It’s hard to know where to start when writing about Triumph Motorcycles’ Bonneville T120 bike, such is its colourful heritage. Shall I begin with its cool credentials, like the fact that Evel Knievel used one for a period in the ’60s and completed a jump on it, or the fact that T120s won the Production Isle of Mann TT race in 1967 and ’69, and took the first three places in the Thruxton 500 – also in ’69. Or perhaps I ought to start by telling you, reader, that I am slightly biased, because an earlier iteration of the now legendary “Bonnie” has been my daily runaround for the past four years, and it has never let me down.

However, I was determined to go into this review objectively – to try my hardest not to pitch 2021’s T120 1200cc model against the decade-old Bonneville “SE” special edition sitting in my garage. Comparison is the thief of joy, after all. But when the new “Gold Line” T120 rolled into the driveway with its shimmery emerald tank, hand-painted gold detailing, gleaming chrome exhausts and pristine spoked wheels, I simply couldn’t resist its charm.

And riding the T120 only fuelled my feelings (pardon the pun), because it really is so easy and enjoyable to use. Think: supreme agility and a comfortable riding position (and cushy seat) that has long been this motorcycle’s signature. This is the kind of machine that you could easily do several hundred motorway miles on without feeling like you need a hot bath and an ibuprofen afterwards. The only downside to its upright seating position is that you’ll have to deal with some wind buffeting at higher speeds, but get down, tuck in and you’ll soon find it’s perfectly manageable. If you’re planning on doing lots of touring on the T120, however, you might want to invest the flyscreen that Triumph offers as an extra (there are, in fact, more than 100 official add-ons available for the T120).

Inner-city riding is a breeze, too. Thanks to the torque-assist clutch, overall lightweight handling (it weighs 7kg less than previous models, partly a result of new aluminium wheel rims), and a peak torque that comes at the low end of the rev range, crawling through London’s busy streets and low-speed-limit areas doesn’t feel too taxing. That aforementioned agility really comes into its own when moving through traffic, and the pleasing bassy rumble of the exhausts is enough to make cars in front part for you.

What makes this bike a real delight – and is a defining feature of Triumph’s “Modern Classics” line – is that the marque has seamlessly integrated fancy new gadgets into the Bonneville T120’s iconic retro looks. There is a cruise control, multiple riding modes, an under-seat USB, gear position indicator and fuel gauge (the latter being the two least ground-breaking features, perhaps, but a real novelty for me, since my older Bonnie lacks these contemporary things). And everything is indicated on a partially digital display across twin clocks that really look the part.

Yes, I know I promised I wouldn’t compare, but look – it’s great to see Triumph continuing to upgrade the T120 (perhaps one of the most loved motorcycles in history) in such a refined and restrained manner. This bike feels lighter and fresher than my own but still somewhat familiar – like a good friend whose confidence is suddenly buoyed by a new haircut.

And as for the Gold Line features (available for one year only) – well, the special colourway may not contribute to its performance, but I found myself smugly responding, ‘Thanks, it’s hand-painted!’ to every compliment that the T120 received.

triumphmotorcycles.co.uk