Home / Reviews / Product Reviews / Triumph Bonneville Tail Tidy – Before & After

Triumph Bonneville Tail Tidy – Before & After

This time, I’m stuck and I need your help. I just installed the Triumph Bonneville tail tidy by Motone and I’m not crazy about it. Here is how to install the tail tidy, what my Bonneville looked like before, during, and after the tail tidy, and I’d really like to know what you think of it.

Note: Instead of getting the Motone option, you can get this one for much cheaper on Amazon.

Introduction

Hey, Amazon, remember when I said I wanted this Motone fender eliminator for the Triumph Bonneville? I might have lied.

In this week’s video we’ll be putting on this Motone fender eliminator for the Triumph Bonneville. It was actually originally purchased for a different, much uglier Bonneville, however, the seller went MIA, so a different, much prettier Bonneville, ended up in my garage. And that’s where our problem starts: I think this Bonneville is actually super pretty, and really nice, so I’m not sure if I actually want to mess with it, or if I should just leave it alone.

I’m willing to install the Motone Bonneville fender eliminator kit anyway, just to see what it looks like. Mostly because it comes with a plug-and-play factory harness, so I can install it without cutting any of my Bonneville’s wiring harness. In other words, I can mock it up on the motorcycle, and if don’t like it, it can be sent back and both the motorcycle and the product will still be in pristine condition.

I’ll do a walk around of the Bonneville with the fender as it comes from factory, show you guys the work I do, and then do a walkaround of the motorcycle after the fender eliminator kit is installed, so you guys can see the difference. I would really love it if you shared your opinions with me in the comments section and let me know which look you like better.
watch this video

Watch this video!

How to install a Triumph Bonneville Tail Tidy / Fender Eliminator Kit

A Triumph Bonneville tail tidy kit is easy to install. There are four bolts that secure the original fender in place that you must remove. There is also one wiring harness connector that you must unclip. Then you can install the tail tidy by replacing the fender with it and using nuts and longer bolts.

Before you can start, the first step is removing the Triumph Bonneville’s seat. You can do that by removing the two bolts securing it in place from the back of the motorcycle with a 5mm hex bit. Next we’ll need to grab a T30 torx to remove the fender from the motorcycle frame.

Triumph Bonneville tail tidy fender eliminator kit install - fender removal
The Triumph Bonneville rear fender and tail light and turn signals all just come apart as one solid piece. There is one wiring harness for all of the lights, with a single one connector that plugs into the factory harness, and that is what we’ll be replacing next. The Motone fender eliminator kit comes with a factory plug and play harness, which perfectly fits right in. However, the fact this kit doesn’t come with any instructions is a bit annoying.
Triumph Bonneville tail tidy fender eliminator kit install - wiring harness clip
The last piece we still need to work out is the old school “STOP” tail light. Motone’s website includes a wiring harness diagram with some clear easy to follow labels. It shows us that the brake light is blue, running light is red,  and earth is black. Unfortunately, these colors don’t line up with the colors of the wiring coming OUT of the stop light, so you’ll need to mix and match a bit to find the right configuration. In my case the harness blue wire went to the red tail light wire, and the harness red wire went to the tail light yellow wire.
Triumph Bonneville tail tidy fender eliminator kit install - wiring the tail light
Once wired up correctly, the tail light, brake light, and license plate light all worked fine. If we decide to keep the fender eliminator kit I’ll have to order up some turn signals for it, but first, it’s time for the grand reveal…

triumph bonnevile tail tidy fender eliminator - after 1

To me, the Triumph Bonneville’s exhaust pipes sticking out further than the seat is a bit of a faux-pas in motorcycle design.

Let me know what you guys think. Is this an improvement? Is this a step backwards? Have I done the right thing?

triumph bonnevile tail tidy fender eliminator - after 2

To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. I’m pretty indifferent about it. I do like the old school “STOP” tail light. I think overall it does make the bike look a little smaller. Let me know what you guys think. Did I waste my time? Was it better with the original fender? Should I put the original fender back?

triumph bonneville tail tidy after 3

Obviously I know this is not going to be as good in the rain, but very rarely do I find myself riding in the rain these days.

Another option

If you’re into minimalist aesthetics but you don’t want to lose the rear fender, there’s another solution. Motone also makes a kit for those who’d like to keep their fender and still have the minimalist “stop light” brake light.

The Miller Light Bracket and Black STOP Light is one of the best looking Triumph Bonneville brake light mods you can do. It will improve the look of your Bonneville while still maintaining a retro vibe, and give you plenty of visibility for safety.

Installation wasn’t quite as plug and play as expected, and I had three issues with the product, but overall I’m happy with it. Have a look!

COMMENTS: Original fender and tail light, or fender eliminator kit? Please leave a comment and let me know.

While we’re on the topic of brake lights, let’s take it one step further and really upgrade this Triumph’s tail end! I’ve found some awesome Flashing LED Brake Light For Motorcycles. They make it much more obvious to other vehicles around me when I’m slowing down or coming to a stop. I believe they also let car drivers identify me slowing down much sooner, due to the bright quick flashing nature of the red brake light.

In some places there are laws about this, but they mostly seem to say that flashing may not exceed several seconds, while these only flash for one or two seconds, so they are acceptable and legal where I live.

watch this video

Watch this video!

About Adrian from YouMotorcycle

I started riding motorcycles in 2007, founded YouMotorcycle in 2009, and was working in the motorcycle industry by 2011. I've worked for some of the biggest companies in motorcycling, before going full-time self-employed in the motorcycle business in 2019. I love sharing his knowledge and passion of motorcycling with other riders to help you as best I can.

8 comments

  1. My opinion: Put the original fender back on! I think it looks way better!

    • Hey Mitch! I think I agree with ya! If this were an all black Bonnie I might be tempted to stick with the fender eliminator, but this color scheme doesn’t really seem to need it.

  2. Stock please, it just doesn’t look right with the Eliminator on this one

  3. dude get real make it simple to get on your mailing list.but please please please put that bonniville back the way it was.original is always best.

    • I think I have the email opt in as a pop up, as well as a box on the sidebar (if you’re on mobile you might have to scroll down a bit though). And yes, it’s been returned to original!

  4. Dig the fender vibe more, but gotta be real, not feeling the tail lights on both this and the newer models.

  5. Planned to keep my Bonny stock, but time rolls on, and I’ve done loads. Don’t toss those original parts, even if they’re Fisher-Price grade—they cost a pretty penny to replace!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*