5 Alternatives To The Triumph Bonneville

Triumph produced cars and motorcycles side-by side from 1923 until 1936, when the two operations were split into separate enterprises. The storied history of Triumph motorcycles includes wins in the Isle of Man Tournament Trophy and Daytona 200 and land speed records set at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. That last accomplishment inspired one of Triumph's current models, the Bonneville T100 Cafe Racer. 

This retro-styled model is powered by a 900cc parallel-twin engine that produces 64.1 horsepower and 59 pound-feet of torque. That power goes to the rear wheel via chain drive and a five-speed transmission with a wet multi-plate clutch. The Brembo front and Nissin rear brakes both have anti-lock capabilities, and the Bonneville's wet weight of just over 500 pounds enables fuel efficiency of close to 70 mpg. The Triumph Bonneville is by no means the only bike out there with classic styling and modern features, and there are others like it that you can find in the neighborhood of its base price of $11,495.

Royal Enfield shares Triumph's British lineage and long history making beautiful motorcycles, and its INT (for Interceptor) 650 makes a formidable challenger to the Bonneville. The INT 650 is also substantially more affordable than the Bonneville at just $6,849. For that price, you get your choice of six color schemes (the one shown above is Barcelona Blue). Like the Bonneville, the INT 650 is powered by a parallel twin engine, but the Royal Enfield's is a bit less robust, with output numbers of about 47 horsepower and just over 38.5 pound-feet of torque. 

The INT 650's transmission offers one more gear than the Bonneville's, and anti-lock brakes are at both wheels as well. The INT 650 is also a little lighter than the Bonneville at about 478 pounds, so it might be the better choice for new riders. It can deliver around 60 mpg of fuel efficiency, and features a pair of '70s-style gauges with a small digital insert in the speedometer for the fuel gauge, odometer, and dual trip counters.

Norton Motorcycles is another British manufacturer with a proud legacy of Isle of Man success and a current lineup that includes motorcycles with classic styling and modern technology. The Commando 961 CR (for Café Racer) looks like a '70s model that has been run through a computer design program set to the 'gilded' setting and came out with gold front fork tubes and copious amounts of silver cladding around, above, and behind them. By default, the engine is left in its natural finish as a complement to the precious metal accents, but if you choose, Norton will paint the motor, frame, and finishing kit black for a more subtle look. 

The 961 CR is hustled along the roadway courtesy of a 961cc parallel twin engine that sends 76 horsepower and about 60 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheel via a five-speed transmission and chain drive. You get Brembo anti-lock brakes at both wheels, and the Öhlins shocks and forks are fully adjustable so you can set the ride just the way you like it. Sadly for American riders, Norton's offering is currently only available to customers in the United Kingdom due to emissions compliance, and has a hefty price tag of £17,499 as of this writing (nearly $23,000 USD). But with the popularity of retro bikes in the U.S., folks stateside can hold out and hope that the 961 Café Racer will be coming soon.

BMW makes some extraordinary motorcycles via its Motorrad division, and the RnineT made our list of BMW's most popular bikes ever. It's a little more dressed-up than the other models on this list, and it will set you back about close to $17,000 to ride one home. For that price, you get a 1,170cc boxer twin engine that cranks out 109 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque, making it easily the most powerful bike on this list. 

That's enough oomph to get the 485-pound R nineT to its top speed of 134 mph, which is achieved courtesy of a six-speed transmission and shaft drive. BMW touts the R nineT as being its most customizable model, and offers a Scrambler version as well as a more affordable RnineT Pure, shaving around $5,000 from the starting price depending on the dealer but eliminates basic goodies like a tachometer and gear indicator.

Kawasaki ranked third on our list of the world's top motorcycle manufacturers, due in large part to its pavement-scorching series of Ninja superbikes. You'd be remiss to sleep on Kawasaki's W series, though. That family of cafe racers started with the 1965 650-W1 and carried on through many numbered successors over the next few decades. In 2011, Kawasaki introduced the potent W800, which had a 48 horsepower parallel twin engine. Kawasaki shelved that model five years later, but quickly revived it in an updated form. The latest iteration, the 2025 W800 ABS, stacks up nicely to the Triumph Bonneville in terms of form, function, and value.

For a base price of $10,399, you get a bike styled after the original W1, complete with large round dual gauges and a retro '60s-style headlamp housing. The powertrain and chassis are decidedly 21st Century, though. The 773cc parallel twin engine has two direct-injection throttle bodies that help it provide 46.4 pound-feet of torque, and anti-lock brakes are at both wheels to help you rein that power in smoothly. The five-speed transmission lets you haul butt up to 110 mph, which will make you fully appreciate the ABS system.

Although most of the bikes on this list have a minimum amount of cladding hiding their mechanical bits, the Janus Halcyon 450 takes the concept of a naked bike to its limits. Its retro styling is more 1920s than 1960s or '70s, but it is striking in its simplicity. Janus Motorcycles are hand-built at the company's Goshen, Indiana factory around a tubular steel frame. The Halcyon 450 is powered by a 445cc one-cylinder engine that puts out 30 horsepower, which is plenty of power for a bike that weight just 345 pounds. 

Company co-founder Richard Worsham was studying history and literature at Notre Dame when he met Devin Biek. They named their new company after the Roman god Janus, who had two faces: one looking forward, and one looking back. It's the perfect icon for a modern machine with a retro flair, like their Halcyon 450 and the other motorcycles highlighted here.