The Triumph T214 is a very special bike and it’s not just because the company only built 1,000 units of the model. Actually, the T214 is special because it’s limited, but it’s even more special because of why its limited. Get it?

Triumph->ke1864 developed the T214 as a bike that celebrates one of the most important milestones in the company’s history. That milestone was when Johnny Allen and his 1956 Triumph-powered Texas Ceegar Streamliner set the world record as the world’s fastest motorcycle when it was clocked hitting speeds of 214.40 mph at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats back in 1956. The record lasted until 1962, when Bill Johnson, riding the nitro methane powered Dudek Triumph streamliner, set a new speed record of 224.57 mph.

It may not have the record anymore, but the Ceegar Streamliner stamped its name into the record books and into motorcycle history. Triumph is now honouring that history with the T214, which in itself is based on the T100.

Click past the jump to read more about the Triumph T214 Limited Edition.

triumph-bonneville-t214-special-edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: triumph-bonneville-t214-special-edition

2015 Triumph Bonneville T214 Special Edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Triumph Bonneville T214 Special Edition
  • Engine/Motor: Air-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin, 360º firing interval
  • Horsepower: 68
  • Torque: 50
  • Transmission: 5-speed

Design

The Triumph Bonneville T214 Limited Edition is actually based on the T100 Black, Triumph’s classy roadster that’s characterized by its no-frills design. There’s nothing stylistically outlandish about the bike’s design and that plays a part in why a lot of roadster riders have become fans of the T100.

As far as the T214 Limited Edition is concerned, Triumph did dress it up to commemorate its status as a limited edition model. Unlike the predominantly black T100, the T214 was hand-painted with a Pure White and Caspian Blue livery, matched only by a Red and White chequer detail that Triumph added as an homage to the 1956 Texas Cee-Gar.

Take a closer look at the blue front mudguard and you’ll notice that it shares the same white star motif from the nosecone of the iconic streamliner. The T214 also has a shortened rear mudguard that blends well with the blacked out wheel rims, handlebars, and rear suspension springs, adding to that authentic look that’s further complimented by the red seat stitching detail and the smaller front headlight.

Design Specifications

Length

2230mm

Width handlebars

740

Height without mirror

1100mm

Seat height

775mm

Wheelbase

1500mm

Rake

28º

Trail

110mm

Tank capacity

16l

Wet weight

230 kg

Dry weight

214 kg


Frame

Don’t take this as a surprise, but the T214 is actually a pretty sturdy bike relative to its size. A big reason for that is its tubular steel cradle frame that makes up the skeleton of the bike. It’s a pretty tough one, too, capable of giving riders the kind of reassuring ride that only the toughest roadsters can provide. The bike’s frame is backed up by traditional, black-sprung twin shocks at the back with black, gaitered telescopic forks at the front to keep the bike’s riding dynamics stable and well-controlled.

The T214 also has huge tires, measuring 19 inches on the front and 17 inches at the back. These two wheels are then matched with front and rear disc brakes to give the bike a progressive and balanced braking performance so that riders can ride with ease and control.

A seat height of just 775mm is right where the great Bonnevilles of the 1960s were, so that’s where Triumph put it on the T100 Black.

Frame Specifications

Frame

Tubular steel cradle

Swingarm

Twin-sided, tubular steel

Front Wheels

36-spoke 19 x 2.5in

Rear Wheels

40-spoke 17 x 3.5in

Front Tyres

100/90-19

Rear Tyres

130/80 R17

Front Suspension

Kayaba 41mm forks, 120mm travel

Rear Suspension

Kayaba chromed spring twin shocks with adjustable preload, 106mm rear wheel travel

Brakes front

Single 310mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper

Brakes rear

Single 255mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper

Instrument display and functions

Analogue speedometer and tachometer with odometer and trip information


Drivetrain

Let’s be clear on one thing: the T214 Limited Edition doesn’t have the same performance credentials as the bike that it’s paying homage to. It’s not the Cee-Gar Streamliner by any means, so don’t expect it to busting out anything close to 214 mph. What it does have is Triumph’s new 865cc, parallel-twin cylinder engine that pumps out a respectable 67 horsepower and 50 pound-feet of torque.

Drivetrain Specifications}

Engine type

Air-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin, 360º firing interval

Capacity

865cc

Bore

90mm

Stroke

68mm

Fuel system

Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection with SAI

Exhaust

Stainless steel headers, twin chromed silencers.

Final drive

X ring chain

Clutch

Wet, multi-plate

Gearbox

5-speed

Oil capacity

4.5L

Max power ec

68BHP @ 7500

Max torque ec

68NM @ 5800

Fuel Consumption Urban

51mpg

Fuel Consumption 56mph/90kph

68mpg

Fuel Consumption 75mph/120kph

56mpg


Pricing

Triumph only built 1,000 units of the T214 Limited Edition so you can understand if these things are a popular sell among Triumph riders all over the world. Each one comes with a price of £7,849. That’s about $12,080 based on current exchange rates.

Each bike is individually numbered, and comes with an unlimited mileage, two year factory warranty. Service intervals are every 6000 miles, or one year, whichever is soonest.

Quotes

“The Limited Edition Bonneville T214 celebrates the achievements of Texas-born racer Johnny Allen, and his record-breaking Triumph-powered Cee-Gar streamliner which, in 1956, set the first of many land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats by recording a two-way average of 214.4mph.” ----- Total Motorcycle“The T214 Land Speed Limited Edition pays homage to Johnny Allen’s record-setting run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1956. That year, Allen teamed with J.H. Mangham and Jack Wilson to create and run a Triumph Thunderbird 650-powered streamliner they dubbed the Texas Cee-Gar. Officials clocked his average speed at 214.4 mph, an absolute motorcycle speed record which was unbeaten until another Triumph, the Dudek Streamliner, bested the effort in 1962. The paint scheme utilizes the same colors as Texas Cee-Gar, handpainted Caspian Blue and Pure White with red and white checker detail. The blue mudguard at the front features a white star reminiscent of the one adoring the front of Allen’s machine. The wheels, handlebars and rear suspension springs have been blacked-out to add to the T214’s sleek aspect. There will only be 1000 T214 units produced worldwide.” ----- Motorcycle USA“For those of us living in the upper Midwest’s snowbelt, we will use any excuse to say spring is just around the corner. And we say that a lot. For a motorcyclist, the arrival of a new bike is just one such excuse. For me, it’s even more emphatic this winter considering I just purchased my first brand motorcycle since 1976 – a zero-mile, full-factory warrantied 2015 Triumph Bonneville T214. I first fell for the T214 when we covered the series of limited-edition Triumphs rolling out of Hinckley for the 2015 model year. After writing the T214’s First Look, I was hooked. There will be only 1,000 of these bikes built, and even though mechanically they are basically the same as the Bonneville T100 Black, the aesthetics and special touches are something special.” ----- Ultimate Motorcycling