I’ve got the same bike. I have limited to no issues with the suspension, I manage to keep it clean, I’ve updated the indicators and it’s just my pride and joy. Mine is an 18 plate and cost me £6K cash with just 3700 miles on it bargain. Change the stock tyres BTW it really helps. I absolutely love my t100 black

I think under the control menu, you can set the hyper flash value to 1, so when you have loose connection or switch to after market LED lights, you won't get Hyper Flash, After market comfy shocks are available for this model. I bought a t100 black, previous owner has already installed better shocks.

Finally a review from someone not beholden to Triumph for loaning them a bike or some other arrangement. Nice job Gaz Lab. Together with some of the reviews, your info has been very helpful, Thanks. It's tough for me to choose because I am on a '72 Triumph TR-6RV (V=5spd) that has 21K miles on it and is in near perfect mechanical condition. It was "stored" (read; parked outside 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean) for 30 years. It starts and runs fantastically. I bought if off CL for $200 US in 2019. Hard to pull the trigger on a 10-13 thousand dollar ride when this one is so much fun. Got to go, time to go down to Triumph and drool over that Speed Twin. -Liked and subscribed-

Good to hear the negatives as well. Sounds like suspension and a center stand would solve a lot of the issues.

I had a 350 Honda back in the 70s when I was 18. It was a piece of junk but I loved it. I didn’t mind working on it, tuning it up, changing the oil and the like. That was part of the fun for me back then. If I had that bike today I’m sure I would absolutely hate it. I have a BMW K 1200 RS that I bought back in 1999 and never ride. I guess I’m just more into comfort now than excitement. Besides, with ham radio I can move at the speed of light. :-)

Thanks a lot for this review. Saved me. I was thinking of buying one, but you made a number of good points about maintenance and product quality (mirrors, spokes, indicators, etc) 👍

By and large I think you are right; I have a t120 which has a main stand, but all the routine stuff you mentioned is a pain. I fitted a Tutoro chain oiler. In particular the front forks/suspension have a panic attack on a less than perfect road. That was a shock after my Guzzi........But I do love riding it!!

Best review of this bike I've found here. Seems it's better in the long run to spend the extra $ on the T-120 and avoid these T100 issues.

T100 Six month update. Although it's mostly tucked away for winter now (not sorn'd as I do like to get out if it's dry and not too cold) I'm happy to say I'm loving my 2021 T100. Apart from a pesky oil leak fro the cam cover which took two attempts to fix under warranty, I've had no issues at all. It appears that they've sorted the problems you were having Gaz. The T100 remains the best motorcycle I've owned. It may be that it's a sweet spot for where I find myself at this stage of my biking career. If I were buying a new bike again today - I'm happy to say I'd buy exactly the same bike again. Not a T120, not a Speed Twin, but the T100. I'm sorry you had issues with yours which spoiled the ownership experience for you. If we were ever near where you live I'd let you have a ride on mine for comparison.

Agree with: 1. seat comfort. really bad, and I spent 500 bux on an aftermarke seat from Omega Racer. THAT WAS A WASTE OF MONEY because it is falling apart, not much more comfortable than the factory seat, and I am going to buy the Triump Comfort seat sooner than later. After being on the bike for an hour, my ass goes totally numb with either seat. Uggh! 2. Chain maintenance is not horrible by moving the bike, but it is required every 200 miles according to the mileage. 3. Indicators are cheap, and I have replaced them with the LED option bc the mounting itself failed when a friend kicked one of the indicators when mounting the bike. The way they engineered the mounting for the OEM indicators is totally insufficent, and the LED indicators are engineered in a much higher quality manner. For 200 USD, the upgrade was worth it. 4. I did the bar end mirrors on as well! so much better! 5. the lack of self cancelling indicators. Purchased a 3rd party indicator cancelling system, but had to cut into factory wiring, but decided not to. Disagree with: 1. Chain adjustment - have not needed to adjust in 9K miles other than yearly maintenance, so Im not too worried about removing the mufflers for that reason. I have my dealer give the bike a once-over every spring, and so far all is good there and only 1 adjustment so far. 2. I dont want to take the wheel off. I have a dealer! 3. I like the firm ride, and I dont find it objectionable at all. Firm/tight/solid ride that is predictable and consistent. The bike rides perfectly and just like it did the day I bought it brand new. The bike handles great! 4. The throttle does not jerk or is sensitive IMHO, I love the throttle sensitivity and i dont notice a 1/4 in “play area”. 5. The spokes have not started to rust, yet! now i must say Im worried but I polish the hell out of it all the time because I find that to be fun! I’m a bit OCD, but ok with that My input. I have a 2017 T100, which is the current generation bike. Added the cruise control option, and works great. Got the CC from ebay for a dealer in Seattle that parted with it for$150 USD (which was a steal bc they usuall sell for $400 USD) and my dealer installed for $75. A BARGAIN!! I wish the bike had a 6 speed transmission, as highway speeds the bike needs the extra gear. For the weight difference between this bike and the T120, i’d do the 100 all over again. I LOVE MY T100. I love the refinement of this bike over the Royal Enfield any day! It is a Zen experience every single time I get on it. The overall quaility of the entire package is pretty incredible, and I dont regret the purchase at all. The bike has been completely reliable and I love it.

