Triumph tuned up its Bonneville 900 High Torque plant that powers the modern-classic T100 ahead of MY2021. The new version is both cleaner and stronger with snappier throttle responses than ever before along with a higher red line. New forks float the lighter chassis with new top-shelf Brembo brake components to make the T100 more fun to ride and safer to boot.

2021 - 2022 Triumph Bonneville T100

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2021 - 2022 Triumph Bonneville T100
  • Engine/Motor: Parallel Twin
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Triumph Bonneville T100 Design

- Old-school design - LED lighting - Blackout styling - Comfortable ergonomics

There's just no substitute for genuine experience, and Triumph possesses it in spades when it comes to the Bonneville-powered T100. Ample blackout treatment is a constant cross the range of three color packages that include an all-black base model. Blackout rims and hubs ride between similarly darkened fork sliders, fender, tripleclamp, headlight can, and dual gauge housings.

The teardrop tank comes straight out of the history books with its classic cut-out build, complete with kneepads and a chrome brand badge. It combines with a nearly flat, bench-style seat to produce an old-school flyline and oodles of Britishness. Blackout paint covers the frame, side covers, rear fender, blinker housings, and most of the drivetrain.

Even the engine design adds to the T100's old-school chops with its vertical-twin arrangement, cooling fins, and classic proportions, though I think the factory missed an opportunity for even more antique vibe when it decided to not run with its carburetor-style throttle bodies. Oh well, can't have everything all of the time, I suppose. That's a relatively minor point on what is, ultimately, a rolling tribute piece that is absolutely steeped in history and tradition with that undeniable Triumph presence.

This machine follows in long-established footsteps and presents itself as a natural evolution of the long-lived Bonneville family.

Triumph Bonneville T100 Chassis

- Lighter weight - Increased agility - Vanilla suspension - All around ABS

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Weight loss is always good for agility, and so it is with the new T100 that rolls almost 9-pounds lighter than the previous version. The steering head establishes a rake angle of 25.5 degrees from the vertical, and once the 18-inch hoop is factored in it gives way to 4.1 inches of trail to land deep in the nimble end of the spectrum.

Tubular-steel members make up the double-downtube/double-cradle structure, complete with a “D” cross-section in the steel, yoke-style swingarm for the extra strength it brings to the table. Though mostly tucked out of sight, the frame sets the stage and provides the T100 with a shape that is regarded as the British equivalent of the ubiquitous UJMs of the sixties and seventies. The frame design also supports the drivetrain rather than using it as a stressed member to eliminate the cradle section of the skeleton.

A 17-inch rim rounds out the rear of the rolling chassis with dual coil-over shocks that provide the only suspension tweak with adjustable spring preload. This year, a set of 41 mm cartridge-style forks over an 18-incher support the front end for a slight improvement over last year, though it lacks any sort of adjustments, so there's still room for improvement in that department. The rubber comes in a 100/90 ahead of a 150/70.

At 503 pounds wet, the T100 makes do with a single front brake that rocks a twin-piston Brembo anchor and a 310 mm disc, opposite a 255 mm disc and twin-pot Nissin anchor with stock ABS at both ends.

Frame:

Tubular steel, with twin cradles

Swingarm:

Twin sided fabrication

Front Suspension:

Ø41 mm cartridge forks

Rear Suspension:

Twin RSU’s, with pre-load adjustment

Rake:

25.5º

Trail:

4.1 in (104.0 mm)

Front Wheel:

32 spoke 2.75” x 18”

Rear Wheel:

32 spoke, 4.25” x 17”

Front Tire:

100/90-18

Rear Tire:

150/70 R17

Front Brakes:

Single Ø310 mm floating disc, Brembo 2 piston axial caliper, ABS

Rear Brakes:

Single Ø255 mm disc, Nissin 2 piston floating caliper, ABS


Triumph Bonneville T100 Drivetrain

- Liquid-cooled 900 cc parallel-twin engine - 18 percent more horsepower - A broad tractable powerband - Sharp throttle response

Not only is the engine on the T100 cleaner with a shiny new EU-5 emissions rating, but the engineers actually managed to do so while picking up another 10 horsepower to give it 64.1 ponies at 7,400 rpm. Torque maxes out with 59 pound-feet at 3,750 rpm to give the mill a broad tractable powerband fairly low in the rev range.

It may look like an old 180-out twin, but this version of the Bonneville engine sports a 270-degree offset in the crankshaft, so it has a lope at idle not entirely unlike the note you'd get from a V-twin. Nearly square, the layout has an 84.6 mm bore and 80 mm stroke for a total displacement of 900 cc and a mid-range 11-to-1 compression that'll tolerate mid-grade pusholine with no ill effects.

A single over-head cam times the 8-valve head to keep the top end light and simple. This engine bears cooling fins, mainly for looks since it's actually a liquid-cooled machine, but I expect they do eliminate some of the heat nonetheless. A slipper-type clutch couples engine power to the five-speed transmission to provide some over-rev/anti-hop protection by preventing excessive backtorque from building in the system in the first place, plus it provides low-effort operation so you won't wear your left hand out on every ride.

