[v12]

Congrats Wangdu! That was a very quick decision - within a week of posting your query. I agree with Sting, you made a wise choice. The Bonnie seems to be the most comfy motorcycle in the market and after all it's a Triumph. The blue and white color looks amazing ... Love it. Waiting for a detailed ownership thread now.

Ride Safe!

[Haroon]

Wow. Congrats Wangdu on finally settling for the Bonnie T100. Seems you got the head and heart to agree together

Wish you many many miles of happy biking. And eagerly looking forward to the ownership thread.

Ride safe

[mobike008]

Congrats Wangdu! That's a wonderful decision and one that you will never regret.

Let me go a step ahead and say that I'm confident that you will never have an "itch" to upgrade (a typical syndrome in bikers)

That's my favorite color in the T100 and which is actually the reverse of Sting's alloy wheeled A3 Bonnie which is my most favorite color in Bonnie (I secretly used to regret buying the black one and always use to admire the blue and white A3)

My only advise is to install that free-flow exhausts to your bike which will give you unbeatable aural pleasure

Congrats and hope you will share your ownership thread with us here soon !!

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by mobike008

My only advise is to install that free-flow exhausts to your bike which will give you unbeatable aural pleasure

Yes. If you had to pick a single must have modification on the bike, this is it. My Bonnie SE has the free flow/high flow silencers and it sounds brilliant. Loud enough for a nice growl but not too loud to irritate you on long rides.And it looks OEM.

The blue\white colour combination looks smashing . Congratulations !

[gautam99]

Good choice, I'm learning to ride on a commuter and then moving to a street twin that I've ordered, as I wanted a lower lighter bike than the t100, but loved the t100 and the t120 looks. Wish they had the t100 black edition in India. The street twin look will be great to customise I believe.

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by Sting

Congrats Wangdu! ...

Thanks Sting. Given the recent launch and first few lots of CBU import, I feel a bit lucky to have all the colors to choose from.

The spokes give a true classic look to the Bonnie T-100 besides these shined spokes really augment the looks of the bike overall. Guess I have another set of wheels and spokes to shine along with RE every weekend.

Yeah the thought of flat tyre and afterwards always worry me even now when on RE but I'll be generally careful to keep the bike almost always on solid roads but I know a flat is not an if but when.

Your thread was very informative and I have a few Questions:
1. Do you know of other Bonnie owners who had spokes and what they did if they had a flat? The local 'puncture wallahs' (esp. on trips) might not know how to get the wheel out & put back in? In which case it would be hands on I guess?

2. The front wheel tyre is not fully covered and there's no mud guard to protect the bike's & rider's body on wet roads? There's no accessory at dealer. Interestingly, I think there should be a solution since the bike is so famous world wide.

3. Is there a PDI check list for Bonnies? I've been unsuccessfully trying to find it so far.

BTW, two thumbs up to the customary pics of your Dad on new bikes. My father had a few in his days and later he used to pose with my bikes before taking them out for short spin. Cheers! to a biker's heart.

[mobike008]

Wangdu, please get this clarified before taking delivery of your Bonnie !!

https://www.google.co.in/amp/m.caran...ia-1672820/amp

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by mobike008

My only advise is to install that free-flow exhausts to your bike which will give you unbeatable aural pleasure

Originally Posted by mobike008

Wangdu, please get this clarified before taking delivery of your Bonnie !!

https://www.google.co.in/amp/m.caran...ia-1672820/amp

Hi Avi, many thanks for letting me know. I just looked up VIN db (last updated 23-Mar) and my bike is not under any recalls. I will re-check once more before taking the delivery.

On free flow exhausts, are you referring to V&H pipes (slip ons) sold by Triumph? I guess, any thing else would void warranty. Moreover, I would prefer to keep the stock for 4-5k km before considering to change like we do with RE bikes. What's your advise per your experience/know-how in Bonnie world?

[Sting]

Originally Posted by wangdu

Your thread was very informative and I have a few Questions:
1. Do you know of other Bonnie owners who had spokes and what they did if they had a flat? The local 'puncture wallahs' (esp. on trips) might not know how to get the wheel out & put back in? In which case it would be hands on I guess?

