EXCLUSIVE: Triumph Bonneville 400 Being Considered

Triumph Motorcycles is on a roll as it launched the new Thruxton 400 in India today. We also have exclusive news that its next 400 cc offering is a Brat-styled bike which will make its global debut in October. Despite launching so many products, the British bikemaker has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. Through our sources, we have found out that Triumph is considering developing the Bonneville 400 on this platform. When Bajaj Auto and Triumph Motorcycles joined hands a few years back, many speculated that a mini Bonneville offering on this new platform would be the first bike to be launched. 

However, the British brand surprised us by riding in the Speed 400, a modern roadster with performance as the focus. Considering that the Royal Enfield Classic 350 dominates the segment by a huge margin, a retro-styled bike on the 400 cc platform does seem like a good idea. The other big reason is the ‘Bonneville badge’ itself, as it’s among the most popular Triumph bikes to ever go on sale. Since the Bonneville name already has heritage and legacy, it gives the company even more reasons to pursue this direction.

The styling can be inspired by the existing Bonneville, which is among the most beautiful modern bikes to ever go on sale. One of the criticisms faced by the Triumph Speed 400 was that its petite dimensions didn’t make it stand out enough despite its pretty looks. Triumph designers can use this opportunity to make the Bonneville look visually bigger, thereby ensuring that bikers appreciate its form. Instead of the current single-pod semi-digital instrument console, one can expect a twin-pod instrument console to suit the old-school vibes of the bike. 

(Also Read: Triumph Bonneville Icon Editions Bring Back A Slice Of History)

What will be interesting, though, is the engine tune of the upcoming Triumph bike. Engineers can continue with the current 400 cc motor as seen on the Speed 400; however, the torque-focused Speed T4 engine will better suit its Bonneville characteristics, in our opinion. Even the USD fork could be replaced with a telescopic fork, and twin shock absorbers might be added to again go well with the retro theme of the bike. 

As you can notice, the above changes will require a lot of reengineering especially on the chassis end. So whether or not Triumph goes ahead with the Bonneville 400 project remains to be seen but if it does then the Royal Enfield Classic 350 will have a strong competitor as bikes like the Honda CB 35 and Jawa 350 haven’t been able to impact its market share or leadership position.