I agree with you regarding the ride. It is very harsh. You have also made a good case for buying a 2016-2020 T120 model. It comes with a centre-stand and heated grips as standard. Just out of interest, is the throttle housing the same as the Speed Twin? If it is a throttle spacer will cure the the roll on/roll off throttle response. A booster plug will also improve the smoothness of acceleration pick-up.

I owned a 2012 standard bonnie. It was heavy and the shocks are still in my garage. They were awful. I put predator exhaust on it and had it tuned. That mad a world of difference. I also did the tail tidy and I got the Thruxton seat for it when I bought it. It looked great. I didn't like the big gas tank though. I like the 360 degree crank over the 270. The sound was so authentic. I also put some Michalin Road 5 tires on it with a 150 on the rear. It made it corner better because it had a steeper crown. Loved the bike but the weight I didn't care for. I sold it and now kind of miss it. I crashed it twice, both times my fault and jumped over a dead deer going 55 mph. once. Thank slappers aren't funny. Luckily no spills. I just loved the sound of those pipes bouncing off of the close buildings. Did a road trip of 600 miles on it once in one day and it beat me up pretty bad with no windshield. I was whipped out. I still have the memories at least.

Why not add a centre stand?

Fair comment I used to ride Triumphs at work in the 70s +

I don't remember if you said you commute with the bike, if so commuting will accelerate aging. I have a 2018 T100 with 3300 miles on it and it has had no issues at all. But then again, I only take mine out on the weekends when the weather is nice. I do however have some upgrades on the bike, such as, a new British Custom tuck-n-roll slammer seat, and Triumphs Fox adjustable rear shocks. I was thinking of doing a review on the bike when it hits 5000 miles to keep you updated.

Interested in this , the twin 900 and 1200. Have you tried them and compare?

I can't find the affiliate link for Triumph Motorcycles!

No C spanner with the Himalayan either-I had to buy one from the local Suzuki dealer. I've ridden the T120 Bonneville but never noticed the suspension being too firm. Certainly the Ducati Scrambler Classic had very firm forks which didn't cope with road imperfections at all.

Hey Gaz, great video. I've been biking for 45+ years and I've owned mainly Hondas, but I've also had a Triumph TT600 and a Tiger Sport 1050. I ALMOST bought a Thruxton, but I came across a 9 month old one with rust around the headstock and it really put me off. As for the Bonnies, they're a bike which appeals to me because they're very retro, but sadly, I think the materials and style looks quite cheap and nothing like I'd expect for £11k. I bought an £11k air-cooled Honda CB1100RS retro and that just OOZED quality. Tale a test-ride on one - you might like it :-) M7MCQ

I have the same bike, but less issues with the suspension I think is down to the roads in the UK, I can see just from the video, the state of them. Luckily blessed here with good road surfaces. Tyres though are crap, I agree with the chain maintenance, so opted for replacement mufflers. Can't decat due to the emissions test here in Spain. Mirrors I believe 90% of people change them out as they look so ugly anyway. But the what I like about the bike is that it has so many custom bolt on parts, so you don't need to be a fully fledged mechanic to make alterations. Good video though and enjoyed watching the scenery

Bye the gaz where do you mount your gopro?

With most of my recent bikes I've found a vast improvement in ride quality simply by reducing the front and rear tyre pressures by just a couple of PSI. It makes no discernable difference to handling either. The pressures chosen by the manufacturer as a one-size-fits-all attempt to allow for the widest range of loads and operating temperatures. In blighty, with our temperate (read - cold ❄️) climate and shocking road surfaces even bikes with "premium" suspension struggle to give a decently plush ride.

