Triumph Bonneville T120 review: Retro refresh for 2026!
Triumph Bonneville T120 review summary
Our continued appetite for retro machinery means an ever-expanding market with choices to suit any preference. From smaller-capacity rides like BSA’s Bantam 350 to grunting high-tech café racer, there’s a throwback bike to suit. There at the top of the list for many is the one and only Triumph Bonneville T120.
The 1200cc parallel-twin Triumph Bonneville T120 sits midway between simple, authentic retros like Royal Enfield’s best-selling Interceptor, and modern bikes in period getup like the BMW R nineT and Yamaha XSR900.
It has plenty of traditional style, a rumbling touchy-feely engine and lashings of easy-going charm, balanced with up-to-date technology, rideability and accessible performance.
Purists in their Union Flag underpants might grumble about the fact that the T120 is made in Thailand, rather than Hinckley. They’ll probably tut at the discreet radiator nestled in front of the engine and roll their eyes at traction control, too.
However, the Bonnie is made to the same standards as bikes screwed together in the UK (better, in fact – Triumph actually use tighter quality control in Thailand) but for a cheaper price, meaning a classy device with pleasing affordability. Modern-day touches make it functional and reassuring, and it’s easier to live with than any air-cooled forebear.
For 2026, Triumph have produced the most rounded Bonnie yet. Read on for our full original in-depth review of the T120, from its launch in 2016 to its latest 2026 updates.
Is the Triumph Bonneville T120 right for you?
Reasons to buy:
+ Familar and comfortable ergonomics, easily accessible for all
+ Thumping soundtrack from Hinckley firm’s ‘High Torque’ 1200cc 270-degree parallel twin
+ New lighter aluminium rims and plusher seat
Reasons to avoid:
– Although well planted and smooth when rolling, the T120 can be a little heavy
– True to its retro charm, but for those after more tech might find the bike lacking
– The 1200cc parallel twin can run quite hot around the knees in slow moving traffic
Interested? Have a look at a Triumph T120 for sale right now
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Update for 2026: Retro done right
Triumph’s new £12,195 1200cc Bonneville T120, available in dealers now, has been updated for 2026. Like the rest of the Bonnie range, which also includes the 900cc T100, Scrambler, and the 1200cc Bobber and Speedmaster, the T120 enjoys a handful of electronic and mechanical updates.
Introduced in 2016, the T120 takes its inspiration from the 1959 Bonneville, complete with replica fuel tank, rubber knee pads, metal Triumph logo, and a host of retro details. We’re at the launch of the latest Bonneville T120 in Southern California, where we will put it to the test.
There are no changes to the riding position for 2026, but that’s fine with us because you can’t help but feel a sense of occasion when you plonk yourself down on the T120’s ribbed bench seat. Not only are the ergonomics spacious, natural, and comfortable, but your senses immediately fill with rose-tinted nostalgia.
You’re greeted with a sea of chrome, from the fuel cap to the mirror stalks and circular analogue clock rims. The blue and white fuel tank is painted to perfection, and it’s hard for your mind not to swirl with scenes from On Any Sunday, Steve McQueen, or the Fonz. Even if the Triumph didn’t perform as well as it does, it would still make you smile standing still.
Updates to the 2026 Bonneville T120 don’t fundamentally change the way it rides, and aside from new colours, it looks the same as before. Lighter wheel rims no doubt improves the handling, but without riding the new machine back-to-back with the old one, it’s hard to say by how much.
New lean-sensitive ABS and traction control, and standard-issue cruise control, may be enough of a draw to tempt existing T120 riders to upgrade, though, or sway the choice between new and used for potential owners. But no matter, because just having the excuse to ride the T120 again is a pure joy.
It’s a feel-good retro that seduces you with its old-school style, beautiful finishes, and attention to detail. Looks aside, the Triumph is a great machine to ride, thanks to its relaxed, natural riding position, excellent handling, brakes, and a performance-packed engine that rumbles in all the right places.
2021: Triumph meet Euro5
In 2021, the beloved Bonnie was updated with the rest of the extended model family to meet the stricter Euro5 emissions regulations. There wasn’t much wrong with the old T120 but Triumph has seized the opportunity of Euro5 to make it’s class-leading retro better. The T120 received subtle engine, chassis, tech and styling improvements.
Triumph Bonneville T120 handling, ride quality and brakes
2026 Update: The T120 goes on a diet
For 2026, the T120 gets aluminium, instead of steel, wheel rims, which saves around a kilo. A reduction in unsprung weight will always help lighten the steering and allow the suspension to deliver a smoother ride, although it’s hard to feel the improvements in isolation without testing it against the old T120.
The spoked wheels are shod with Michelin Road Classic rubber (100/90 x 18 front, 150/70 x 17 rear), which stick like glue when you push them hard.
