Triumph Bonneville T120 Review | The bike that does it all. Why should you consider one?

It’s finally time to see what the fuss is all about. The mighty T120 Bonneville; it’s iconic and needs to real introduction. After a couple of weeks and a lot of miles on this wonderful machine, it’s time to share what I think of this iconic creation from Hinckley’s finest. There were a couple of surprises along the way, so enjoy this episode of Willies Wheels and as always, let me know your thoughts below!

[0:00] Intro
[1:17] WW Intro Sequence
[01:25] Classic design modern features
[02:43] Things I LOVE
[06:09] Riding position
[08:43] Thanks Chief!
[09:01] More LOVE
[09:58] The BAD bits
[11:20] Riding the T120 summary
[14:20] Final Summary, buy it?

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Triumph Bonneville T120 loaned in collaboration with TriumphUK. Thanks as always for the support.

[Zotrax]

My late father had one. So many memories behind him on that beautiful beast…. Thank you for this 😊

[ColtDee]

Triumph trident t160 classic should be introduced to the range, what a beautiful motorcycle.

[thommeyer]

Lovely bike, great video. Having ridden a Harley for 14 years, I’m done with heavy bikes and the whole culture/vibe that’s associated with that brand. Triumph has a much fresher look and design. Think I need to test ride one.👍

[ilikelampshades]

I love my t120 so much. Biggest gripes are chain maintenence (i prefer shaft), weak headlights arent bright enough for nighttime, no backlit switchgear, hard to clean, no wind protection.
Apart from the headlight and switchgear those gripes have got to be expected on a retro bike and i knew what i was getting.
I commute 100 miles a day on mine and love the bike. Returns 65-70mpg, is fun enough, cool enough, practical enough and versatile enough. Fantastic all rounder

[mikoajlatocha]

I have a sapphire black T120.
It's my first bike, I use it as my daily commuter, and for longer trips. It does everything in perfect way. You can go 20 minutes to start work with a smile on your face, and spend 4 hours at once with same smile without pain anywhere. "One for all" is a great summary of this bike. Good and bad thing about this bike is in Poland it looks so "normally" that no one is bothering me to talk about it :D

[wltrlg]

Got the 2020 black one. Best bike ever owned; so much love and soul in this bike ❤❤❤❤

[tonyrobins]

ive got the exact same bike, when im in fith its like riding a full blood thoroughbred in gallop, when i select sixth its like riding a full blood thoroughbred in a streched gallop, its insane. and i love it.

[Cyan]

Thanks for telling me there's a bobber version of it....holy smokes what a beauty!!

[alichamas]

Great review man! I have the black edition, bought it this year ❤️. I found there was a bonding process i had to go through to really get to know the bike. Took a few months of taking it out through the twisties, at high speeds on long motorways, around town etc. I realised that the bike is very capable of being nimble, you just need to put more input in than a bike with sharper geometry .ie. Throwing your weight to setup corners, dropping your knee like a sports rider, committing to a proper lean. You bond with the bike and learn about each other and then the bike opens up to a whole new level. Absolutely love it, keeper for life and the greatest place to be. Also, i like to ride around town or through slow traffic in rain mode. In fact most of my everyday riding is in rain mode. Softens the throttle input and has a placebo effect to make you more relaxed and take your time. That actually equates to better fuel consumption because you ride it gentler and don't drink fuel. Then when you want to open it up for a more spirited ride, road mode is like a pleasant surprise. Keep up the great work mate!

[andrewmeads]

I’m biased, but I love mine. Strongly recommend the Motone tail tidy and billet indicators. Brings those elements up to the quality of the rest of the bike - removes a lot of plastic. Plus you get some under seat storage for a disc lock, etc.

[franktreadwell]

I love chrome and it's easier to clean than blacked out parts.

[winchesterstevebrook]

I have the Triumph Bonneville Bobber, same excellent torquey engine, a little less practical because of shorter suspension travel and capacity to carry luggage, but I absolutely love it. Though honestly if I bought with my sensible head on, or could afford both, this T120 would be in my garage right now.

[Fernando]

You’re absolutely right about the strong points of this bike it is adorable. I had one but couldn’t explore it in on a long term basis because on the way, I’ve fallen in love with another motorcycle beauty 😍
Nevertheless, I kept it as a reference bike.
I concluded that it was too classic for me, and If in the future the possibility happens I would very much be interested in owning the Bonneville 120 cc Scrambler XC, Which is a bike with a bigger road presence, a bigger gas tank that promotes a different kind of riding and a superior set of suspensions without losing the retro feeling of the Bonneville family. It’s very good to see that Triumph still invest in this line of more traditional look of motorcycles, they’re simply good looking bikes with a lot of modern technical features, bringing the past together with the comfort and safety features of the Present. Brilliant!

[rockyescape]

after 22k km, my 3 nitpicks of this bike is definitely the headlights. followed by the rear suspension and then the pirelli phantom tyres. i have upgraded the latter two and it most certainly improved the riding experience especially around corners and in the rain. For anyone thinking of adding anything further, i would recommend bar end mirrors to see what's behind a bit better, and then a centre stand for maintenance purposes.

[lawrencerose]

I have a W650 which I love for all the same reasons. When and if I upgrade this bike will be on the short list. . Nothing like a well sorted out vertical twin. They do everything well !

[sergioromano]

Whichever Triumph you decide to get in my opinion you’ll be happy and satisfied and the Bonnie T200 it’s the epitome of beauty for all the others

[Umiflow]

Whatever pro mist you have on this lens.. I appreciate the bloom ✨

The T120 is a phenomenal machine

[lawrieyoutube]

I feel a lump in my throat. I rode a T120 Bonneville (650 4-gear) in the 1960's here in Australia. And it rode just as you describe here in your video. It would burble happily around the city (Brisbane) and was very manoeuvrable, or take off leaving almost everyone else in the dust if you changed down and grabbed a fistful of revs. It had a certain feel on the road. It was extremely responsive and I hardly ever needed to use full throttle to really accelerate and fly. With the 360 crank it was very low engine vibration. When my mates and I swapped bikes for fun at times they were green with envy at how silky the ride was. Especially the owners of the new Japanese bikes that were taking over. I don't know how anyone put up with the 180 crank Japanese twin. Much worse than a single. They made your hands go numb. But that was then, perhaps they are better now. From your review I would say this new T120 is not just retro in looks. I want to tell you that all the fine riding features you describe in this video were there in my 1964 - 650 Triumph T120. The new one appears to have a near identical frame/forks/trailing-arm architecture and riding position. What a magical thing that the modern iteration has captured so well the deep spirit of the original Bonneville. I am very impressed and not a little moved. Still have my license but haven't ridden for years. I would so love to take one out for a run. I can tell from your ride and its note that I would be at one with it in minutes, and that's not just sentiment. I used to take my girlfriend out on it. We are still married. I really miss my old Bonnie, but am staggered that it has been reincarnated - better than ever.
(I have posted this on another review of the T120, but it fits your review perfectly as well)

[jimbanditsa]

Absolutely love mine you’re spot on with this classic T120 great watch thanks

[clarencewildes]

I have a T120 Diamond, set up for touring. Drawbacks are forward leaning seating, poor seating choices, inadequate pillion. Still works. Made my own luggage, put on a windscreen. Could use a heel and toe shifter and floorboards. Anemic low beam. Great maintenance interval.

Every bike is a compromise. I’m happy with it.