2. The front wheel tyre is not fully covered and there's no mud guard to protect the bike's & rider's body on wet roads? There's no accessory at dealer. Interestingly, I think there should be a solution since the bike is so famous world wide.

3. Is there a PDI check list for Bonnies? I've been unsuccessfully trying to find it so far.

Wangdu,

Here are my 2 cents on your questions with the assumption that the older and newer Bonneville's would share similar charateristics in this area. Unfortunately, I know no other T100 owners to be able to share their experiences. I hope r_nairtvm (Ram) looks at this question and can provide more insights- he's owned the T100 the longest on the forum.

1. Even though mine is the tubeless version, due to my trips, I have always been prepared for a tire developing a tear and requiring a tube to be put in.

• I've learnt to take off and reinstall the rear and front wheels myself.
• There are no special tools that are required except for an allen key and the usual spanners.
• If I have access to a puncture wala I would supervise him closely to get the wheel off. Some of them are quite adept at getting these off.
• You would be required to get both end cans off to get the axle out which is the only additional step from the usual puncture repairs.
• fitting the washers and nuts and bolts correctly is something that has to be monitored closely.
• The rear chain alignment (since it has to be taken off) is the other key step you will have to monitor
• I got my tires changed once and had to come back and redo the chain alignment and refit the exhausts because I wasnt as active with the supervision as I should have been.
• The A3 does not have a centre stand and I think nor does the newer T100. This is one investment I would suggest you make. You will not regret selling that kidney to get this overpriced piece of equipment!

Most importantly- All this sounds a lot more complex than it actually is and with your experience of owning and riding different motorcycles this wouldn't be an issue at all.

If random statistics are of any use, I've had one puncture in 15k kms, none on the OEM Metzelers.

2. Every bolt, accessory, spare part and piece of metal ( or plastic!) on the Bonneville is available from a few 100 different aftermarket vendors. Truth be told, you can even select the shade of silver for the bolt you are looking for. "Fender extenders" are available quite extensively online. Google it for the new T100s and I'm sure there are options that will come up. Considering it's a newer launch the options might be limited, they will only grow over the coming months/years.

3. Unfortunately not! I took a generic PDI list and used it to for my checks.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Sting

BTW, two thumbs up to the customary pics of your Dad on new bikes. My father had a few in his days and later he used to pose with my bikes before taking them out for short spin. Cheers! to a biker's heart

He will be glad to read this.

[wangdu]

Hey Friends,

Update: My 'Bonneville (Sultana) T-100 draped in heavenly Fusion White & Aegean Blue colours was delivered to me on 26-Mar, exactly on the 14th day after I had first seen & experienced the beautiful British icon. What started as a casual but involved test ride to just check out an option (about which I had read & heard a lot about) turned into day & night obsession which I couldn’t handle beyond a week. I booked the bike one week after test riding it and completed the purchase in 2 weeks, such was the spell she’d cast on me. It wasn’t a hasty knee jerk decision but perhaps she was the one I had been yearning for in my heart since decades and now that the ‘Helen of Troy’ was right there calling with open arms, naysayers and budgets be damned for once. It’s time to listen to one and only heart.



Did you spot me in the above pic?

It even got me out of mental woods for posing an Arnie



This report is my experience through delivery process & being with Bonnie T100 through the first few hundred kms and it shall be updated as I pile up more kms riding & learning this Brit charm. The Odo stands at ~200+ km as on this writing covered at an average speed of ~45kmph in Intra/Inter city roads. Rode through dense traffic for say 25% and rest at 4th/5th gear speeds strictly not beyond 3k rpm. I leave early to & fro work to avoid traffic issues so bonnie has been pretty happy galloping nicely on open roads and reducing my commute times to some extent.



Delivery Experience: The bike was test ridden & purchased from 'One Triumph', Kailash Colony (South Delhi). I am satisfied with the overall experience, they are bunch of young, courteous & friendly professional staff. The delivery was done at the committed time with usual cake cutting, drapes off, clicks-clicks, and lastly bye-byes. There's this nice tradition at the dealer (not sure if it’s Triumph thing though) of seeing you off by the staff who ride besides you on triumph bikes for about a km, perhaps a way to welcome in RAT family/brotherhood or is that only for RE & HOG cult eh?
As I already had a riding jacket, knee, shin guards, the only additional purchase was the Helmet and going by popular advice I bought a Bell Qualifier.



