Your Motorcycles: Tweaks to a Triumph Bonneville to Fit a Small Rider

Finding inventive ways to customize a bike to fit a petite woman

By Kat Davies, Queensland, Australia

Have you customized your motorcycle a little or a lot? No matter what you did, we want to show off your bike and you on WRN!Find out how to submit your bike photos here.

your motorcycles tweaks to triumph bonneville se 865
Kat Davies with her 2010 Triumph Bonneville SE 865. At 5 feet 1 inch she had to customize the bike to work better for her small size.

First, I replaced the heavy-duty shocks it came with for a set that works with my light weight.

The shift and brake pegs on the Triumphs are extra long, and my size 3 shoe meant that I would have to take my foot off the peg to change gears. I had and engineer cut an inch out of the rear brake lever, and a hole was drilled into the gear lever about an inch back where I added an extra rubber peg. What a creative solution!

To get the bike a bit lower, I purchased a damaged seat on eBay (Triumph T120 seat which fits) and cut the foam down to create a “slammer” seat. I made my own cover using new vinyl, and used real gold leaf to create the Triumph logo on rear of seat. Im an artist so this was fun and easy to do.

The final step to get flat footed was to move the passenger pegs to the front and ditch the OEM rider pegs, which jut out too far. For a short-legged rider like me the stock pegs are directly where the leg comes down, preventing me from getting my feet in closer to bike. Using the smaller passenger pegs in front helped this problem.

your motorcycles tweaks to triumph bonneville
Besides all the work to get the bike lower, Kat further customized the Triumph with chrome bar end mirrors, Triumph bash plate, risers, locking fuel cap, black anodized brake reservoir, pannier rails, saddlebags, and Kangaroo whistles that are suppose to help keep “roos” from hopping out in front of the motorcycle.

your motorcycles tweaks to triumph bonneville kat davies
Kat is all loaded on the Bonnie, ready for a Christmas toy run.

Have you customized your motorcycle a little or a lot? No matter what you did, we want to show off your bike and you on WRN!Find out how to submit your bike photos here.

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1 thought on Your Motorcycles: Tweaks to a Triumph Bonneville to Fit a Small Rider

  1. Very useful, thank you! I love your bike!

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