Fontaine

Like my grandma always says, a road trip is only as good as your ride. Paul and I thought long and hard on what to choose to carry us across America. For me, there were only a few choices as dictated by finances and my personal taste. Perhaps a smaller BMW dual sport bike, like the F650. Or the American legend, the Harley Davidson Sportster. I really love the Ducati SportClassic, but they can be tough to find, and that sporty riding position might destroy my back after a week or two AND most importantly, they are pretty pricey. We thought hard about the Royal Enfield Bullet, but decided it was under powered.
There was really one obvious best choice. It's got the looks. It's got the history. It's got the power, the charisma, the value, the versatility. Not too big and not too small. Paul and I both decided on the Triumph Bonneville.




















The bike pictured above is my 2008 Triumph Bonneville T100. It is a modern recreation of a classic from the '60s, so I named it Fontaine, after the Star Trek character. A 24th century hologram of a 1960s lounge singer. Paul's Bonnie is very similar, but I will let him tell you about that.
My dad and I spent the winter modifying Fontaine. Our goal was to transform it from a weekend toy to a Mad Max style road eating machine and life support system. I am reminded of my dad's comment on my first post on this blog. He said to come home in the same condition I left in. I plan to, but I don't think I can expect the same of this bike.