Triumph Bonneville T120 (2026 – ) review

Many have tried to emulate Triumph’s talent for combining heritage style with modern riding manners but the Bonneville still stands as a masterclass in how it should be done, managing to look totally authentic while still packaging liquid cooling, modern emissions gear and now the latest electronics, too. The fact the Speed Twin 1200 has edged a little more to the modern end of the Modern Classics axis also leaves the T120 to play to its real strengths, visual changes for this 2026 model year update limited to a new headlight, two new optional colour schemes and … not much else! Upgrades over the near-identical looking Bonneville T100 appear subtle but have a significant impact on the way it rides, meanwhile, the extra power contained by twin front discs while aluminium wheels help ride quality and response. There’s also a six-speed gearbox, while cruise is standard.

The riding position is as traditional as the looks, being upright enough to be comfortable on a cruise while still giving you options for moving around the bike when riding more dynamically. For a big bike it’s also impressively manageable, with a nice low seat and sense its relatively hefty sounding 233kg is well contained. Many and various optional seats are also available if you want to tweak the position, ranging from racier bench-style arrangements to more luxurious and sculpted alternatives and additional grab rails and back rests for nervous pillions!

It’s a trad roadster, so there’s nowhere to hide from wind or weather unless you opt for one of the accessory windscreens. But that arguably spoils the look, which is a way more important consideration for a bike like the Bonneville than practicality! Standard cruise control is welcome, if on the basic side and there are optional and suitably retro looking panniers available if you have ambitions for your Bonneville that go beyond Sunday morning runs for a brew and bacon roll with your pals. Beyond that it is what it is, and it does it very well!

The T120 uses the 80 horsepower High Torque version of Triumph’s proven 1,200cc twin rather than the 105 horsepower High Output in the Speed Twin 1200 you may be deciding between. That suits the T120’s more relaxed nature, the 105Nm offering flexibility to relax in the higher gears when you want to chill while still being responsive enough to jump to attention when you’re in the mood to play. Nor has it been obviously strangled by modern emissions regs, the bassy throb always there, egging you on into greedier throttle inputs at every opportunity. The closer ratios of the six-speed gearbox are more encouraging of this press-on riding style than the five-speed in the T100, control weights and responses as slick as you’d expect of any Triumph. While the on-paper power advantage over the T100 might not sound all that dramatic the reality on the road is much more noticeable, to the point you’ll be glad of the twin Brembo front brake set-up, this now supported by lean-sensitive ABS in one of the most significant upgrades for this 2026 model year.

For all that extra engine capacity, the additional braking hardware and all the rest the T120 only weighs another 5kg over the T100, this and the reduced unsprung weight of the aluminium wheels meaning the suspension works better and agility is comparable. It’s just quicker to respond to the throttle, basically meaning more of the good stuff and a bigger grin when you get to where you’re going to. The option to now run in restricted A2 licence trim means younger riders can enjoy a sense of the same, and a bike they can upgrade as and when they get a full ticket. The Speed Twin 1200 is there for folk who want a decisively sportier twist on the same, the T120 for our money striking a lovely balance between that bike’s aggression and the lazier cruiser vibes of the Bonneville Speedmaster we rode on the same roads. As such, this arguably remains the sweetspot of the whole Modern Classics range for those celebrating the Bonneville’s rich heritage.

For all the significant improvements in performance and handling it’s still a big step up in price from the very similar looking T100. And if you’re buying because you crave the extra performance a Speed Twin 1200 is only a few hundred quid more, and a lot more potent. It’s also considerably more expensive than the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport that could also be on your shortlist. That aside running costs shouldn’t be too outrageous, though, the Bonneville’s more mature target audience hopefully offsetting any increase in insurance costs over the T100.

We don’t have any worries here, given both electrics and mechanical bits are all very well proven across the Triumph range, even if they haven’t been used in this precise combination before.

If you have an eye to future resale values you might want to pay the extra to extend the warranty from the standard two-year cover to three- or four-year protection, especially given the relatively modest outlay for doing so. Servicing-wise the T120 shares the 10,000-mile intervals of other Triumphs, so trips to the dealership will likely only be a once-a-year deal.

Those who hate the modern single clock on the updated Speed Twin will be relieved to see the Bonneville retains its more traditional twin-dial arrangement, this gaining a discreet USB-C charge port if you want to run accessories on the bars. There’s a new LED headlight as well, though we’ll have to take claims it’s brighter than before on trust for the fact we didn’t ride the T120 after dark! Beyond that the main news for this 2026 model year is the addition of cornering ABS and traction control, neither of which need be of concern until such point as you might need them. At which point you’ll be glad of them! Upgrades over the T100 include standard cruise control, though heated grips are still a cost option. There’s also the alternative of a T120 Black, with a more sinister look thanks to its blacked-out engine, exhaust and other trim bits, this also getting a fancier quilted seat.

The reborn Bonneville set the standard for modern-retro bikes some time ago now, and still hasn’t been bettered. The fact you can have a bike that looks as authentic as this without any of the compromises in performance or convenience demanded by some more basic rivals remains a unique selling point, the subtle integration of modern rider electronics carried off without any compromise to the charm and appeal the T120 always had. If not cheap you are at least very much getting what you pay for.