BONNEVILLE SE OR T100? HOW I CHOSE.

The Triumph Bonneville is sold in 2 variants in India, the Bonneville SE and the higher version Bonneville T100. The basic bike remains the same. The engine, drivetrain and brakes are exactly alike. The detailed comparison of the major aspects of the bike is as follows:

	BONNEVILLE SE	BONNEVILLE T100
Colour Schemes	Comes in complete silver, black and 1 two tone colour scheme	Comes in several 2 tone colour schemes including Orange/Black, Red/Black, White/Gold etc.
Wheels	Cast Aluminium alloy wheels	Classic spoke wheels
	17” tyre in rear and front	19” tyre in front and 17” in rear
Seat Height	740mm	775mm
Rake Angle	27o	28o
Features	Comes with single speedo dial and warning lights in separate housing	Comes with matching speedo and tachometer. The warning, neutral, low fuel and turn indicator lights are integrated within the two dials.
Engine Looks	Comes with standard black engine	Comes with chrome engine covers
Silencers	Comes with reversed cone silencers	Comes with peashooter silencers
Length	2115 mm	2230 mm

After testing the bike to my satisfaction, and having made up my mind about buying the Bonnie, I got down to deciding the model.

I zeroed in on the Bonneville T100. This was based on four main advantages that the T100 has over the SE.

• The larger front wheel affects handling and makes it more comfortable by being smoother on potholes and bad roads. 
• The rake angle of 28^o of T100 as compared to 27^o of the SE makes the riding position less inclined leading to lesser strain on back and wrists.
• The increased height of the T100 helps in protecting the bike over large speed breakers, a common problem in India and also makes it more comfortable for taller riders. 
• Spoke wheels, from my personal experience, are much tougher than alloy wheels, which can crack under hard impact. Spoke wheels, however have the disadvantage of having tube and not being tubeless.

These four points distinguish the T100 from the SE and the SE can’t be modified to match these specs. All the other differences such as engine covers, instrumentation cluster etc. are purely cosmetic and accessories available for the Bonneville SE can be used to upgrade and customize the bike.

Finally, after much researching, testing and comparing, I booked the Bonneville T100 in Orange / black / silver colour scheme. 

   

Read on for my roller coaster ride as an owner of Triumph Bonneville T100.