Hi Gaz, my mate has a bike shop and today he had a 4 year-old T100 . All the lights had been flashing and turned out to be the reg/rectifier. When the old one came off it was obvious that very little thought had been given to water-proofing and all of the wiring connectors were green inside. Some of the wire had gone brittle,something he only usually sees on 15-plus year old bikes and he's now going to check the whole thing out as the more he looks the more he's finding. While it's a lovely-looking a lot of it is just cheap and badly thought out,for what they cost it's pretty shocking,it's also rusting as badly as my 15 year-old Bandit. I really don't know how Triumph justify over 10 grand for a bike made in a third-world country where the average wage is around £800 a month. I'm sure they could sell them for the price of an Enfield 650 and still make a decent profit.

By all means, I don`t what you kind of bike you normaly drive, but this suspension is really soft. It`s the highspeed damping, that is not there. But that`s a significant difference.

I know this was a long time ago but the T100 that you have needs no extra wiring, the leads on the grips plug into a socket in the lever switch gear, the grips are about £230. Don’t know where you got £600 pounds from, I guess you were fed up of the bike and needed to slag it off as much as possible.

Nice video, its Royal Enfield all the way for me.not too much on them, nothing fancy but then again.....not much to go wrong. Half the price but with all the stuff on it you need. Triumph are well over priced and to be honest I prefer the Enfield, maybe that's why Enfield are selling a lot more bikes than Triumph. My friend who also has a Bonneville also complained about noisy brakes and a noisy front mudguard. No such problems with mine.

I am genuinely staggered that you think the suspension is hard! I have never heard anyone mention that in relation to the T100! I also have a 2018 T100 black (from new) and think it is the softest bike I have ever ridden!! I have a 790 Duke also and that is a hard seat and suspension...ROCK HARD!! So to me the T100 feels like an armchair! I agree maintenance is a ball ache on the T100, but I don't mind as it looks so damn cool. Not had any probs with my indicators?? Heated grips from Triumph are £205, I am not sure where you got £600 from???

all the comments about the stand situation mad me laugh ,,, There is a padock stand for the t100 t 120 ect on ebay for £60 fb market place you can find std ruber cup padock stands for normal swing arm for £20 or buy the centre stand gjust a thought :)

Ive owned 48 new bikes and never had any of these problems,I dont think you did your homework or had a test ride or had a proper look round one before purchasing! 11k where did that price come from? Just been looking at a new T120 with all the extra's including a centre stand and heated grips! £8999! You bought the black at your own choice.

2021 T100 euro 5. Do not find my seat uncomfortable, the indicators work fine, I find the suspension soft, Tec stand about 100 pounds, Oxford heated grips 40/50 pounds, throttle is fine . But I prefer riding my ancient 750 Norton Commando, it just feels part of me and right , helped by being by being at least 80 Ibs lighter.

And Triumph wonder why the new Enfield 650s are so popular ?

my t100 is great for me, but i do have the following extras, a booster plug for the jerkyness at low speed its better by about 30% also a T E C adjustable main stand for rear end work, the chain is a pain. I think you will always pay a price for the way a bike or anything else looks in life.

Many of your complaints are why I bought a new Moto Guzzi 750, it’s actually made in Italy and not Thailand, shaft drive, air cooled, centre stand etc etc Paul from VK3.....

I was at a giggle the whole time listening to u talk about all the things Triumph decided was our responsibility to do after handing them 9000 plus bucks. Luckily I bought my 2005 pre-owned. But,,,, I still had to put a center stand on it. I used to think the indicator sag was from things hanging on them, but maybe it's just bounce from the suspension and cheap unit's. But out of the 4, only 2 sag, so maybe I'm wrong. My opinion, the main thing wrong with the t100, is no center stand. Every bike I've had, has had one. Even my big VMAX. So why does Triumph put on the brackets,but no stand? , Heaven knows. Just to save 150 bucks? Makes no sense. Thanks for the video, so informative and entertaining, cheers.

Good info in this video for people thinking about purchasing this bike... but put the camera exposure a little lower 😂 Looks like a nuke just exploded

Why on earth would you want to put triumph heated grips on at that price? Get some oxford ones for a fraction of the cost. Same with shocks. I put TEC on mine for £120 admittedly not the best but better than standard

Nice job. You may have saved me from a mistake.

