Key highlights
- Triumph will reveal four new motorcycles globally on October 6, with the Bonneville 400 expected to be among them.
- The baby Bonneville gets traditional hardware, including telescopic forks and twin rear shocks.
- India-spec versions are expected to use a 349 cc engine, with the bike taking on the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Honda CB350.
Triumph is preparing to expand its 400 cc family yet again, but the upcoming Bonneville 400 will take a noticeably different route from the Speed 400 and its siblings. The British manufacturer has confirmed that four new motorcycles will be revealed on October 6, with the Bonneville 400 being the most anticipated of the lot.
The motorcycle has already been spotted testing in India and appears to borrow heavily from the larger Bonneville T100 and T120. Expect a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, long mudguards, a flat bench seat, round headlamp and a peashooter-style exhaust.
Traditional hardware for a classic motorcycle
Unlike the Speed 400, Scrambler 400 X, Thruxton 400 and Tracker 400, the Bonneville 400 appears to ditch the more modern suspension setup. Spy shots show conventional telescopic forks with rubber gaiters at the front and twin rear shock absorbers.
The chassis and swingarm also appear to be newly developed. Wire-spoke wheels further reinforce the motorcycle’s traditional character. This approach should make the Bonneville 400 feel less like a dressed-up version of the existing 400s and more like a genuine small-capacity modern classic.
Powertrain
The India-spec motorcycle is expected to use the 349cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine already seen in the Speed T4. Triumph is likely to give it a different state of tune to suit the Bonneville’s relaxed character. The Speed T4 produces 29 hp and 31 Nm, but Triumph has not confirmed the Bonneville’s final output.
The motorcycle will enter a fiercely competitive segment, taking on established names such as the Royal Enfield Classic 350, Bullet 350 and Honda CB350.
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