Usage: I intend to use the bike during non-peak traffic hours and short/mid distance rides. Basically, keep her on well laid out roads and not stress out the engine & myself in dense traffic. For all that Bonnie is not allowed to do, my RE 'Sultan' Electra will gladly take over the duties. Now that I’ve socialized my RE's theme name, my Bonnie is being christened 'Sultana' as she is urbane, beautiful and yet a power house. Sultana's presence on the road will do just what the Queen in vicinity does to a player’s mind on the chess board.







Accessories: As expected the accessories were costly (and prices made available only on selection) but then it's a premium brand so focused only on must-haves which were engine guard & black fly screen. The engine guard looks rather insignificant in size considering the biggish engine zone where it’s going to spend its life but it does its job they said so that was in. Then I liked this rather short sized black flyscreen as it improves the looks of the bike a lot (makes it look more agile/younger) and might be of some help on highways with windblast besides improving mileage per L slightly. It does take up space that’s usually for registration plate but that's to worry about later as for now getting the bike groomed Helen like was more important.





Fellow bhpians have advised for free flow exhausts and I’ll keep them on my radar after a few thousand kms.

Seat height & posture: The first make or break moment when one saddles-up where other bikes disapproved of my presence, it was Bonnie that made me feel really comfortable. The seat height at 790mm is perfect for my 5'6" frame with a slightly forward lean posture. I am easily able to move the bike front or back while astride on the bike. This is so confidence inspiring when getting in or out the cramped parking lots.

Weight: At 210+ kgs of dry weight it's ~25 kgs heavier than my Sultan but I don't feel the extra weight at all and that I think is due to lower seat height as I am able to keep more of my feet on the ground. And due to same reason it's easier to move around in garage/parking at idle all while sitting.

Instrument Display cluster - Quick first thoughts, 'Neat, legible, classy, not gaudy'. As is, in the tacho dial one can see the fuel gauge & range to empty. If I ride sedately and around 3k rpm in the right gear, DTE figure increases which indicates that I’m riding in "eco" mode.

Starting the Engine: Press the clutch and starter button at the same time and the engine comes to life with mild thumps from stock peanut exhausts. Rev a bit more and the 900cc HT engine makes its presence known through the thumping peanut exhausts while pumping up the rider with the bassy, masculine roars underneath.





I have learned that if side stand is extended and I press the gear into 1 or other the engine stops.



It's impossible for a new rider of this bike to find the side stand without actually looking for it carefully. It would have been nice if it protruded out a bit more for ease of access.

General Usage Experience

Vibrations: Zero vibrations are felt on handle, foot pegs, mirrors or even I stare at the engine at idle. Compare that to RE where objects kept on the seat will start sliding off due to vibrations.

RVMs: Top quality mirrors and casing, am so pleased that these don’t vibrate at idle or when revved. Just shows the top engineering work gone into not passing on effects of high displacement engine's work to rest of the bike. With no vibrations even at high speed, after a long time I can actually know for sure what objects are behind.

Wheels & Tyres- The shiny wide steel rims are a sight in itself providing base to equally delightful muscular tires. The 'Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp' provides for a good grip on regular and mixed routes. Wavy longitudinal channels should hold good in wet conditions.



At moderate speeds in hard braking on wet roads the rear doesn’t skid a bit. With the amateur level of leaning I do, the entering/maintaining/exiting precision into/from bends is easily noticeable. Whereas on RE for instance, I would have to either reduce speed considerably or would easily cross to the other lane but here I am able to stay within the chosen lane all through the bend.



With my expectations of medium "road" level performance from the bike, I think the stock suspension & tires would prove to be great. So far full marks on stability, road holding and feeling of control.

