1967 T120 Triumph Bonneville
A quote from the editor of American magazine Cycle Guide in 1976 goes some way towards an understanding of why Triumph commanded , and still does amongst classic enthusiasts , a special place in motorcycle history . “ Triumph ’ s successes weren ’ t the result of its motorcycles being particularly better than , or especially different , from all other British bikes of the 1950s and 1960s , because they weren ’ t . But somehow the marque , with its lean classic styling , legendary performance , nimble handling , and total commitment to racing , became a symbol of everything motorcycling stood for , and the embodiment of the sport itself ” He went on to say “ A Triumph looked , ran and sounded the way a motorcycle was supposed to look , run , and sound .”
BONNEVILLE … SALT FLATS The last time a Triumph Bonneville was featured in this column was 2010 . Although
the T120 Bonneville didn ’ t have the same historical impact that Edward Turner ’ s 1938 Speed twin had , it was significant for different reasons . To start with the Speed twin was a 498cc parallel twin producing 27bhp @ 6300rpm . By 1959 Triumph ’ s venerable twin had become a 650 twin producing 46bhp @ 6500rpm . The T120 became the Bonneville following successful speed record attempts at America ’ s Bonneville Salt Flats . Texan Johnny Allen had recorded 344km / h on a single-engined Triumph powered missile and the fact that America was a lucrative market for Triumph must also have been a consideration when naming the model the Bonneville . The T120 was launched at the Earl ’ s Court Show in London in 1959 . Amazingly the final incarnation of the Bonneville didn ’ t appear until 1988 . I must qualify this by saying that the T120 650 ceased production in 1973 , and purists believe that the 250,000 models that were built during the 14-year
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