F213 1969 TRIUMPH T120R BONNEVILLE Hailing from the Hamilton Triumph Motorcycle Collection, this Triumph T120R is an exceedingly original machine with just 5,000 miles on the odometer. Purchased new in Costa Mesa, California, it was added to the collection in 2010. It features rare and correct Windtone horns, and the tank is finished in Burnt Orange Metallic with silver stripes, matching the fenders finished in silver with thin Burnt Orange Metallic stripes. Long regarded as one of Triumphs most popular, well-known models, the Bonneville was introduced in 1959, but it was developed so late that it didn’t make the 1959 brochure. Despite missing the print deadline, speed is in the Bonneville’s DNA, and it was developed in record time from prototype to production. The Bonnie used a 649cc parallel-twin engine with dual Amal monobloc carburetors, the Amals being optional on the Tiger T110, as well as the same high-performance cam used in the T110. Essentially the Bonnie used a lot of components seen on the Tiger, creating a performance bike that could break 100 MPH right out of the showroom. It was largely a package bike, ready to go fast and be all a bike could be from the get-go. Touted as “The Best Motorcycle in the World,” the Bonneville indeed won a lot of hearts and competitive events, setting a lot of records along the way. In order to keep truth in its advertising phrase, Triumph was diligent at constantly developing the Bonneville, creating a better ignition system, developing the “Oil-In-Frame” design that supplanted the need for a separate tank and, of course, increasing the engine size to elicit more power. Popular, 1969 showed substantial sales with roughly 28,000 sold in the U.S. alone. The T120R was the top-of-the-line offering aimed squarely at the export market—specifically, the United States. It’s been said that the majority of the Bonnevilles sold stateside were, in fact, T120Rs, but there is some dispute to that. Regardless, the T120R always received the lion’s share of development resources, with most agreeing the 1969 and 1970 were fantastically close to perfect machines. The balance, power, agility and comfort: all of it spelled excellence. THE HAMILTON TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE COLLECTION
