2017 Triumph T100 and Street Cup launch review

The evolution of Triumph's Bonneville range continues with the arrival of the T100 and T100 Black, the models further expanding a family that now spans the new T120 and T120 Black, the Street Twin, the Thruxton 1200 and Thruxton 1200 R. Add in the looming Street Scrambler and Bobber, and the importance with which Triumph views its heritage line-up is clear.

After all, the reborn Brit brand launched its first modern Bonneville 15 years ago, the model further assisting the company's renaissance under the guidance of entrepreneur John Bloor and more recently his son, Nick.

NATURAL EVOLUTION
The new Bonneville T100 and T100 Black bring the rolling progression of Triumph's 'modern classics' to the entry-level part of the family, although at the recent media launch in Tasmania, Triumph Australia was keen to stress that 'entry-level' is more accurately an 'alternative choice' to the more expensive T120s, the T100s being lighter and more nimble (and, in the T100's case, $2690 cheaper).

Where the T120s are powered by the new 1200cc 'high torque' engine (in contrast to the Thruxton's 1200cc 'high power' unit), the T100s (and the Street Cup) are powered by the new 900cc 'high torque' engine.

This now features liquid-cooling, a measure that has helped Triumph surpass Euro4 emissions regulations, and the adoption of a ride-by-wire throttle. The radiator is a compact unit, not much bigger than the old unit's oil cooler, with the plumbing routed internally through the frame.

The T100 Black is a blacked-out edition of the standard T100, with black peashooter pipes and a black engine finish; it goes for $200 more than the standard T100. Otherwise, the two are identical, and styled after the very first Bonneville produced in 1959. That styling has been overhauled compared to the T100's predecessor, with the newcomers featuring a higher grade of various finishes, new instrumentation, new chassis and suspension and, of course, the new 900cc engine.

The Street Cup, meanwhile, is heavily based on the successful Street Twin, although it shares its chassis with the T100 but has higher footpegs and lower Ace-style clip-on handlebars. However, its throttle response, gearing and fuel mapping are different to the T100, while the maximum output from the 900cc engine is unchanged.

Most obvious is the styling – the Street Cup comes in a couple of striking two-tone paint schemes with a mini flyscreen, a bullet seat with Alcantara seat cover, cast-alloy wheels, bar-end mirrors and a pillion seat cowl. It has a sportier geometry than the T100, with a shorter wheelbase and a steeper steering head angle, while it's also 13kg lighter.

At $15,600 plus on-roads, the Street Cup is $100 more than the T100 Black and $300 more than the T100. By way of comparison, the T120 is priced at $17,990 plus on-roads.

All of these new models now come with niceties like an LED taillight, an engine immobiliser, and a USB charging port (located underneath the seat). And, like the entire Bonneville family, they're made at Triumph's production plant in Thailand.

LAP OF TASSIE
Keen to show these models weren't all show, Triumph Australia opted to host their national media launch in a veritable rider's paradise: Tasmania. There, over four days, the assembled press sampled the trio's charms on some of the best roads in the country and, as fate would have it, in largely perfect conditions (three out of four days is good going, by Tassie standards!).

Flying in to Launceston, we set out from nearby Bridport on the T100 and T100 Black, charting a course down the east coast to Bicheno via St Mary's Pass and Elephant Pass, before stopping for the night in Freycinet National Park.

The next day we continued to Hobart via a diversion up the Lake Leake road for photos, then swapping to the Street Cup for the run back up the west coast. Another stop in Strachan, then a quick blast to Cradle Mountain on the way back to Launceston and we were done, the previously brand new motorcycles now showing another 1100 kilometres on their clocks.

It's a testing route, with everything from open highway to tight switchbacks – we even took some side routes on the dirt. The Trumpets took it all with total nonchalance, especially the T100s, whose flat and wide 'bars, low centre of gravity and low seat add up to a very manageable package.

