Triumph Bonneville T120
Classic style with modern reliability, the T120 remains the flagship of all Modern Classic motorcyles.
Like a lot of people my age, as a kid I watched in awe as Steve McQueen jumped his Triumph TR6 650 over a fence and into my mind ever since. 1940-1950's style bikes became the blueprint of how a motorcycle should look to me, so when it came to buying my own, I knew what I wanted.
A big round headlight, large teardrop tank and an upright riding position were key. I dabbled with a Royal Enfield Interceptor at first, and although it's a great bike, something about it wasn't quite right.
Enter the T120.
As soon as I sat on it I fell in love. It was perfect. The ergonomics, the styling and the heritage were all exactly what I was looking for. This was the bike meant for me.
In standard form the T120 is quite the exercise in design, but I wanted mine to be unique to me. So I set about removing all colour from the bike, going for a black and silver colour scheme. Then with a healthy dose of parts from Motone Customs, the bike's appearance has been subtly changed to give a nod back to the bikes of the 50's. Peashooter exhausts and polished mudguards help retain that classic Bonneville look, while the headlight cowl and single side spotlight add a touch of individuality .
But it's not all about style, the bike has to ride well too.
The suspension is an area that's lacking in standard form, so Hagon shrouded shocks for the rear and progressive springs with preload adjustment from Tec Bike Parts for the front were added.
Then the standard exhausts were upgraded to Vance & Hines, a K&N air filter added and the air snorkel and CAT removed.
Though not a sportsbike, it's still quite quick and can suprise those who mistake it for a motorcycle much older than it actually is.