Triumph has been the oldest British motorcycle manufacturer that has a rich 115 years of heritage and has been sweating it out on the arena and treating us with exceptionally new modern classics over and over again. Their Bonneville range is selling as fast as they can make them, and now they are coming up with a limited run of their Bonneville T120 and T100 models.

Commemorating a motorcycle icon, Triumph gave their retro Bonneville machines a southern California special, courtesy - the top racer in the 1950s - Bud Ekins. Celebrating the top motocross and desert racer, Hollywood stuntman and one of Steve McQueen’s closest friends, the British manufacturer gave the T120 a visual exercise with its beautiful California-inspired paint scheme and a range of dedicated individual details and touches.

STYLING

Following the old-school styling outside-modern tech inside mantra, the T120 continues to hark the retro vibe better than anything else being made on two-wheels. The Britishness comes around with the sculpted flowing lines of the tank to the individual detailing of the lights, clocks, and the iconic Bonneville silhouette. The dual-clock instrumentation and LED DRL’s on the round headlamp keeps things clean.

These Bud-Ekins machines feature a beautiful twin-tone paintjob that includes a hand-painted coach line and a unique California “flying globe” Bud Ekins logo on the tank and the Snowdonia-white front fender. For the first time in thirty years, Triumph has opted to present the classic Triumph logo on the side of the tank, first seen in 1934. The black side panels also feature Bud Ekins branding, all contributing to the incredible styling form.

Then there is a Monza inspired fuel filler cap, LED indicators in a satin-black finish, knurled grips, bar-end mirrors, and unique black engine badges. The chrome grab rail gives a miss leaving the black leather saddle with white piping around stand out. There’s an underseat USB socket as well. Each bike comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Triumph CEO Nick Bloor and both of Ekins’ daughters.

The drivetrain is yet another beautifully crafted centerpiece that incorporates key heritage styling cues from the legendary 60's Bonneville’s, yet keeping things clean with liquid-cooling systems. Triumph’s attempt here is authentic and straight out of the box. To achieve all this with all the modern and complex electronics and wirings, Triumph has done a pretty good job of packing everything tightly under covers to showcase the simplicity of this styling.

POWERTRAIN

Triumph’s 1200cc parallel-twin remains untouched, firing every 270-degrees with a 10:1 compression ratio. The T-120 based engine delivers its 77 pound-feet and 79 horsepower smoothly across the RPM range, and even though the torque caps out at a low 4,000 RPM, the engine likes to be wound up for short-shifting urban fun. The twin-skinned chrome exhaust headers and pea-shooter style silencers mark for a lopey idle, and the true sound of a British-Twin, a deep and rich note that truly matches its character.

It has a unique twin airbox setup, carb-styled twin throttle bodies, special intake and exhaust system, new output shaft, and elegant packaging that allows the straight-line exhausts to hide the Euro5-compliant catalytic converters. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a torque-assist slipper clutch and chain final drive. The ride-by-wire throttle provides seamless throttle response across the board.

Engine Specification

RIDE AND HANDLING

The chassis developed for the T120 retros’ give for relaxed and refined riding, alone or with a pillion. Tubular-steel members make up the double-downtube, double-cradle frame with pretty decent cornering capabilities for a cruiser. Thanks to the 25.5-degree steering head with a compact, 56.9-inch wheelbase and 4.1 inches of trail.

Coming to the bike’s handling abilities, Triumph has topped it up with a KYB 41mm cartridge front forks and a hidden monoshock RSU for unrivaled rider and pillion comfort. Also new is the confidence-inspiring high specification 310mm Nissin twin disc front brakes with twin-piston calipers and a 255mm single-disc rear brake with single-piston Nissin caliper.

Similar to all Bonnevilles’, the T120 Bud Ekins too, will feature everything from riding modes (Road and Rain) to switchable traction control, ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, and a torque-assist clutch. From the extensive optional accessory range, single-button cruise control and heated grips are available. Laced rims mount the 18-inch front hoop and the 17-inch rear, and honestly, nothing else would look quite right on this ride.

Chassis Specifications

PRICE

The Triumph Bonneville T120 Bud Ekins Edition will fetch a price of MSRP $12,350. Each bike will come with a unique certificate of authenticity that includes an account of the incredible Bud Ekins story. These are signed by Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO and both of Bud Ekins’ daughters, Susan Ekins and Donna Ekins.

COMPETITION

2020 BMW R nineT/5

Commemorating the half-century mark of the original R 50/5, R 60/5, and R 75/5, BMW is celebrating it with the retro-tastic R nineT /5. The motorcycle, with its simple silhouette and pure no-nonsense stance, makes it an extremely likable machine. The visuals of the R nineT /5 includes laced wheels, front forks, black rubber fork gaiters, chrome exhaust, and cyclops headlight.

Similar to the R NineT, the /5 makes use of an air/oil-cooled, flat-twin 1170cc boxer engine that is endowed with a lovely long spread of power that produces 110bhp at 7550rpm and maximum torque of 85.5 lb-ft at 6000rpm.

Suspension setups are not exactly sophisticated to be precise. BMW has chosen to give it conventional telescopic fork at the front while the BMW Paralever having rebound damping is applied in conjunction with a central spring strut at the rear, which is fully adjustable. Braking is handled by Brembo 4-piston brake calipers, steel-wrapped brake lines, and twin-brake discs measuring of 320 millimeters at the front and single-disc brake measuring 265 mm at the rear with a double-piston floating caliper. BMW Motorrad ABS is a standard feature ensuring effective and stable deceleration on road or gravel.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Back in the days, freedom was everything, and Triumph gave us a feeling that encapsulated this spirit and passion for life. Legions of riders were born through the iconic ’59 Triumph Bonneville, and a whole movement of expression began in music, art, and culture, from rock ’n’ roll to Andy Warhol to Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins.

Celebrating the icon, the brand has unfurled limited editions of both the Bonneville models with fresh colors that take you back to the T120 Bonneville 650 bike of 1959, the era that announced the beginning of a cultural explosion that lives on in every Triumph Modern Classic.

This unique Bud Ekins Special Edition T120 Bonneville is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the enthusiasm, attitude, and dedication of one of the world’s greatest motorcycling legend. The beautifully styled minimalism is depicted from every angle on this bike. All in all, it is a well put together package maintaining a classy and simple design with fantastic detailing.