Nothing screams classic like the English-born Triumph Bonneville. In 1959, it kicked off the cafe racer movement and became even more famous when Marlon Brando straddled his own Bonneville in The Wild One.
The Triumph Bonneville’s parallel-twin four-stroke engine, well known for its power and speed, was famously combined with Norton featherbed frames to create the elusive Triton. In 2008, fuel injection replaced the need for the dual carbs, but throttle bodies were redesigned as dummy carbs to maintain the original look of the engine.
The Triumph Bonneville has retained its stylish, quintessentially British looks through several generations: production started in Hinckley in 2001 and continues today.
The current ‘Modern Classics’ range was launched in 2016 with the Street Twin, Street Cup and Street Scrambler at the lower end of the range. The Bonneville roadster is available in the traditional T100 and T120 variants, and the Thruxton and Thruxton R are modern day cafe racers. A ‘factory’ 1200cc Bobber completes the range.
It’s common to see custom bikes with swanky high-end shocks propping up their tails. Swapping out the rear suspension on a twin-shock bike is quick and easy, and can have a big impact on both handling and style. But if you upgrade your rear suspension without upgrading your front suspension, you’re doing it wrong. There…
Read more »
One of our favorite modern classics has just received a major update for 2025. Triumph has refreshed its popular Speed Twin 1200—but the news that has us giddy is the addition of the new, higher-spec Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS to the range. The Triumph Speed Twin 1200 sits in Triumph’s neo-retro line-up as a…
Read more »
“This is not a project bike” is a lie I frequently tell my significant other. But the truth is, I can’t help myself (and she knows it, judging by how she rolls her eyes). Although my 2012-model Triumph Bonneville SE is a handsome enough motorcycle out the box, it looks even better when you gradually…
Read more »
Leading the charge this week is the unusual combination of a rare French vintage scooter with a modern Honda powertrain. We also feature a stylish Triumph Bonneville, a barely touched Ducati MHR Mille, and the shiny new MV Agusta Serie Oro 1000.
Read more »
Metallic green is the flavor of the week, with our first two bikes—a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 café racer and a…
Read more »
I got lucky when I bought my 2012-model Triumph Bonneville SE last year. A single-owner bike with less than 1,500 miles on…
Read more »
Mentioning ‘Triumph’ and ‘Steve McQueen’ together conjures up images of the iconic desert sleds that the King of Cool kicked up Californian…
Read more »
If you’ve got money to burn, there’s a super-rare MV Agusta 750S America with your name on it this week. But if…
Read more »
You don’t collect trophies from the illustrious Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show without being a master of your craft. But the full…
Read more »
Unveiled this week: a custom Indian FTR, designed by Sideburn and Cheetah. Plus a Triumph Bonneville from Indonesia, a Triumph Bobber from…
Read more »
The best thing about modern classics is their ability to pass for vintage bikes on the street. Although seasoned motorcyclists know what…
Read more »
The modern day Triumph Bonneville no doubt owes its popularity to its looks. It’s a handsome machine out the box, with a…
Read more »