Triumph unveils Bonneville T100, Street Cup at Intermot 2016

Bonneville T100 and T100 Black

In the erstwhile Bonneville range, the T100 was for meant for those who wanted a more retro experience from their motorcycle. However, when the new range was introduced in 2015, that role was taken on by the larger-engined 1200cc T120.

But at the ongoing Intermot show in Cologne, the British bike maker showcased the new T100 and T100 Black, with the aim to bring all that classic charm to the smaller, 900cc motorcycle. All the visual elements seem to have been taken from its larger sibling, with its bigger fuel tank, wire-spoke wheels and the twin pea-shooter exhausts. It even ditches the single-pod instrument cluster of the Street Twin for the more classic twin-pod unit from the T120. And as seen on the T120 Black, the T100 Black's engine covers, wheel and exhausts get the all-black treatment. The differences between the T100 and the T120 are apparent only on closer inspection of the engine that is borrowed from the Street Twin, and doesn’t feature the T120’s carburettor-lookalike twin throttle bodies.

Speaking of the engine, the T100 maintains the new 900cc HT (High Torque) motor from the Street Twin which is good for about 55hp of peak power and 80Nm of peak torque. Other modern touches such as the ride by wire throttle, traction control and ABS is still maintained, but the T100 misses out on the ‘Road’ and ‘Rain’ riding modes that the T120 gets. Other components such as the slip-assist clutch, Kabaya suspension and Pirelli Phantom tyres are carried over from the Street Twin.

The T100 is the perfect bike for those riders in India who want the retro design of the T120 without the hassle of a larger engine, and we expect Triumph to bring this motorcycle to our market by the end of this year or early 2017. Pricing-wise, the bike is expected to slot in between the Street Twin and the T120.

Street Cup

With focus on adding more variety to the Street Twin line-up, Triumph also took the wraps off the Street Cup, a café racer version of the entry-level Bonneville. Mechanically, this bike keeps everything common with the Street Twin but gets a lot of visual updates. The Street Cup features a new seat with a removable café racer-style cowl – so it can be run as a single seater and can carry a pillion as well. The seat gets contrasting silver stitching for a more premium look and the body-coloured rear cowl features a silver racing number plate-style graphic. The two-tone paint schemes are complemented by hand-painted coach lines as well as pinstripes on the wheels. At the front, you can find dropped, ace-style handlebars with classic bar-end mirrors and a short, sporty-looking fly screen. While the handlebars are quite lower than the Street Twin's, the rest of the riding position looks unchanged, which should make the motorcycle practical to use on a daily basis as well. There’s no word on whether the Street Cup will make its way to India, but we believe that it isn’t lined up for launch in the country anytime soon. However, seeing how this is just a cosmetic update, we can always hope that Triumph will offer a 'Street Cup' package as part of its Prestige Kits.