Triumph launched Bonneville T 120, the most retro-designed motorcycle in its range, at the 2016 Auto Expo, along with its smaller sibling, the Street Twin.
An upgraded version of the T 100, the T 120 shares almost nothing with its predecessor. The retro styling is a prominent theme in this bike, with Triumph having gone a long way to keep it intact. The fuel injection system, for instance, has throttle bodies on the outside designed to look like old-school carburettors. The classic look is further preserved by the wire-spoke wheels, generous use of chrome, the bright and shiny ‘pea-shooter’ exhausts, analogue speedometer and tachometer, fuel tank and seat design and the round headlamp.
In terms of performance, the T 120 takes a huge leap forward, at least on paper. The heart of this motorcycle is the 1,200cc eight-valve, parallel-twin engine that churns a hefty 10.7kgm of peak torque at 3,100rpm. The engine cooling system has been integrated in the engine unit, so as to maintain the retro look of the motorcycle.
The retro-styled motorcycle gets many contemporary features. The T 120 gets ride-by-wire throttle management, a six-speed gearbox and a slipper clutch. There are two riding modes – Rain and Road, with the throttle response being made more progressive in the former and more aggressive in the latter.
It also gets heated grips with three levels of heating, a USB port and optional cruise control. The suspension setup is in the form of telescopic forks in the front and pre-load absorbable shocks at the rear. Braking is provided by front and rear disc brakes, fitted with ABS. The T 120 sits on Pirelli tyres.
The motorcycle is priced at Rs 8.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), and will come with many optional customisable accessories and kits.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
