The bike I have used for the trip is a 2007 Triumph Bonneville Norman Hyde GT.It is a standard Bonneville with a black engine, as opposed to the Bonneville T100 which has a brushed metal engine and rev counter.It was being used by Triumph Bonneville custom and tuning parts maestro Norman Hyde as a test bed/demonstrator bike for all the touring parts he makes for Bonnys.It is the bike that was tested by Motorcycle Sport and Leisure magazine in their November 2007 issue.It also made several appearances at various motorbike shows including the NEC show in Novemeber 2007.It was after this show that I bought it off Norman.If anyone is interested in the excellent selection of custom parts available go to Normans website
www.normanhyde.co.uk. The bike came with upgraded front springs,AP racing front brake,Norman Hyde fork brace,steering damper and fatter handlebars.It also had a set of louder(read not road legal) pipes which really do give it an authentic Triumph bark.A Givi screen and larger 25 litre (as opposed to the standard 20 litre ) tank finished off the bike as it came from Norman.I fitted louder dual horns, heated handlebar grips,longer mirrors,a Garmin 550 GPS,an HID headlight (very bright, I was constantly flashed in India),Barkbuster motorcross handlebar guards,engine protector bars,a sump guard,an inline fuel fliter,a washable foam air filter,a 12v accessory socket,it had a pair of Ikon shocks when I got it, but the seals went on these in Thailand and were replaced with a pair of excellent Thai made YSS shocks),a headlight protector screen, a Triumph dual seat, very comfy,an Acumen alarm imobilisor,an Autocom system that allowed me to listen to music in my helmet from my Garmin,a set of the latest, and very expensive, Series 2 Metal Mule panniers and racks and a Renthal rear sprocket.The bike came equiped with excellent Metzeler Lastertec tyres which wore very well, considering the weight (330kg dry) of the bike.The tyres were changed in Greece for anew set which took me all the way to Thailand, and still had some tread left.Mechanical problems were a broken spoke and nipple in Turkey, a leaking final drive oil seal, discovered in Greece but not big enough to worry about till I had the bike serviced in Thailand,and finally 7 spokes in the rear wheel after my girlfriend joined me in Thailand.The bike fully loaded with both of us on was around 500kg, so its no wonder they finally snapped, not being designed to carry such a weight.The Bonny never failed to start first time,and apart from the the above mentioned faults which were all down to me, not the bike,it is a tough, hard working solid reliable bike.I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to anyone thinking of doing some touring, albeit with some modifications.I did a lot of riding on poor,unmade, gravelly, muddy and potholed surfaces, and while this isnt what the bike was originally intended for, it coped admirably.