The frame, KYB forks, and twin rear shocks are unchanged, but the Triumph still rides smoothly and handles sweetly for a machine with one foot in the fifties. The chassis is balanced, the steering is light, and there’s adequate ground clearance for swift cornering.
The T120, along with the entire 2026 Bonneville range, gets a ride-by-wire throttle and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to control its electronic rider aids. Now, the Triumph has lean-sensitive ABS and traction control, which offer a big step up in safety, although you’d only ever notice them in an emergency.
It now has cruise control as standard, which is a basic on/off system but useful for cruising and keeping a lid on urban speed limits. Happily, the T120 keeps its classy analogue speedo and tacho, featuring digital readouts displaying time, gear position, fuel gauge, range, and rider modes (Road and Rain), controlled by buttons on the switchgear. The T120 also comes with a USB-C charging point and new LED headlights.
2021 Update: Brembo brakes and effortless ergonomics
Suspension is by Kayaba, with 41mm adjustable cartridge forks at the front and twin shocks out back with five-way preload. Brakes are basic two-pot sliders – now Brembo two piston floating calipers for 2026.
A low 785mm seat height grows to 790mm for 2026, easy-reach handlebars, and a far more substantial feel than previous-generation 865cc Bonnevilles. No surprise, given the T120 is physically larger and weighs the same as a large adventure bike.
Tooling around a low speed is blissfully simple thanks to a low centre of gravity and easy control, and the Triumph makes a pleasing bend-swinger on open roads. Stable, secure, relaxed. Suspension damping isn’t the greatest, but it’s better than older Bonnies and gives a convincing ‘modern classic’ feel.
Chassis-wise, the big change for 2021 was cutting weight. There was a 7kg reduction overall, from both engine and natty new steel alloy wheel rims which, being unsprung, had the added benefit of reducing gyro effect, lightening steering and helping make the whole plot more agile and manoeuvrable.
Triumph Bonneville T120 engine performance
2026 Update: If it aint broke…
The T120’s 1200cc ‘High Torque’ parallel twin-cylinder engine remains unchanged. Peak power is still 79bhp at 6,550rpm, and its 77 lb-ft torque figure peaks at a lazy 3,500rpm. Compared to the similarly engined Bobber and Speedmaster, the T120 is the most powerful of all the Bonnevilles (by 2bhp), although it has slightly less torque, by a pound-foot.
Its 270-degree crank gives the Triumph its chocolatey soundtrack and, while it will accelerate hard when called upon, it’s happiest cruising in lazy gears, galloping out of corners using its smoothly delivered grunt. Like all the Bonneville range, its exterior engine design is a work of art, with fake cooling fins, carb-shaped throttle bodies, NGK-style plug caps and neatly hidden radiator, hoses, cabling, and connectors.
2021 Update: Triumph’s Bonneville T120 engine gets an overhaul
The Bonneville name might come from Triumph’s land speed record antics in the 1950s, but this bike’s designed for relaxed rumbling.
Like the rest of Triumph’s 2021 Bonneville family, the parallel twin engine was revised to meet the Euro5 emissions regs that came into force that year. In the Triumph Bonneveille T120 specs, the 1200cc HT (High Torque) version gained tweaks including a lighter crank for reduced inertia and a more immediate throttle response.
Peak power and torque was unchanged but that’s no bad thing: the bigger Bonnie’s still flexible, easy, characterful yet with an invigorating wallop if you’re in the mood. It feels a good 25-30% punchier than the 900cc T100 but is also immediate and free-revving. Job done.
Fuelling is pleasingly smooth, the clutch is nice and light, and you get to choose between Road and Rain riding modes. Which is nice, but the T120 is such a big softie that a gentler Rain setting is a little superfluous.
Triumph Bonneville T120 reliability and build quality
It’s the sister bike to the smaller-engined T100, but harks back to Triumph heritage as the Bonneville T120 name has been around for a very long time indeed – it was the firm’s first bike, back in 1959.
Once you’ve read this review and our owners’ reviews, you may want to join an online community to speak to like minded folk. We’d recommend the Triumph Owner’s Motor Cycle Club. MCN’s owner’s reviews are mainly positive, the only downsides being bits people often change anyway – OEM tyres and suspension. However, there are a few people who’ve had bigger problems with their older generation bikes, ranging from ECU troubles to corrosion.
Triumph have done a nice job with the current Bonneville range. The engine is a handsome unit and does a convincing job of masking its modern technology, the finish is generally excellent, and the detailing is top notch. There’s garage appeal aplenty.
