Of all Triumph’s brilliant Bonnevilles, the often ignored T100 deserves a second look.

When it comes to the fashion for retro-styled roadsters there’s one brand – Britain’s Triumph Motorcycle – that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

The Hinckley company’s revived Bonneville family is now so popular it has become the backbone of the firm’s range while the latest versions launched in 2016, in both 900 and 1200cc form, have now spawned a 10 model modern classic line-up that dwarfs that of most rivals.

And yet there’s one model in this burgeoning and hugely successful family – the T100 – that seems to have been somewhat overlooked. And that’s a shame.

While new-for-2020 versions of the café racer Thruxton and Bobber grab the headlines and the Street and 1200 Scramblers continue to set the trail-style benchmark, it’s easy to forget that the T100 and T120 Bonnevilles are the original retro roadsters – and still, arguably, the best.

The T120 uses the larger, 1200cc, 79bhp version of Triumph’s parallel twin, has a double disc front brake and all the classic ‘60s style anyone could want right down to its ‘peashooter’ exhausts, ribbed seat and fork gaiters, yet is also an easy-to-ride delight, all, currently, for around £10,600.

But it also overshadows the smaller, 900cc, T100 version, which boasts virtually everything the bigger bike has – but for almost £2000 less. And in this market sector, when most bikes are pretty basic to start with yet can benefit from a whole range of cosmetic, practical and performance accessories to modify your retro ride, that £2k can buy you an awful lot of ‘bling’.

So, while the T100 produces ‘just’ 54bhp, or a full 25bhp less than the T120 and has only a single front disc, in virtually every other respect it’s just as good as its bigger brother. The performance difference, especially considering this style of bike, seems to matter little while the price difference simply can’t be ignored.

The T100’s twin loop, twin shock chassis is identical to the T120’s and provides comfortable, relaxed and manageable proportions that are a happy compromise between substantial authenticity and novice-friendly manners.

Handling is light and intuitive and the view ahead over identical teardrop tank and twin dials is evocative and unchanged between the two. (One point worth mentioning here is the paint – if you want, on either, a classy two-tone paintjob, it’s £300 extra, surely another factor in the price difference.)

On the move, the T100 understandably hasn’t quite the pep of its larger sibling; the single front disc doesn’t deliver as-sharp stopping power and it also hasn’t got the T120’s two riding modes (Road and Rain) nor heated grips. But in all honesty, ridden in isolation, on a sunny summer’s day as intended, you’d never really notice. The modern day Bonneville is not a sports bike designed for scratching, and is best enjoyed at legal speeds.

Instead, the T100’s a thrummy, evocative, doddle-to-ride delight, easily purring along on its healthy midrange, naturally tipping into and around corners, providing a comfortable, compliant ride and just simply delivering what you’d hope for of a ‘60s-style retro.

Yes, the T100 also lacks the pillion grab rail and centre-stand that are both standard on the T120, but again both are available as extras should you desire (£250 and £215 respectively) and, personally, I prefer to have the choice.

Plus, if you really want a ‘performance’ 1200 retro Bonneville, we’d more heartily recommend the Thruxton or Speed Twin, the latter being only £100 more than the T120.

But if you want a Bonneville roadster, look again at the T100. Remember that £2k saving then try Triumph’s brilliant online accessory configurator and start playing with all the goodies that saving can buy…

Triumph Bonneville T100 Specifications