Triumph Bonneville T40 vs T100: You’d Be Surprised How Similar They Look!

Triumph's Modern Classic range has long been defined by its iconic Bonneville look. Up until a few days ago, the most affordable Bonneville was the Triumph Bonneville T100, costing a rather hefty Rs 10,85,400 (ex-showroom Delhi). 

However, things have now changed with the launch of the new Triumph Bonneville T40 - the brand’s first modern single-cylinder retro bike under the Triumph series. Priced at around Rs 2,79,999 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Bonneville T40 comes at a fraction of the price of the T100. You’d naturally think since it is the ‘cheaper’ Bonnie, it might look the part. But you’d be mistaken and how! See them frame-by-frame: 

Front Design: Modern Touches vs Old-School Cool

Up front, both bikes carry that classic circular headlight setup, but they have their own personality. The Bonneville T40 gets a neat round LED headlamp with a circular DRL ring. The T100, on the other hand, looks a bit more old-school as it uses a halogen headlight. Again, while both use bullet-type indicators, the T40 gets LEDs, whereas it’s a bulb on the T100. A bit ironic to see a much costlier bike use older tech, but then one could say that builds its character. 

The same logic applies to the console as well. The T40’s console is much more modern than the T100. Thankfully, Triumph has chosen to use a round dial rather than a boring rectangular screen. Another piece of good news is that the T40 gets a Heritage display mode that shows a render of an analogue tachometer and a digital speedometer. This is a really cool addition, especially on such a small-capacity bike. 

The Bonneville T100, on the other hand, sticks strictly to retro purism. It features the iconic twin analogue instrument pods with a digital inset on each. The speedometer and tachometer are analogue and look really gorgeous. Other information such as a gear position indicator and range can be seen on the LCD inset. Also important to know that the T100 lacks any connectivity, whereas the T40 features full-fledged Google Maps Mirroring. 

Side Profile: Teardrop Tank & Peashooter Exhaust

This is where you really see how many similarities Triumph has built into the T40. Side by side, both bikes share the exact iconic teardrop-shaped fuel tank, complete with black rubber knee pads and traditional Triumph metal tank badges.

The main difference comes down to what’s under the tank:

• The T40 runs on a single-cylinder engine, but Triumph added subtle cooling fins to give it a retro look. It also features a pea-shooter exhaust silencer that looks super stylish.

• The T100 houses a massive 900cc parallel-twin engine that completely fills up the frame, along with dual exhaust pipes running down both sides. This one also uses pea-shooters.

Even though the T40 has a much smaller engine, the brand did an amazing job scaling down the design of the engine as it doesn’t look anaemic in any way. 

While both bikes get spoke wheels, telescopic fork, and twin rear shock absorbers, the T100 gets a small fork protector whereas the T40 gets a more retro-looking (and also practical) full-length fork gaiter.

Rear Design: Compact Roadster vs Heavyweight Stance

At the back, both motorcycles stay true to traditional roadster proportions. You get a flat bench seat, long fenders, and wire-spoke wheels on both models. Both bikes also get a fat 150-section tyre, so the T40 doesn’t feel skinny in any way. 

The T40 feels a bit more compact, especially when you consider the large twin pea-shooter exhausts jutting out the sides of the T100. 

Final Verdict

Triumph really deserves a big compliment here. Building an accessible bike at Rs 2.80 lakh while keeping so many visual similarities to a Rs 10.85 lakh motorcycle is no small feat. Visually, it doesn’t feel ‘cheap’ in any way despite costing a fraction, so buyers can enjoy the full Bonneville experience.