After seeing a great deal of success with its Bajaj-built, single-cylinder models, Triumph has now revealed a new model in the same family which has the potential to be the most popular one yet - the Bonneville T40. Underneath its appealing classical design, the smallest ‘Bonnie’ is an amalgamation of some parts shared with its siblings while some are unique to it. Alongside the Bonneville T40, the Triumph has also revealed a lower-spec Bonneville T4 which misses out on some electronic features but is mechanically the same as the T40.
- 350cc engine makes 29hp, 31.2Nm; tuned for low- and mid-range grunt
- 4-inch colour TFT display, 5 riding modes & cruise control standard
- Available in 3 bright dual-tone colours and a blacked-out version
Triumph Bonneville T40: Everything you need to know
Weighs 195kg and has a low 790mm seat height
Powering the India-spec Bonneville T40 is the same 350cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine as seen in the other single-cylinder Triumphs but in this application both the output and state of tune are very different. The engine in the Bonneville makes 29hp at 7,000rpm and 31.2Nm of torque at 5,500rpm - numbers that are incidentally very similar to the Speed T4 (29hp at 7,500rpm and 31Nm at 5,500rpm).
While the engine’s base architecture is shared with the other single-cylinder Triumph models, here you have a revised cylinder head, a new engine tune, smaller diameter throttle bodies, dedicated camshafts and a new peashooter exhaust. Triumph says it has made all these changes to ensure an effortless, torque-rich riding experience. A 6-speed gearbox continues here but the company says the Bonneville T40 has taller overall gearing than its siblings.
Just like the engine, the frame on the Bonneville T40 has also seen major revisions. While the front half is more closely related to the other Bajaj-made Triumphs, at the rear it is all-new. This was done to not only accommodate the twin shock absorbers and new tubular steel swingarm (not aluminium like its siblings) but also to get the quintessential Bonneville aesthetic right, says Triumph. Another point to note is that the Bonneville T40’s subframe is welded to the main frame, not bolted like on the other 350cc Triumphs.
What this new frame also potentially permits Triumph to do is also potentially introduce single-cylinder versions of the Speedmaster and Bobber down the line, although the company hasn’t confirmed this officially.
The cycle parts on the 350cc Bonnie are also unique to it and aren’t shared with the other single-cylinder Triumphs. A 43mm right way up gaitered telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers handle suspension duties and both have a healthy 130mm of travel. To handle stopping duties, there’s a 310mm disc at the front with a twin-piston axial caliper and a 255mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper, supplemented by lean-sensitive ABS.
In typical Bonneville fashion, the T40 runs on wire-spoke wheels shod with tubed MRF tyres developed specifically for it - no tubeless option here. The front tyre is sized 100/90-18 while the rear is a 150/70-R18 hoop. While the tubed tyres will mean a more labour-intensive and long drawn-out puncture repair process there is a small silver lining, in that a centre stand comes standard here.
The result of all those chassis changes is that the Bonneville T40 weighs 195kg, making it by far the heaviest of the Bajaj-built Triumph models. Having said that, at 14.5 litres, it also has the largest fuel tank capacity. With a friendly 790mm seat height, the T40 is quite accessible in terms of ground reach and you can even drop it down further to 770mm with Triumph’s accessory low seat. Despite the low perch, the baby ‘Bonnie’ has a healthy 165mm of ground clearance which should help it tackle the worst of Indian conditions without scraping its undercarriage.
What all of the above should likely translate to in the real world is a refined and genteel riding experience, although we’ll reserve judgement on that facet until we get to spend quality some seat time on the small ‘Bonnie.’
Just like the other Bajaj-built Triumphs, the Bonneville T40 has a high level of material finish and attention to detail. Where the T40 goes one step further is that it debuts a new round 4-in colour TFT display with more comprehensive switchgear. This is to control the different riding aids like the 5 riding modes (Road, Rain, Eco and 2 fully customizable ones), ABS, traction control and cruise control. This display even has a ‘Heritage’ mode which changes the layout to a more old-school appearance. Furthermore, if you pair your phone to the display via the Triumph Navigation app, you can also get navigation information on the screen.
At Rs 2.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Bonneville T40 (and T40 Black) is priced at a premium compared to its direct rivals which are the Royal Enfield Classic 350 (Rs 1.89 lakh - Rs 2.26 lakh), Honda CB350C (Rs 2 lakh - Rs 2.05 lakh) and Jawa 350 (Rs 2.11 lakh - Rs 2.22 lakh). In fact, at this price, the Bonneville T40 costs more than the base variant of the newly launched Honda CB500 too.
For those that find the asking price for the Bonneville T40 perhaps a bit too pricey, there's also a lower-spec (only for the Indian market) Bonneville T4 which has a slimmer 140-section rear tyre, a colour LCD display with turn-by-turn navigation, ride modes and dual-channel ABS but misses out on cruise control and the Intertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The T4 Bonneville is priced at Rs 2.55 lakh and comes in three solid colours - green, black and red.
Bookings are open for both but deliveries for the Bonneville T40 will commence earlier, in November 2026, while the T4 will be delivered starting from the 2nd week of January 2027.
All prices ex-showroom, India
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Stephen Raj Antony
