Triumph Motorcycles had first revealed its line-up for the Indian market back in 2012, and ever since, Triumph has had its fair share of fans in India. We take the Bonneville T100 for a ride to see if it's worth the hype, but more importantly, the wait. The T100 is the British brand's entry-level Bonneville motorcycle in India.
Truly a Bonneville
The Triumph Bonneville T100 is one among the nicest looking retro street motorcycles in the market; it turns a lot of heads because of its classic, charming appeal. It has some lovely details in the circular headlamp, chrome-rich twin exhausts and a very simple tail light design. The bike comes finished in a dual-tone paint theme along with wire-spoked wheels. Triumph Bikes have given the Bonneville a classic look with that faux carburetor body that merges with the fuel-injection hardware. The Triumph Bonneville T100 features a single analogue speedometer along with a digital display for the dual trip meters, and a tachometer that is optional. The only thing we don't like about these Triumph Bikes is the placement of the ignition key slot next to the headlamp. Getting on to the Triumph Bonneville T100 is easy work, thanks to the positioning of the seat which is placed at the correct height, plus it's every accommodating for both, the rider and pillion. The bike's upright riding posture along with perfectly set footpegs make it all the more easier to ride on a daily basis.
That parallel-twin..
The Bonneville T100 is powered by an 865cc, air-cooled, four-stroke and fuel-injected parallel twin engine, producing 67bhp and 82Nm of torque. Performance is strong right from the get-go and the wide powerband lets you push it hard while the dual exhausts let out a lovely hum. It isn't particularly fast but it's not sluggish either. It can cross speeds of 150kph but this is when you begin to feel some buzz filter through. The gears are well spaced-out and the slick gearbox along with the nicely weighted clutch lets you extract the maximum performance possible. In terms of handling, the double-cradle frame doesn't make this a fun bike to ride around bends; it's better off on highways and long, sweeping turns. However, we must keep in mind that this is not a bike designed for the track. In urban conditions, the turning radius is a bit of an issue, but ride quality is reasonably good, thanks to the telescopic front forks and dual shock absorbers at the back, both of which handle road imperfections well.
Going retro?
The Triumph Bonneville is a motorcycle that's bound to win your heart over the moment you look at it, because its old world charm and all that style works to keep it as vintage as possible, plus let's not forget all the modern tech that this bike is built with, making it dependable and reliable and this makes so much more sense over investing in an old vintage Triumph and restoring it. Also, it's very usable and the performance is manageable even for someone stepping into this segment for the first time. You can't be chasing top speeds figures on this beauty; that's more for supersports bikes and lighter-built bikes. The Triumph Bonneville is the perfect buy for someone who loves cruising along in retro style, and then there's the fact it's so affordable.