Riding Experience:

The Bonnie T100 revving max till 3k rpm hits 35kmph in 1st gear, 50 in 2nd, 70 in 3rd, 80 in 4th, and 95 in 5th. So with such speed range per respective gear I feel the Bonnie T100 is one perfect ride in urban setup. While the manual recommends staying within 4k rpm till 800kms, I am usually a bit paranoid during the running in stages so keeping rpm within 3k. The T100 is 'HT' engine which delivers all its 80Nm torque at about 3200 rpm which is a boon in dense traffic. I can putter all day long in 1/2 gears within city and stay in 3/4th gears riding through sparse traffic. There's even a rev push for anti-stall to help out for minor slip ups in gear position w.r.t speed, like I experienced when trying to pick up bike from 40kmph in 5th gear. I do feel the heat on legs from the engine if I stay in 1/2 gears for a bit too long but it's bearable with jeans for a short while. With HT on T100, I do enjoy the pull back when I twist the wrist a bit freely and once past the quick acceleration the bike picks up speed linearly and I have been surprised at times realizing how quickly I am doing high speeds.
On my RE, spirited wrist twisting would only get me in 60-70 kmph zone with all gears consumed and that too not without violent protests from the engine, and then it’s all flat after that. Much needed change with Bonnie, exactly what I was looking for. Smoothness & sophistication with which the bike accelerates is just splendid.

Attention Magnet 3 out of 10, as per my requirements. The bike is hardly noticed as anything special to a layman. Only when a few interested children stare or when revved or when noticed by enthusiasts, does it score any marks on this scale. The only other instance when it might get attention is when it elegantly zooms past other bikes/cars.

Ground Clearance While humps are generally scientifically done in NCR, there are still these Goliath sized humps meticulously architected by overzealous vigilantes in their residential societies. Bonnie dear got hit under with two such rough surfaced cement humps. Having 140mm of GC sans such road swells she is able to go over all other without any bit of scraping.



I considered to fit the 'sump plate' accessory but after carefully checking the impact to GC on another T100 (on which the plate was already fitted) at the showroom I concluded that adding a plate will reduce GC further by up to 10mm, which means that with the plate in place the bike will surely scrape almost all those humps which it could have otherwise avoided perhaps even denting the plate eventually. I also carefully observed that the mechanical fittings at the lowest point of the frame are encased in solid metal so I excluded the sump plate from my list if accessories.

So far it has been a great time riding the bike, perhaps the Honeymoon period. While the love is still fresh she is indeed making me go a bit crazy. If you recall DDLJ movie there was a “Palat” scene which I was hoping to happen to me during glorious bachelorhood days but luck is bestowing them on me with Bonnie. These are a few such pics where after walking a few steps after parking I subconsciously turned around as if responding to Sultana’s “palat”


Cheers!

Few Random Pics:

[DieselDestiny]

Congratulations Wangdu!! A very beautiful machine. Been eyeing the Bonnie from sometime, unfortunately the time to park it in my garage has not yet arrived.
Gear up, enjoy the ride 👏🏻👏🏻

[Cyborg]

Congratulations Wangdu - all the best with your Sultana, she looks gorgeous

Although it goes with the retro charm, how strong do the spokes appear? I remember from the earlier days with the RX and RD 350 spokes breaking used to be a major pain. How is it with the modern day Bonnie? Both are smaller bikes in comparison, but, have you inquired whether this issue exists.

Can the Street Twin or any other combination of alloy wheels and tubeless tyres be fitted on the T100?

Ride safe and have lots of fun.

Cheers

[sen2009]

Congrats man, that bike looks great. Wish you many miles of enjoyment and bliss.

[v12]

Congrats Wangdu! Nice helmet - matches the Bonnie's colors. I picked (Godzilla! My monster from Japan. Kawasaki Z800- NOW SOLD !!! !!!) the very same one last year - have just used it once.

[mobike008]

Congratulation on the Bonnie! It looks breathtakingly pretty in this shade and looks straight out of some retro museum

Look forward to regular updates on owning this beauty

Originally Posted by wangdu

On free flow exhausts, are you referring to V&H pipes (slip ons) sold by Triumph? I guess, any thing else would void warranty. Moreover, I would prefer to keep the stock for 4-5k km before considering to change like we do with RE bikes. What's your advise per your experience/know-how in Bonnie world?

Sorry, I missed replying to this query. It is always advisable to ride or own any vehicle stock before even the smallest modification to clearly understand the differences

I think 5K kms is a lot of miles before you change over to "Hi-Flow" silencers which cost around 22K ( back then it was this price not sure what's the price now) and this modification is proven and is reliable as none of the folks have any problem. This will truly increase the pleasure of the Bonnie's engine note to a large extent

My recommendation is to ride stock until 3K kms and then explore this update

All the best and ride safe !!