2017 Triumph Bonneville T120 review, road test

Take a close look at the new T120 and the lineage is quite apparent. There’s a tasteful and well-balanced amount of chrome scattered all over the motorcycle. It still has that nice round headlight with an added triumph logo over the bulb reflector. It also comes with a rather interesting LED daytime running light that forms a ‘U’ shape inside the bottom contour of the headlight; not exactly retro but it looks great, albeit a little unfinished. The metal front mud-guard is held firmly in place by a sturdy metal bracket that displays an embossed Triumph logo. And staying true to the original T120 from the ’60s and ’70s, there’s also an 18-inch rim up front with wire-spoke wheels, followed by a 17-inch one at the rear.

 

Swing a leg over the saddle and you’re greeted by a modern version of a retro instrument cluster. There are the signature large twin-analogue dials for a speedometer and tachometer that fit snugly within a brushed metal bracket that looks ever so pleasing. The dials also contain tell-tale lights for ABS, Triumph Traction Control (TTC), engine warning and low oil. There are digital displays on the dials for the odometer, two trip meters, a fuel gauge, fuel consumption and distance to empty. This is one of the features a classic bike purist would probably shrug off; but there’s no arguing with convenience. There’s also a nicely tucked away USB charging socket under the seat that would simply add to that argument.

 

On to the design highlight of the T120, the bulbous metal tank looks just scrumptious; it’s well sculpted and houses recesses with rubber pads for your knees. It doesn’t scream for attention, it just sits there in all its authenticity; with a nice, chunky chromed Triumph logo. The fuel-injectors on the other hand have been well shrouded to appear like the older, round-slide carburettors. But I doubt this would fool our aforementioned purists. The seat is properly reminiscent of the ’60s; it’s a long, flattish seat that gives you ample space to move around and should be pretty comfortable on longer rides. This ends in a pretty thick, metal grab-rail that really fits in well with the whole retro look. And let’s not forget the twin, pea-shooter exhausts that look exactly like they did in the ’60s.