Triumph has been working on a smaller Bonneville model for the Indian market. A few weeks ago, we saw a spy picture of the same motorcycle. Now, we have come across a new image where we see an undisguised version of the upcoming baby Bonneville in India. This is probably the first time this motorcycle has been spotted in India.
The image has been shared by PowerDrift on their social media page. The bike is likely to be called the Bonneville 400, and from the images, it is clear that the bike is inspired by its bigger siblings. The motorcycle carries a neo-retro design, which gives it a unique look.
It will compete with the likes of the Honda CB350 and the Royal Enfield Classic 350 in the segment. In the pictures, we can see the chunky-looking fuel tank, a wide handlebar, and a large round instrument cluster, which is likely to be digital. We also see clear-lens LED turn indicators, a round LED headlamp, a sleek-looking LED tail lamp on the rear mudguard, and more. One of the elements that gives it a retro look is the generous use of chrome. The motorcycle comes with a chrome-plated engine cover, chrome rear grab rails, and an exhaust. It is also offered with blacked-out rims with chrome or brushed metal spokes instead of alloy wheels. This completes the overall look of the bike.
With the baby Bonneville, Triumph is aiming to compete against the Royal Enfield 350s and the Honda CB350 in the segment. This has been a segment dominated by Royal Enfield for decades. Bajaj did try to challenge the Classic and the Bullet 350 with the Dominar, but due to multiple reasons, the campaign and ads didn’t do much for the Dominar, despite it being a great motorcycle.
With the Triumph Bonneville 400, Bajaj and Triumph might finally have the chance to come up with a proper challenger to the Royal Enfield 350s. Unlike the Dominar, the Bonneville 400 is a proper neo-retro motorcycle. The reason why Royal Enfields are so popular is not because they are extremely powerful or refined. Their motorcycles have a retro look that most people find appealing. The same strategy might work for the upcoming Bonneville 400 too.
It offers all the styling elements that its rivals offer and more. The Bonneville 400 is based on the same platform as other Triumph 400s. Coming to the engine, it was initially expected to come with a 400cc engine like other Triumphs, but due to GST 2.0 revisions, Bajaj, KTM, and Triumph have decided to downsize the engine capacity on their 400cc motorcycles. This would actually help them benefit from the new GST norms.
So, the upcoming Bonneville 400 motorcycle will actually be powered by a 349cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine that is expected to generate around 29 PS and 32 Nm of torque. Coming to the price, the Triumph is expected to be positioned below the Speed T4, which is priced at Rs 1.95 lakh (ex-showroom). With the GST revisions, these prices could come down, which would mean Triumph might launch the Bonneville 400 at an aggressive price to compete against the Classic 350.
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