Triumph outs five new Bonneville models
The rumours were true, and thank #divinity. Triumph has announced that they will sell five new Bonneville models in 2016 using two new motors: a 900cc and a 1200cc parallel twin. As is the fashion, Triumph will sell a host of accessories with the bikes to customise your Bonnie to your taste, or the lack of it. The current-gen Bonneville range set the standard for throwback motorcycles, but the world has moved on since, and technology has gotten much better. It would be disingenuous not to mention the Ducati Scrambler here, the bike that has turned the tide for the Italian manufacturer’s worldwide sales and started a wave of retro-themed motorcycles from various quarters.
Here’s the thing about retro bikes: it’s a fine line between throwback and cheap. The Ducati Scrambler straddles it well, but just about, using a potent, but old air-cooled engine, basic electronics and a modern interpretation of the scrambler visage. The current-gen Bonneville attempts the same, but with less power pushing more weight. Add to that fairly pedestrian components and no electronics, and you have a recipe for an end-of-life product. The new Bonnies remedy all this and take the game forward. You’ll get ABS, traction control, rider modes, ride-by-wire, meaty engines, an all-new chassis with almost no compromise on what a Bonnie should look like in your mind’s eye.
The range will begin with the all-new Bonneville Street Twin, utilising the 900cc motor making 80Nm of torque. The chassis is common across the range, so there’s no cheaping-out happening here. It’s pitched as a standard, with a relaxed seating position and makes do without riding modes but has ABS. Most components take a cue from Harley’s “dark custom styling”, though the bike is available in a red colour. There’s a six-speed gearbox (yay!) and a slip-assist clutch for an easy lever action.
The more upscale T120 and T120 Black models get dry/wet riding modes and traction control in addition. There’s ride-by-wire too and both use the 1200cc motor making 105Nm of torque, which should make them quite entertaining. The T120 twins are inspired by the iconic ’59 triumph and they certainly look the part. Of particular note is just how clean the execution of the motorcycles is. The radiator is perfectly concealed between the front chassis downtubes, and the pipes exit almost completely straight back, despite using a cat-con inline, again hidden. These are very clean-looking motorcycles, perhaps even more so than their forebears, seeing that they probably won’t leak as much oil.
The Thruxton and Thruxton R round out the top-end of the 2016 Bonneville range, and really look the business. There’s a meaty, race-inspired tank with knee recesses, an ornamental leather strap and even a Monza-style gas filler cap. Both use the new 1200cc motor, tuned to output 112Nm of torque. The high-spec R version will get sticky Pirelli, adjustable Showa/Ohlins suspension and high-spec Brembo radial brakes. There’s even a race kit planned that will take performance higher. The Thruxton is very cool looking, resembling something closer to a limited-run, boutique Brit revival than a production bike.
The Bonneville range will be built in Thailand as the current ones are, and we hope that Triumph is able to maintain quality over the manufacturing cycle, something Ducati is having trouble with in their current Thai production. To be fair, Triumph has been at it longer in that country, so they should be alright. Most importantly, Thai production means low import duties for India, so the new Bonnevilles should be very competitively priced (relative to international rates).
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