1982 Triumph Bonneville 750cc Motorcycle

Description

The Triumph Bonneville T120 was built between 1959 and 1975. The Bonneville T120 was Edward Turner's last production design at Triumph. The new motorcycle was conceived and developed so quickly that it was not included in the 1959 Triumph catalogue. With a 649 cc (39.6 cu in) parallel-twin (two-cylinder) engine the T120 was based on the Triumph Tiger T110 and was fitted with the Tiger's optional twin 1 3/16in Amal monobloc carburettors as standard, along with that model's high-performance inlet camshaft. Launched in 1959 by Triumph as "The Best Motorcycle in the World", the Bonneville T120 was aimed mainly at the lucrative US market where enthusiasts were demanding extra performance. In 1968 the T120 gained a new and more reliable ignition system. From 1971, T120 models used a new frame which held the engine oil instead of using a separate tank (this became known as the oil in frame/'OIF' version). A five-speed gearbox was finally available by 1972, but competition from larger-capacity motorcycles led to the T120 being superseded by the 750 cc Bonneville T140. In 1973, the larger 750cc T140 featured a revised frame and front disc brake, but inroads by the Japanese along with the general malaise of the British motorcycle industry saw the formation of the Norton-Villiers-Triumph conglomeration that year. Such were the protests against shifting production from Meriden to the BSA factory in Birmingham, that a co-operative was established in March 1975 to resume manufacture of the Bonneville at the traditional home of Triumph. Sadly, this too proved ultimately futile, and the door was finally closed at Meriden in 1983, ending a proud chapter in British motorcycling history.