Every firm has a touchstone bike. A model which defines the brand almost completely. It might be a mega-trick superbike like Ducati’s 916 or the Suzuki GSX-R750. It could be a big tourer like Honda’s Gold Wing, or a big adventure machine like BMW’s Boxer GS models.
For Triumph, it’s probably the Bonneville. While the Hinckley firm has made its fortune selling much more modern, high-performance bikes like the Speed Triple, various Daytona sportsbikes and the Tiger range of adventure bikes, it’s the classic Bonneville which most folk think of as the archetype – especially since it goes back to the heritage of the original British manufacturing firm as well as today’s global moto-behemoth.
All of which makes this, the 2027 Triumph T40 Bonneville 400 both a predictable move, and a sign of how important the new single cylinder 400cc sector has become.
The bike itself is a pretty serious take on a mini Bonnie, with a ground-up revamp of the now-established 400 single cylinder platform. Hinckley’s engineers could have probably got away with adding some wire-spoked wheels, rubber knee pads on a shiny fuel tank and some strategic chrome plating here and there.
So it’s to their credit that both engine and chassis have had a full makeover to better suit the Bonneville’s style cues and performance characteristics.
Starting with the engine, there’s a completely new engine tune, with a unique cylinder head and bespoke cam timing, plus compression, porting and other mods on the single cylinder TR series water-cooled four-valve DOHC unit.
That means a seriously big drop in peak power of around a fifth, down from 41.4bhp at 9,000rpm on the latest Tracker 400 version to just 30bhp at a much lower 7,000rpm. However, Triumph claims this is all an essential part of the Bonneville package, and means loads more bottom end and midrange grunt.
Claimed peak torque is now at 5,000rpm instead of 7,500rpm on the Tracker 400, underlining this stronger bottom end, The firm says the 400 Bonnie engine also idles at a slower speed, and that, together with special tuned pipework on the peashooter exhaust, gives a distinctive lilt to the sound it makes.
The chassis has had a fundamental rethink to accommodate two main features: an 18” front wheel instead of the 17-inch rim common on other models, plus a completely new twin-shock rear suspension setup, replacing the more modern monoshock arrangement used across the other 400 models.
That means a new steel tube frame, with carefully developed geometry and a brand new rear swingarm, with some rather basic-looking running gear. The RWU gaiter-equipped forks and chrome-plated twin shocks are unadjustable except for rear preload, while the disc brakes at each end come from ByBre.
A twin-piston front caliper with braided steel lines bites on a single one-piece disc, with a proper IMU-assisted cornering ABS system. The wire-spoked wheels have aluminium rims, and tubed-type tyres.
The Bonnie is certainly not primitive when it comes to its technology package. The IMU-assisted cornering ABS is joined by cornering traction control (perhaps overkill on a 30bhp machine if we’re being honest), cruise control, five riding modes and a proper LCD dash mounted in a round binnacle with smartphone connectivity, navigation, media controls and the like.
It’s the design that completes the Bonneville recipe though, and Triumph’s done well here. There’s a completely new teardrop fuel tank, with hand-painted coachlines and premium paint finish, plus the regulation rubber knee pads. The engine has had a tidy up to give it a more classic look.
Rubber gaiters on the forks and chrome plate on the rear shocks are suitably period, and stuff like the bench seat, metal mudguards, rounded sidepanels and that peashooter exhaust are all pretty much spot-on in terms of look.
Steve Sargent, chief product officer at Triumph, said: ““The Bonneville is one of the most significant motorcycles in Triumph’s history, so introducing a new model carrying that name comes with a responsibility to get it right.
From the outset, our ambition for the T40 was not simply to create a smaller Bonneville, but to create a motorcycle that delivers the style, character and ownership experience riders expect from a genuine Bonneville. Bringing that experience to more riders is strategically important for Triumph, particularly as lower-capacity motorcycle categories continue to grow around the world.
“Working closely with Bajaj, we challenged ourselves to retain the details and qualities that make a Bonneville special, from the proportions and finish to traditional touches such as hand-painted coach lining, while also introducing a level of technology and rider-focused innovation not previously seen in this category.
The result is a motorcycle that stays true to the values that have defined the Bonneville for generations while opening the experience to even more riders.”
There’s no word on pricing as yet, but expect it to be competitive (this is a low-cost sector after all). The new T40 and the T40 Black edition with blacked-out engine, exhaust and wheels will be in dealers next spring. More info: www.triumph.co.uk.