The T100 (and T100 Black) really is a stunning creation. At 43 I'm not old enough to remember the first '59 Bonnie, but this bike certainly looks every bit like a classic British motorcycle should. From the peashooter pipes to the 'harmonica' tank badge, the rubber knee pads, the spoked rims and even the Triumph-branded spark plug caps, it's an artwork on wheels with a build quality equal to anything made in Britain.

T100 PERFORMANCE
The new engine is a cracker. While 54hp mightn't seem like much it's the torque that counts – there's useable go from 2000rpm and plenty of punch available from around 3000rpm to its 7000rpm redline, at which point a rev-limiter chimes in.

Triumph says the engine makes 18 per cent more peak torque than the old unit and significantly more torque from 2750 to 4750rpm, where the majority of 'real world' riding occurs.

At 100km/h in top of the slick-shifting five-speed gearbox the engine is spinning at 3400rpm, making it entirely feasible for long days in the saddle, even touring. On the subject of shifting, the originally stiff gearbox loosened up nicely with 400 or 500 kays under the wheels.

We were, shall we say, 'pushing on' during our lap of Tassie, but even then the trip computer was giving an average fuel economy of 5.5L/100km. Triumph claims the new engine is up to 29 per cent more efficient, and quotes a figure of 3.8L/100km. In any case, even by a conservative estimate you should get around 250km from the 14.5-litre tank.

Vibrations are kept to a minimum – they only blur the mirrors ever so slightly – and the fuelling is spot on. The cable 'Torque Assist' clutch is light and has what is effectively a slipper function for aggressive downshifts. I never experienced a rear lock-up over the whole trip.
The brakes are fairly basic, with a single disc/twin-piston setup at each end. Apart from the engine, it's another aspect that marks the T100 apart from the T120, the latter having a twin-disc arrangement. The T120 also scores a pillion grabrail, a centrestand and heated handlebar grips as standard, while the T100 does without.

The T100's front stopper is strong enough given the bike's intended brief, but it's not exactly bursting with power and feel. It is, however, backed by ABS, which appears to work almost as well on the dirt as it does on the blacktop.

Speaking of, the T100 also benefits from traction control, which can be turned on or off at a standstill (but sadly not on the fly) via the button on the left-hand 'bar. It's a handy thing indeed being able to turn this off on the dirt, and a welcome safety feature on the blacktop.

Don't stress about the basic suspension (non-adjustable fork and preload-adjustable twin rear shocks), because the T100 handles really nicely. With 120mm of travel at each end it soaked up all but the worst of Tassie's potholes with complete equanimity, and with the 18-inch front wheel it flicked through the bends with confidence, even if the 'bars did require a bit of muscle.

At 790mm the seat is low but it is on the firmer side – I was starting to feel it by the end of the day. It's fine for day trips but for regular touring I'd be looking at other options (strapping on a sheepskin perhaps, to keep with the period theme).

The new clocks are excellent. Not only do they still largely look the part, their twin inset LCD displays bring up a wealth of info. There's everything you'd expect of a modern trip computer, except perhaps for an ambient temperature reading.

As for gripes, there's really only one. The bike only fires up once its electrics have cycled through a start-up routine, and this can vary from half a second to a few seconds. Three seconds can seem like an eternity when you're scrambling to catch your mates, although I do like how the starter button is incorporated into the kill switch.

STREET CUP HALF FULL
We saved the sportiest roads for the sportiest of these newcomers, the Street Cup. The roads heading into Queenstown and then the stretch on to Strachan put this stunning machine to the test, and the Trumpet came up trumps.

You immediately sense the Street Cup's performance edge over the T100, not from the engine – which is unchanged in terms of output – but from the higher footpegs, the lower clip-ons, and the lighter weight. Some 2.5kg is saved via the smaller-capacity tank, so there's less weight being carried up high, too. The Street Cup is 13kg lighter all told, and that makes a difference when scything through the bends.

Ground clearance is no issue for the Street Cup, its Thruxton R-style 'pegs carried well clear of the deck. This is in contrast to the lower T100 'pegs, which can be scraped without too much effort on a winding road.

The Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp rubber is something of a double-edged sword. It hangs on really well within the boundaries of its brief (with 54hp, it's not like the tyres will be easily overpowered), but when they let go they let go suddenly. I found this out for myself when, in the wet, the rear stepped out while exiting a corner. It took the traction control a bit too long to intervene, too, although order was eventually restored so I could focus on pretending the entire episode was intentional…

I love the Street Cup's Racing Yellow/Silver Ice paint scheme, which is set off beautifully by the hand-laid coach-lines and pin-striped alloy rims. Every bike is signed by the painter responsible at the base of each tank – a nice touch.

The Street Cup is afflicted by the same delayed starting issue as the T100, but otherwise it's an attractive and beautifully produced machine that's free of any glitches or gremlins – at least it was as far as I could tell on this media launch.

Needless to say, each of these new models comes with a budget-busting list of factory accessories – over 120 for the Street Cup and over 150 for the T100. Oh yes, that purchase price can be just the starting point…

SUMMING UP
You know a motorcycle media launch has gone well when, at the end of the ride, you hear several journalists speaking of having finally found 'their' bike. Triumph's Street Cup and T100s certainly are very impressive machines and they're fairly unique in the market, although other similar retro-styled offerings include bikes like Ducati's Scrambler Classic ($15,490 plus on-roads), Kawasaki's W800 SE ($12,499 plus on-roads) and Moto Guzzi's V7 II Stone ($14,000 ride away).

For anyone who's ever daydreamed of the halcyon days of the Brit bike industry, these new Triumphs have all the retro appeal you could want. On top of that, they also stop, go and handle better than you'd ever expect – far better than their predecessor and especially the Bonnevilles of back in the day.

Sporty riders will love the Street Cup while buyers of the T100 and T100 Black will revel in their sheer flexibility – touring, scratching or blatting around town, the T100 will do the lot.

Triumph's 'modern classics' cemented themselves as force to be reckoned with years ago; with the addition of the Street Cup, T100 and T100 Black, the future of the modern Bonneville family is in safe hands, and 'entry level' never looked so good.

SPECS: 2017 TRIUMPH T100/T100 BLACK BONNEVILLE
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, eight-valve, 270-degree parallel-twin
Capacity: 900cc
Bore x stroke: 84.6mm x 80.0mm
Compression ratio: 10.6:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 54hp (40.5kW) at 5900rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 80Nm at 3230rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: 'Torque Assist' wet, multi-plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel twin cradle
Front suspension: Kayaba 41mm fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin Kayaba shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 310mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped
Rear brake: Single 255mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped
Wheels: Spoked, front 2.75 x 18, rear 4.25 x 17
Tyres: Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp, front 100/90-18, rear 150/70-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 25.5 degrees
Trail: 104mm
Claimed dry weight: 213kg
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1450mm
Fuel capacity: 14.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $15,300 plus ORC/$15,500 plus ORC
Colour: T100 – Aegean Blue/Fusion White, Intense Orange/New England White or Jet Black; T100 Black – Jet Black, Matt Black
Test bike supplied by: Triumph Australia, www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

SPECS: 2017 TRIUMPH STREET CUP
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, eight-valve, 270-degree parallel-twin
Capacity: 900cc
Bore x stroke: 84.6mm x 80.0mm
Compression ratio: 10.6:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 54hp (40.5kW) at 5900rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 80Nm at 3230rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: 'Torque Assist' wet, multi-plate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel twin cradle
Front suspension: Kayaba 41mm fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin Kayaba shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 310mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped
Rear brake: Single 255mm disc with twin-piston Nissin caliper, ABS equipped
Wheels: Spoked, front 2.75 x 18, rear 4.25 x 17
Tyres: Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp, front 100/90-18, rear 150/70-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 24.3 degrees
Trail: 98.7mm
Claimed dry weight: 200kg
Seat height: 780mm
Wheelbase: 1435mm
Fuel capacity: 12.0 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $15,600 plus ORC
Colour: Racing Yellow/Silver Ice or Jet Black/Silver Ice
Test bike supplied by: Triumph Australia, www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres