Triumph Bonneville T120 review, test ride

Under the skin

The new chassis that has been created specifically for this new motorcycle is a far cry from what was present on the earlier. A chat with Triumph’s chassis development engineer, David Lopez, revealed that the focus was to make the new bike feel lighter and more nimble than the outgoing T100 even though now it’s a fair bit heavier (224kg) because of the larger motor. Some of the largest differences are to the tubular twin-cradle frame with a significant reduction in steering head angle from about 28 degrees to 25.5 degrees, which has brought the wheelbase down to a significantly smaller 1,445mm.

The new geometry really adds some much-needed nimbleness to this bike, while the larger 18-inch diameter front wheel size keeps the front end from becoming twitchy. Add to that the grippy, specially developed Pirelli Phantom Sport comp tyres (100/90-18 front and 150/70 R17 at the back) and an improved 48-52 percent front-rear weight distribution, and you’ve got a fairly competent handling package.

The one grouse we had with the bike’s handling was due to that larger front wheel, which preferred to track straight, initial turn-ins felt a bit lazy. It took a couple of kilometres to get used to easing the bike into corners and then throttling out, riding a wave of torque from the motor. Also, the footpegs, which have been lowered for a more comfortable riding posture, do tend to scrape quite easily in the corners. What was rather impressive however was the ride quality. The 41mm Kabaya cartridge forks at the front and the twin Kabaya shocks at the back, with their dual-rated springs, provided great damping over rough roads. On the larger undulations though, the bike wallowed a bit, but this was immediately brought under control when I adjusted the rear shocks from their default softest setting to a couple of notches of added preload.

Man-machine interface

To make the T120 more comfortable than the earlier T100 model, there have been quite a few subtle changes all around the bike. The handlebars are now a bit taller and closer towards the rider while the footpegs have lowered and moved slightly forward as well. Both these factors combined with the significantly improved seat design (which has a wonderfully low saddle height of just 785mm) make this one of the most comfortable motorcycles out there. Whether it’s a long commute through traffic or several hundred kilometres of touring, I really believe that the T120 will be able to handle it with much aplomb.

Road trip or nostalgia trip?

At first glance, the Bonneville T120 can give the impression that it’s an old-school bike designed to deliver nothing but old-school charm. But as Triumph’s boss of engineering, Stuart Wood put it, it’s all about finding the right compromise between the heritage and the contemporary. And this is one scenario where the word “compromise” certainly doesn’t carry any negative connotations. The T120 really does bring together the best of both worlds and seems to do it better in either scenario than ever before. And as Triumph revealed at this year’s Auto Expo in Noida, customers in India can get their hands on this bike for Rs 8.70 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It should be noted though that the bike we rode in Portugal is the T120 Black, while we’ll only get the standard T120 in India. The differences however are purely cosmetic with the T120 getting the all-black treatment and a choice of just two colours while the standard bike gets four different colour options and lots of chrome. And we Indians certainly love our chrome, don’t we?

Priyadarshan Bawikar