific scene 🫣😂 This was not a problem I had on the seat on the Bobber Icon, possibly indicating that just adding more padding doesn’t necessarily lead to more comfort.
The LED headlight has been updated with a different daytime running light. It is nice to see that the Triumph ‘T’ logo is still present in the middle of the lamp.
The steel rims have been replaced with new lightweight aluminum rims, reducing unsprung weight. Remember, this is a 250kg bike so anything to reduce weight is always a good thing and unsprung weight is the worst possible weight for handling so this will have more of an effect than you might think.
A USB-C charging port is now standard which is located to the left of the clock. This is a handy place to have this as I use a quad lock for my phone so I can plug my phone in to charge whilst riding which is especially useful if I am using the phone for navigation as it keeps my battery charged.
The side panels and intake covers have been changed slightly and the engine cover has been modified slightly although retaining the great look of the bike.
And, how cool is this, for the first time an A2 license-restricted version is available. What a bike to be rocking up on if you have a restricted licence!
So what remains the same then?
The engine is the 1200 cc HT (high torque) Bonneville liquid cooled parallel twin engine, pushing out 57.5 kW @ 6,100 rpm of power and 106 Nm @ 4000 rpm of torque with a charismatic 270° firing interval, giving you 77 bhp.
The two into two exhaust system with twin slash cut silencers just sound glorious and go hand in hand with the distinctive sound of a twin.
I honestly did not tire of just blipping the throttle to hear the rumble, the grin under my helmet was pretty much constant.
The hard-tail look with hidden monoshock design is still there with fat 16-inch front wheel and chunky 47mm front forks.
The new Bobber still has the high-spec Brembo twin calipers and 310mm discs on the front and a Nissin single rear brake. The twin rear suspension units are adjustable for pre-load.
The riding modes remain the same – road and rain which adjust the throttle map and traction control settings and are easy to switch between the two using the button on the left bar. This can be done whilst riding along.
The Bobber retains switchable traction control and cruise control.
The single analogue speedometer and tachometer with LCD multi-functional display I think matches the styling of the bike perfectly.
Navigating your way around the functions is easy using the ‘i’ key on the left bar. Again, this can be done whilst riding. You choose what you wish to have displayed, for example, time, mpg, trip, mileage, fuel gauge.
Personally, I would add a small screen not only to finish off the front of the bike nicely, but also to cut down on glare on the display.
The tyres on the new Bobber are again Metzeler Roadtec 01 which Metzeler describe as:
‘The sport touring tyre with reinforced carcass construction for adventure and heavy touring motorcycles.
- Grip on a wide range of tarmac/weather conditions.
- Dual-compound on rear sizes.
- METZELER Interact™ technology for riding stability, comfort and precision.’
Now, I didn’t like these tyres in the wet when I had the Bobber Icon and I still didn’t like the tyres in the wet on the new Bobber. I would definitely have to change these – in the dry, the tyres were great and I did not have any doubts about them but as soon as the roads were damp and especially wet, I could feel the grip level change with a distinct lack of feedback.
What’s The Triumph Bobber Icon Like To Ride?
Absolutely lovely 🤩 As you can see from my previous review, I really loved the Bobber Icon and am really pleased to see that there has been some small upgrades and improvements but that they have retained the great feel of the previous model.
The Bobber is a cracking bike, really nice to ride (although just not for very long with that seat 😂) very solid and stable and oozes the usual Triumph quality.
The positioning of the footpegs make for a comfy ride – they are not either foot forward or foot back but kind of just straight down, like you are sitting in a chair with your feet on the floor.
I know that the bike weighs a hefty 250kg but somehow because it has such a low seat height (690mm) it makes moving the bike around incredibly easy, or at least that is the way I found it.
The Bobber is an incredibly cool bike. I had so many people come up to me when I parked up to ask about the bike and what it is like and the interstellar blue colour is just gorgeous.
Everything about the Bobber, the styling, the colour, the floating seat, the single retro clock and headlight, just works.
And the noise – oh my, the rumble of the bobber on start up and the thrum of the twin on acceleration just sends a tingle down my back. I love this bike, everything about it is spot on.
This Bobber may only be 77 bhp but the way it delivers this with the low down torque makes you feel like you are riding a more powerful bike and it doesn’t often feel wanting.
The nature of the bike probably lends itself to long sweeping bends on a flowing road as it can feel a little lardy in the twisties compared to say, the Speed Twin 1200, for example but I would still have a Bobber in my garage.
Thank you to Triumph UK for the loan of the Bonneville Bobber.
BK
Here’s a link to my Bobber Icon review: 2025 Triumph Bobber Icon
Here’s a link to my 2026 Bobber YouTube review: https://youtu.be/zpb0GNf0ucc?si=enlRIiWdxuIvMgng
