All-New Triumph Bonneville T40: What’s Different From Speed 400?

Triumph recently launched the Bonneville T40 in India. It is based on the same engine as the Triumph Speed 400 but gets a slightly different tune to suit its retro character. Both the bikes cater to different audiences, here’s a detailed look at what’s different:

Engine 

The Bonneville T40 uses the same engine capacity as the Speed 400, but it has been tuned differently, with different internal components and gearing. The bike is expected to have a punchier low-end feel, especially in lower revs. 

Underpinnings 

The T40 gets an all-new chassis and a subframe, which gives it a flatter rear seat – expected to give comfortable seating for the pillion. The all-new Bonneville also gets spoked aluminium rims with tubed tyres, which elevate its classic look. It rolls on an 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, whereas the Speed 400 rides on 17-inch wheels at both ends.

Suspension duties are taken care of by a conventional fork on the Bonneville T40 and an inverted unit on the Speed 400. The T40 gets twin preload-adjustable shocks at the rear, while the Speed 400 gets a preload-adjustable monoshock.

For braking, the Bonneville T40 gets a 310 mm front disc and a 255 mm rear disc. These are 10 mm and 25 mm larger, respectively, than the 300 mm front and 230 mm rear discs on the Speed 400.

Features 

The Bonneville T40 takes a more modern approach to its retro theme with a 4-inch TFT display. The all-new unit enables connectivity features such as Bluetooth connectivity, call/SMS alerts and Google Maps mirroring. It gets 5 riding modes: Road, Rain, Eco and two custom modes, which alters the power delivery according to the mode selected. 

Also, it is packed with features that include cornering ABS, cornering traction control, cruise control, self-cancelling indicators, a USB Type-C charging port, and backlit switchgear. Thus making it one of the most feature-packed motorcycles in Triumph’s 350 cc lineup.

The Speed 400 keeps things more straightforward. It gets a digi-analogue console and features such as ride-by-wire, traction control and switchable ABS, traction control and a USB Type-C charging port. It misses out on smartphone connectivity.

BikeDekho says 

The Bonneville T40 commands a premium of Rs 19,672 over the Speed 400, while the T40 Black costs Rs 44,672 more. The Bonneville T40 offers a more premium package and  extensive feature list, but this comes at a higher price tag. 

Both the motorcycles cater to different audiences. If you want a classic roadster with modern features, the Bonneville T40 is the more suitable choice. However, if you want a roadster with a more affordable price tag and a simpler feature set, the Speed 400 makes more sense.