Electronic fuel injection manages the induction in each of two throttle bodies, but that's the end of the 'tronics; there's no engine-control features such as traction control or a quick-shifter to complicate things, just the ABS to help you keep the thing dirty-side down. Some may count that as a negative, but I think the lack of crutches is a net positive, especially in a potential first bike. If you live in an area with tiered licensing, the T100 can also be had with an A2-compliant tuning package to meet regulations. Top speed on the full-strength version is around the 115 mph mark.

Engine:

Liquid cooled, 8 valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin

Displacement:

900 cc

Bore x Stroke:

84.6 mm x 80 mm

Compression:

11.0:1

Max Power EC:

64.1 hp @ 7,400 rpm

Max Torque EC:

59 lb-ft @ 3,750 rpm

System:

Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection

Exhaust:

Brushed stainless steel 2-into-2 exhaust system with twin silencers

Final Drive:

Chain

Clutch:

Wet, multi-plate torque assist clutch

Gearbox:

5 speed


Triumph Bonneville T100 Price

Paint and price go hand in hand. The Jet Black model starts things out with gloss black on the tank and a matte-finish noir just about everywhere else for $10,500 just about everywhere else for $10,500}}. If you prefer a splash of color on your tank, the Carnival Red over Fusion White or the Lucerne Blue over Fusion White with hand-laid silver details is available for another five Benjamins.

Instrument Display and Functions:

Twin dial analogue speedometer and tachometer with LCD multi-functional displays

Color:

Jet Black, Lucrene Blue/Fusion White, Cardinal Red/Fusion White

Price:

$10,500, Two-tone: $11,000


Triumph Bonneville T100 Competitors

In the U.S. market, there's no doubt which customers Triumph looks to attract with its new Bonneville T100 and it's Harley-Davidson's Iron 883 fans.

Harley-Davidson Iron 883

Harley hits the streets in 2021 with its lone 883 model, the Iron 883, and much like the Triumph, it benefits from a line of progression from the K Model of the mid fifties through modern times. Blackout paint crosses right on over to the Sportster with only a few splashes of chrome here and there to break up black hole under the fuel tank.

Drilled-out members at the front fender, belt guard, and exhaust shields enhance the Sporty's connection to the homegrown custom-performance sector. Triumph gains an early edge with its stock ABS feature that you'll have to shell out $795 for if you want that level of protection on your Iron 883.

Harley claims 53.8 pound-feet of torque to cede another advantage to the Brit bike. H-D gets some back at the checkout with a range of starting MSRPs from $9,499 to $10,199, but don't forget to add those 8 bills to that total for the anti-locks.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Iron 883.

He Said

“Triumph's T100 just keeps getting better while maintaining the looks that fans have come to know and love while steadily improving the performance and cleanliness of the Bonneville mill. From my personal perspective as an owner of multiple 883 models, I'd happily jump the fence for one of these new T100 sleds; not necessarily because of any perceived superiority, but just because it's such an iconic ride, and it looks like one.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “This update made a nice little bike even better. Now with more power, the T100 engine matches the performance of the Street Twin. Lighter weight means better handling and beefier brakes to go along with the improvements."

Triumph Bonneville T100 Specifications

Engtine & Drivetrain:

Engine:

Liquid cooled, 8 valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin

Displacement:

900 cc

Bore x Stroke:

84.6 mm x 80 mm

Compression:

11.0:1

Max Power EC:

64.1 hp @ 7,400 rpm

Max Torque EC:

59 lb-ft @ 3,750 rpm

System:

Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection

Exhaust:

Brushed stainless steel 2-into-2 exhaust system with twin silencers

Final Drive:

Chain

Clutch:

Wet, multi-plate torque assist clutch

Gearbox:

5 speed

Chassis:

Frame:

Tubular steel, with twin cradles

Swingarm:

Twin sided fabrication

Front Suspension:

Ø41 mm cartridge forks

Rear Suspension:

Twin RSU’s, with pre-load adjustment

Rake:

25.5 º

Trail:

4.1 in (104.0 mm)

Front Wheel:

32 spoke 2.75” x 18”

Rear Wheel:

32 spoke, 4.25” x 17”

Front Tire:

100/90-18

Rear Tire:

150/70 R17

Front Brakes:

Single Ø310 mm floating disc, Brembo 2 piston axial caliper, ABS

Rear Brakes:

Single Ø255 mm disc, Nissin 2 piston floating caliper, ABS

Dimensions & Capacities;

Width Handlebars:

30.7 in (780 mm)

Height Without Mirror:

43.3 in (1,100 mm)

Seat Height:

31.1 in (790 mm)

Wheelbase:

57.1 in (1,450 mm)

Dry Weight:

503 lb (228 kg)

Fuel Capacity:

3.8 gal (14.5 liters)

Details:

Instrument Display and Functions:

Twin dial analogue speedometer and tachometer with LCD multi-functional displays

Color:

Jet Black, Lucrene Blue/Fusion White, Cardinal Red/Fusion White

Price:

$10,500, Two-tone: $11,000


Further Reading

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