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2021 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
The Purist Bonneville Done Right
The T100 is the version of the Bonneville idea with nothing extra bolted on. Its 900 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin makes 64 hp at 7,400 rpm and 59 lb-ft at 3,750 rpm, which tells you where it lives: low, early, and unhurried. The cooling is there, but Triumph has kept it out of your eye line. What you see instead is the tank, the coach lines, the peashooter pipes, the wire wheels. ABS and traction control are standard and stay invisible until you need them. In a class where retro often means compromise, this one scores a flat 10 on design and doesn't apologize for it.
It rides the way it looks. Wide flat bars, low pegs, a 31.1 in seat, and a 57.1 in wheelbase give you a relaxed, roomy cockpit and a bike that holds a line at speed without fuss. Ownership is cheap by big-twin standards, reliability is solid, and the aftermarket is deep enough that no two T100s need look alike. This is a bike for the rider who wants classic shape and modern hardware in one package. The honest caveat: five gears, a 503 lb wet weight, and a non-adjustable fork mean it rewards a rhythm rather than an attack.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 64 hp (48 kW) @ 7,400 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 59 lb-ft (80 Nm) @ 3,750 rpm |
| Displacement | 900 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-18 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 57.1 in (1450 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.1 in (790 mm) |
| Wet weight | 503 lb (228 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.8 gal (14.5 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Safety
This picture comes from years of listening: paddock conversations, owners comparing notes on club nights, and the messages riders send me after they've lived with a bike for a season or two. With the current T100 the pattern holds steady. Owners love how it looks and how easily it gets down the road, and the complaints show up once the pace or the distance goes up.
The most consistent praise is for the looks and the finish. Owners keep telling me people mistake it for a much older machine until they get close and see how well it's put together. The engine gets nearly as much love for its strong pull low down, its charming off-beat throb and a smooth top end. Shorter riders say it's easy to live with in town. Owners of every skill level describe steering that feels neutral, stable and forgiving.
The most common gripe is suspension that can't be tuned. Some owners say it turns harsh on rough roads and runs out of answers when they push. Others find long freeway runs busier and noisier than they'd like, and they point to the six-speed T120 as the calmer sibling. A few call the brakes wooden, saying the lever needs a firm squeeze before the bike really slows.
Alternator wiring may short circuit and overheat (Recall)
NHTSA recall 24V785000 (November 2024) affected 2022–2024 Bonneville T100 models because the wiring between the alternator and main harness connector can short circuit and overheat, presenting a fire risk. Dealers will install a new wire alignment clip, free of charge.
Where this Triumph Bonneville T100 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Bonneville T100 is actually built for.
If your ideal weekend is the Kancamagus at a civil pace with a diner stop halfway, this is your bike. The torque is where you ride, the looks earn nods in every small town, and nothing about it hurries you.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
It has the presence and the pulse, and it'll draw a crowd at Daytona. Understand the trade first: this is a lean British twin, not a big-bore cruiser, and the sound is subtler than what you may be after.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
The Twisted Sisters are fun on a T100, but on its terms. Five gears, an 18 in front wheel, and 503 lb mean you flow through the corners rather than attack them. Ride it that way and it's a great day out.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2017–2020
Retro Soul, Modern Bones
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Triumph Bonneville T100. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2021–2024
Purist Retro, Italian Soul
About the same used price as this bike at 5 yr
Competitor · 2020–2025
Style First, Always Style
~$500 cheaper used than this bike at 4 yr
Competitor · 2018
Pure Sixties Style, Modern Bones
~$3,700 cheaper used than this bike at 3 yr
Same Platform · 2026
The Scrambler That Looks Real
~$1,300 pricier used than this bike at 1 yr