Reliability is good. Triumph’s parallel twin is solid and dependable, low stressed in T120 guise, and has pleasing 10,000-mile service intervals. Some of the bare and polished finishes can suffer from post-wet ride neglect, though, and really don’t like road salt. There was also a recall in early 2019, so if you’re buying used double-check with a dealer to see if the bike was one of the ones affected and whether it was looked at.
Issues to look out for:
- Rear suspension – Many owners consider an aftermarket shock upgrade a necessity for improved comfort and handling, something to bear in mind.
- Rough running and snatchy throttle – If any aftermarket exhaust systems have been added or other modifications to the fuel system, be that air filters, fitted or removed. It may pay to get the bike mapped to smoothen out any rough spots through the rev range.
- Cosmetic – As with all the retro classic bikes, there are lots of exposed engine parts and beautiful chrome finishes. Which all adds up to lots of fettling and polishing to keep it looking tip top. Regular cleaning and maintenance spray will help to deter any corrosion or spoilt finishes.
Triumph Bonneville T120 value vs rivals
Ten grand might seem quite steep for a straightforward retro, especially when rivals like the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport is noticeably cheaper – and Royal Enfield’s best-selling Interceptor is half the price but almost half the power.
However, the T120 is in a different quality league to the bargain Enfield, offers greater tech and luxury than the Guzzi and more easy-going performance than the charming Kawasaki, and has stronger residuals than any of them. Honda’s rival CB1100 now discontinued, is perhaps even classier than the T120, though for most people the inline four hasn’t the character of Triumph’s twin. The only other competitor would be BMW’s R12 nine T.
What the T120 doesn’t do is offer the modern performance of a Yamaha XSR900; if you want contemporary capability dressed in period clothes, it’s better place to put cash. But if you want, specifically, a modern recreation of the 1959 Bonneville, this remains the best – by some way.
Triumph Bonneville T120 running costs
In January 2026, a new Triumph Bonneville T120 would set you back £12,195 at the time of writing this, a typical PCP deal would be:
- What it costs: £12,195
- PCP per month x 36 £130.57
- Total deposit payable £3049
- APR 9.4%
- Mileage 4000
- Optional Final Payment £6650
Quick rival comparison:
- Royal Enfield Intercepter – Classy and oozing charm, whilst being very affordable, if. alittle lacking in power at £5,500 new.
- BMW R12 nine T – Packed with feeltgood factor and quality compoentns and that distinctive boxer twin, £14,420 new.
- Yamaha XSR900 – Retro looks but fully capable modern bike underneath coming in at £10,200.
- Moto Guzzi V7 Sport – The most advanced Moto Guzzi yet but still crammed with that transverse V-twin character, costing £9700 new but there are pre reg deals to be had.
Triumph Bonneville T120 equipment
Looks-wise for 2026 there’s nothing dramatically new – after 26 years of evolution, the best inspiration and name in motorcycling (the ’59 Triumph Bonneville) and class-leading status, that’s simply not necessary.
2026 Update: New colours and plenty of options
It might not be obvious on the surface but there’s a decent amount of equipment on the Bonnie. It has standard-fit heated grips, traction control, ABS and two riding modes, cruise control, plus LED daytime running lights, a USB charger hidden within the dash clocks for 2026. Previously found under the seat on the previous generations.
There comes a point where too much tech dilutes the retro experience while too little annoys. The T120 plays it about right. The two riding modes, Rain and Road are enhanced , easily navigated and sufficient (Rain, incidentally, knocks it down to about T100 performance).
Grey is the T120’s no-cost colour option, and it’s £500 extra for hand-finished blue/white or red/silver paint jobs. A T120 Black model is also available, substituting chrome components for black. It’s the same £12,195 as the standard T120 and comes in plain black, or a 500 quid two-tone silver/black paint.
There are 89 accessories available, including 20-litre panniers and fixing rail (£430 per side), a top box and mounting kit (£275), centre stand (£230), comfort seat (£350), heated grips (£250), fully adjustable Fox rear shocks (£860), bar-end mirrors (£188), anodised sump guard (£230), clear touring screen with fittings (£300), and an integral grab rail and rack (£230). The T120 can also be fitted with an A2 licence-friendly 47bhp restrictor kit (£148).
2021 Update: Plush finishes and the Black version is revealed
For 2021 Triumph introduced the T120 Black versions which has a dark finish to its engine, exhaust and wheels. Apparently, all the rage with urban types. There’s also a ‘Bud Ekins’ version (named after the American racer and stuntman who was a close friend of a certain Mr McQueen) with two-tone paint and specific details.
In 2021 there were three new colours (silver/red, silver/blue or black) and, smartest of all, a new ‘three-bar’ tank badge specific the T120.
In May 2019 Triumph revealed the Bonneville T120 Ace and Diamond special editions – regular T120s that were dressed slightly differently to seperate them from the crowds.
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