Overall rating Next up: Ride & brakes 5 out of 5 (5/5) Author: Jon Urry Published: 19 August 2020 Updated: 19 August 2020 Far more than simply a retro-styled Street Twin, the Triumph Bonneville T100 has all the relaxed nature of the larger T120, but in a smaller, lighter and arguably more fun and engaging package. Fans of the previous Bonnie will love it. Triumph describe the T100 as far closer in character and feel to the T120 than the Street Twin. This bike is, essentially, a smaller capacity T120 that is not only £1500 cheaper than the 1200, it is also 11kg lighter, easier to manage at low speed and yet just as handsome. Related: Best base bikes for customising Yet, and here is the real killer point, it handles, stops and goes like the Street Twin. This may upset a few people, but after riding the T120 and then a Street Twin, I actually enjoyed the Street Twin more. The larger capacity bike is excellent, but its low-revving engine is relaxed to the point of being lethargic. In comparison the Street Twin’s 900cc motor brought a pleasing amount of poke and a free-revving spirit. If I took pillions a lot or was after gentle hassle free riding then I totally understand the character of the T120, but for solo blasts it isn’t that thrilling compared to the smaller machine. This is why I was looking forward so much to riding the T100, if Triumph nailed the T120’s styling and successfully blended it into the Street Twin’s fantastic basic platform it would be a winner. You don’t need me to tell you the T100 looks smart. With its peashooter exhausts, wire wheels, long mudguards and two-tone tank it brings every bit of T120 quality with it. For fans of the traditional Bonnie styling it ticks every box and for riders like myself who want a bit of modern handling and performance it doesn’t disappoint... Once you've read this review and our owners' reviews, you may want to join an online community to speak to likeminded people. We'd suggest the Triumph Owner's Motor Cycle Club.

Ride quality & brakes Next up: Engine 4 out of 5 (4/5) The T100 feels very light at low speed yet turns and holds a line through a bend with more agility than the larger T120. It’s not quite as sprightly as the Street Twin due to its longer forks, and does lack ground clearance as its pegs are set for comfort, but thanks to better suspension and tyres it easily tops the older air-cooled Bonnie when it comes to enjoying corners. The riding position is far more ‘traditional’ in its stance when compared to the Street Twin and the pegs are set low with the bars wide and flat, which is exactly what you would expect of such a model. It feels correct and is pleasingly relaxed and spacious when compared to the more compact Street Twin thanks to its larger seat and T120 riding position. Yet it does all this and manages to retain the Twin’s improved handling. I found the T120 model’s front end a bit sluggish to turn, but despite the T100 sharing its chassis and having the same 18-inch diameter front wheel, the reduction in weight has taken most of this feeling away. Like the previous small capacity Bonnie, the T100 comes with only a single front disc and two-piston sliding caliper. While this set-up still requires a good old tug on the lever, the fact it now incorporates ABS makes its slight lack of feel largely irrelevant. On the older model you never had this reassurance and the lack of ABS meant you couldn’t just grab a handful, especially if the road was wet. Now, thanks to modern electronics, you can.

Engine Next up: Reliability 4 out of 5 (4/5) The water-cooled parallel twin motor still thumps along like an air-cooled unit should but is smoother than before with a pleasing mid-range and even a bit of a top end zip, yet working behind the surface is traction control. The clutch is nice and light and there is even a neat ‘anti-stall’ rev rise much like Suzuki has incorporated in the 2016 SV650.

Reliability & build quality Next up: Value 5 out of 5 (5/5) Triumph has lavished care and attention to detail on the T100 and it looks fabulous. The small touches such as the hand painted coach lines on the tank and chrome engine details really set it aside from the competition. We've got 5 Triumph Bonneville T100 owners' reviews on the site, with an overall score of 4.3 stars out of 5. The main comments are around the somewhat unsophisticated suspension, which is something buyers often upgrade. In March 2019 a recall was issued for the T100 alongside several other Triumph models for a wiring issue. Read more here.

Value vs rivals Next up: Equipment 5 out of 5 (5/5) At £8300 (or £8600 for the two-tone paint option) the T100 is very good value for money and bang on the mark in comparison to its competition. The T100 Black, which is £8300, covers the chrome details with matt black paint. Rivals are the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Kawasaki W800 and BMW's R nineT.