Bonnieville T100 Performance

A late starter, I see.......

If you have spent so much of your motoring career on four wheels it can be a revelation to discover the acceleration of even quite modest motorcycles. Their aerodynamics are not so favourable at higher road speeds but their power to weight ratio is a major asset. You just need to be conscious of road surfaces and the available contact patches when it comes to changing speed and direction.

You don’t specify which generation T100 you have in mind but there is minimal practical difference in performance; both are in hairy chested car territory up to the national speed limit.

 

Hi n welcome any chance your profile name has anything to do with your job.

 

Fifthwheel.
Two nights ago I was going through Maidenhead. Coming around a roundabout one of those fang dangled Audi's pulled out he had right of way of course. He saw my 2010 865 and started snorting his exhaust sounded lovely. I went up the side of him gave the Bonnie two rather nice Blips of the throttle and took of and almost wheelied something I don't do. But bless him he tried to stay with me but I won. Mind you when I passed some cars it slowed him down. But any car like that I search for a bendy road they find it very difficult to corner like a bike.
Ride SAFE & Enjoy
Joe.

 

Yep, it'll be fine.
Love mine and I have much quicker bikes. If you like to accessorize consider the model before the current one, there's lots more parts available. Having said that, the current model apparently has some worthwhile upgrades. Great fun and 68mpg while you do it

 

In answer to your question, this post from Forchetto on the RATforum would seem appropriate!

Bonneville performance. Is it good enough?
The way road testers and the less discerning and ill-informed riders of inferior machinery criticise our Bonnies, you'd think they were slugs, but the Bonneville is no slouch really. It might be compared with the current crop of sports bikes capable of mile-long wheelies and tyre-shredding burnouts, but consider its real world power, torque and performance parameters and it should satisfy 95% of sensible, mature, God-fearing, law-abiding riders :

For example, for the SE the factory claims 67 bhp (50kw) @7500 rpm and 50 ft/lbs (68Nm) @5800 rpm . These figures are at the crankshaft. For comparison, the original Honda CB750 that turned the motorcycling world on its head and introduced us to the "Superbike" apellation also produced 67 bhp. We were impressed then.

Rear wheel figures as dyno-tested by Rider Magazine August 2009 are 40.9 lb-ft of torque at 2,600 rpm with its peak coming at 44.7 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm. This is a very satisfying flat torque curve. Note that 90% of available torque is produced at just 2600 rpm. It pulls like an steam engine in any gear.

In terms of power at the rear wheel the Bonneville is making 40 horsepower by 5,000 rpm, 50 by 6,000 rpm and peaks at 58.6 horses at 7,400 rpm.

This, for a weight ready to ride of 496lbs(225Kg) is not too bad and gives pretty respectable acceleration and top speed figures as follows (Cycle World road test):

0-60 mph: 4.9 sec
Standing 1/4 mile: 13.24 sec. @ 100.66 mph
Top speed: 115 mph

The 0-60 and quarter-mile figures are similar to another British legend, the Aston Martin Vantage, by the way...

 

Welcome to the forum
Ive had quite a few Triumphs, including a Bonneville SE.
Whilst it was not the fastest accelerating of them, it certainly wasn't a slouch.
As others have said it will get you away from the lights and into trouble..... no problem!
The style of bike made me ride it in a very laid back way

 

Perhaps my experience may help you to make a decision. I just turned 75 and traded up to a new 2019 T100 in August. As most have stated, not a fast bike by any means and very easy to ride. But not being fast doesn't mean that it isn't a blast to ride and as others have said, faster than most cars, trucks, etc. I only started riding a. couple of years ago and went from a Honda 150 RR to a Yamaha R3 and then the Triumph. I don't have many regrets in my life but not riding earlier is one of them. You'll make no mistakes with the T100. Go for it.

 

Performance figures are very similar to the original Rd350lc...