Love this, that why I don't ride... Arse transplant

I'm laughing hearing the comments about the lack of a center stand. Back when Triumphs were purchased by young Punks trying to get the bikes to go as fast as possible, the missing center stand would be seen as a performance improvement. Now that the purchasing demographic is near their first stroke, saving weight by putting louder pipes that make it seem like they're going fast is the ultimate performance achievement .😁😅

Everyone i know who has had this bike seem to like it. My mate owned one and loved it and has been riding for over 50 years. Its not perfect, But this bike is a bike of choice. No bike is perfect. It wont wheel itself out of the garage for you .The bonnie is meant to be a platform anyone can change, Upgrade and make there own. I would suggest to any one a test ride before dissing it. Why all these things you don't like and you never picked up on any of them before buying it. I think a missing center stand is a bit obvious. Have you ties to Enfield by any chance. I like the Enfield's myself. But these two are miles apart in performance man. I don't understand why at your age and experience you bought it yet so much you dislike.

Long years ago “made in England’ was better than “made in a Japan” That badge was worth more, than the company brand name. Then we had British Leyland, now to the present day. Paul 2E0PPJ

If it doesn't leak oil, and have terrible electrics, then it can't be a Triumph.

been looking at an sv 650 or a 650 interceptor once all this madness is over ,triumph are over priced by about £2000

V7 it is then...

thanks , very informative ,, back to looking at royal enfield also w800 and scr950 == are on offer; at the moment

11,000 lbs????

But all in all he likes it.......

Drop your tyre pressure

Ctr std is available, 5mins to remove the silencer if nipping up the chain, my exhaust's are not lower than the frame so no prob jacking up. I find std mirrors great.....sounds like j you just dont like you bike. Any black bike will show dust...not just a bonnie. Not a bad habit checking your indicators are not still on. Cant fault my T100s suspension. At the start of the vid you say you love the bike.....very strange.

Mate, upgrade the suspension, it’ll transform the bike!

I upgraded my suspension and indicators…cos that’s what bikers do to their bikes!….🤷‍♂️….simples..

Think your on a different planet from me! My 2017 t100 has 25000 mls on the clock, just back from doing the NC500. Hasn’t missed a beat, washed it down looks like new, no corrosion no rust. Suspension not bril but overall comfort good, no electrical issues, no indicator issues. Got a Scotoiler on it, one fill does 2-3000mls. Yes mine has a centre stand and heated grips, don’t know where you’re getting £600 for every option for, absolute rubbish! Your whining about not fitting optional extras and their made up costs leaves this review with no credibility. I’ve had over 30 bikes in over 48years of riding and my Bonnies a keeper, brilliant bike!

Whining about suspension and saddle hurting ? I ride 7 hours on my race bicycle. The t100 is more comfy than my sofa at home 😂. My 2019 t100 has a center stand. The complaint about chain spanning is correct though.

Not getting one now

You want to get shut and get something decent

Royal Enfield is junk. I just had a Himalayan for 1500 miles and got rid of it. It's a third world bike. Noisiest engine you've ever heard that sounds like the rods are going to come out of it at any moment. Cold start is a nightmare. you have to hold the throttle at 2000 rpm for 45 seconds before you can let go of the throttle to get dressed. The bi-starter lever (often erroneously called a choke lever) only makes it worse. Pulling that on will make the engine stall one or two times before you get it to idle without holding the throttle. Bad relays leave many cyclist stranded. Tons of little niggling problems that the "cult" calls "idiosyncrasies". Many more problems that you don't even want think about. I call BS, it's a 50 year old design and built in a third world country. The Triumph must have problems too, but then British bikes and cars always did have. Nothing beats the dependability of a Japanese bike.

You must be a softy. I have had my T100 Black for three years (last January 2021) and I in the first two years I covered twenty four thousand kilometres. Four times I have ridden the motorcycle to Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. I have ridden one thousand kilometres in one day. I am now seventy eight and I have found my Triumph to be great. Your dealer should have pre-delivered the motorcycle. Tell which motorcycles have centre stands. Yes, the centre stand is optional. Go and buy one. You are just a winger. I have had none of your problems. Why have you? What are you doing wrong? I think that you are giving the motorcycle a bad wrap up so that you can advertise the Indian motorcycle - the Royal Enfield. My friends who have Royal Enfield motorcycles say that they have corrosion. You are the first person that I have heard complain about the Triumph. Oh, wait a minute, you at pre in England and I am inAustralia where we ride on corrugated roads.

OK, so I am not buying one of them.

The lady doth protest too much.