2004 Triumph Bonneville T100 Motorcycle reviews

I found my bike adverised in Queensland and the price seemed good at so I took a flight up there from Sydney and rode it back the 900k trip (it had 8000k on the clock). Took about 10 hours and rained for the last hour but no probs whatsoever except my physical discomfort. My 3 bikes prior to this were all Bonnevilles an '84, a '85, and last, a '79. So the electric start alone is like heaven! I get people at traffic lights and just about everywhere asking me about the bike, I think it looks fantastic and is comfortable. I don't like the lack of noise but I know that can be fixed when I want with sports mufflers. It's all good quality chrome and fittings. I don't have a garage so occasionally it gets rained on with no cover and no signs of rust yet although the black paint on the bolt heads for the handlebar clamp polished off! Agree with the fact that an extra gear may be good but changing the rear sprocket size could be an alternative? I don't particularly like the ignition switch position and I can't seem to tighten the mirrors anymore so they swing in a bit at speed. Would also like to be able to easily swing the seat up and have a small tool section as on older Triumphs. Anyway I got to go and have another look at it! Planning to do a photoshoot of it with a model next week so if you wanna see some pics let me know. Show less

I bought my T100 about six weeks ago and love it. Although it's a year old, it only had 760 miles on the clock and was immaculate. It's got great handling, more than adequate performance (Triumph aftermarket pipes and jets fitted) and is a great handler. I also think it looks very classy in Aztec Green and Gold. An annoying fault with the indicators was sorted out quickly and very apologetically by my dealer. If you're looking for hyper top speed and acceleration then you will be disappointed, but if you want a great "real world" bike - look no further. Show less

If you remember the old ones, this is like the best without the worst. Good brakes, no leaks! Even electric start! And it looks good, too. I'm showing my age. I haven't had a bike for thirty years. My wife finally said "YES". I have tell you, I love this mo-mo. After such a long time without having something like this between your legs, speaking as an elder novice, it's an easy ride. Lot's of muscle, but well controlled and very smooth (much unlike the BSA 650 flat-tracker that I rode as a youth). The negatives - way too quiet - get some pipes, so you don't listen to the lifters and chain. And it's a little fussy until it warms up, be patient. The beast is there, give it a few minutes to wake. The blue exhaust pipes is also a problem, but just ride and ignore it. Get the pipes ceramachromed or buy the air injection retro kit if you're concerned about the looks. Me? I could care less. Older women are a sure thing, blue pipes are a plus! Show less

Just got my new baby 2 weeks ago and I've put over 400 miles on her so far. that's saying a lot considering all the rain we've been having and the fact that I live on an island. I owned a Harley Sportster 883 for about 8 years, and I would have to disagree with one reviewer's comment that it pulls like a Sportster. Now that T100 is breaking in, she really wants to go. I find myself having to ease up after glancing down at the speedometer and noticing I'm going 70. My Sportster worked hard at the higher speeds. I love the way my T100 handles, although I wish it had one more gear. The high hum at 55+ makes me second guess if I have it in 5th gear. That will change once I get my D&D performance exhaust pipes on it. I also ordered a Smuggler seat from Corbin. Can't wait to get it all together. Show less

Well, I finally went and done it. I bought a new 2004 Triumph Bonneville and it's everything I'd hoped it would be. It was $8000 out-the-door. My Bonny is Classic Black with polished and 'lacquered' engine covers. Not to be confused with the neato 'Bonneville Black' that was released this year (The 'Bonny Black' has blacked out engine cases and covers for street fighter sort of look). As of right now, my bike is bone stock, but that's about to change.... see "Upgrades/Accessories" below. I love the overall feel of the bike. It handles well, has decent acceleration, and stops pretty much on a dime. It's not a sport bike by any means, but it's predictable on the road. For comparison, the Bonneville pulls kind of like a Harley Sportster 883, but a little smoother, and not nearly as lumpy. Praises: It's a Triumph through-and-through. When you're riding it, you know you're riding a modern interpretation of a classic. It gets looks and sometimes-even double takes! The seat feels great to me, and there's plenty of room for adjusting your seating position from time to time, or doubling up when the need arises. I prefer riding alone on this bike though. The extra passenger seems to cramp the style of the Bonny. I like the way to bike takes the curves. It seems predictable, and it's just heavy enough to stay put when you aim it. The exhaust is way too quiet. The bike seems to hum at speed, and the 'off-road' pipes are almost a necessity if you ride in traffic, or want to be heard. Besides Triumph twins have a wonderful sound that really should be heard. The Triumph 'Off-Road' mufflers are around $400, but they some with a jet kit. I understand that the kit will add approximately 10hp. One real gripe: The transmission clunks pretty loudly (although firmly) when shifted. I've been told that this will soften up a bit as the bike breaks-in. I wish the bike had a 6-speed gearbox. The 6th gear would really come in handy on the highway at 65mph. A 6 speed would also close the ratio a bit, eliminating unnecessary clicking back and forth between gears at 35 and 40mph. Even though it's an age-old characteristic, I'm not crazy about the bluing of the header pipes. I really wish that Triumph had addressed the problem in the early development stages of the new Bonneville. From what I understand, most of the bluing on the new Bonny's pipes is due to an emissions valve circuit that superheats the exhaust gases. I've only put 100 miles on the bike so far, but I'm impressed with the Bonneville. I'm glad that Triumph had the guts to buck the system, and throw us back in time a few decades. We needed a classic, and I'm sick of looking at the cookie cutter Harleys. I wanted something different, Triumph delivered. The bike is bound to be a new classic. Show less

I have had a bonnie t100 for over a year and have done 7000 miles on it and must say that this bike is a great all rounder. If you want one, get the norman hyde after market exhausts and a stage 1 jet kit. Show less

I have had my B+W T100 for 3 weeks now and I still sneak in the garage to look at it almost every night! I must confess to love at first sight! Its winter here in the U.K. but have been out 3 times and was worth the frostbite. It is a great bike if you want good looks, handling, character and reliability. I looked at the "new" Sportster and found the T100 had a charm the Harley now lacks. This baby is retro to the max. The engine has a lot of grunt to go for a 800cc twin and is very smooth at speed, but I am still running it in so will let you know more after first 500 miles. The engine still lets you know its heritage by shaking at tick over. Insurance is not to bad and 50 mpg reported. I have yet to see a bad review of this bike on the web. Get one if you can. Show less

Bought a B/W T100 as my first bike. It is so much fun. I am really enjoying it. Gets many complements that are pretty nice, but riding it is much nicer. I took it on some pretty rough back roads and it handled pretty well. Seems easy enough to control, just look where you want to go, lean that direction, BAM, your there... brakes stop the bike well enough for me, but I am not a speed demon either. I had the TOR pipes installed and it sounds pleasing to me. If you get one, I'm sure you'll have as much fun as I'm having with mine. Had someone tell me something that is proving to be true "if you don't like people complimenting and talking to you about your bike, don't get this one" Show less