[djpeesh]

When faced with a long work day, there's nothing better than a quick 'meeting' at my local Triumph store. I've used the scam to test ride all the Tiger variants, the Daytona and the Striple, just don't tell my boss.

The other day on my way back to the office from a real meeting, I decided to pop into the Triumph store and do a quick test ride on the new T120. In fact, all I could think of during my meeting was the whether I'd get a chance to ride the T120.



So a quick Uber ride from my meeting and I was at the store. I told them I'd like to ride the T120 and a quick filling out of forms later, I had a helmet strapped on my head and the keys to a T120 with just 500 odd kilometers on odometer in my hand. That's what I love about Triumph. No fiddle about test rides, no dilly dallying, etc.

Starting up, the bike had a nice sound to it. The new clocks really had everything I'd hoped to find on my bike (gear indicator, fuel gauge, ride modes, fuel economy). Once on to the highway, I slowly opened her up.



I was trying to figure out what she sounded like and then it struck me. A well maintained TVS autorickshaw (not Bajaj, TVS ricks sound different). That's not good. And then for the rest of the test ride, I giggled to myself about the rickshaw reference and promptly forgot about the rest of the bike.



Suddenly a car in front of me slammed the brakes and I was forced to do the same and without a fuss and with no drama whatsoever, the Bonnie came to a halt, in fact so fast that I thought a real autorickshaw might come hurtling into me. So the brakes were excellent. After passing the moron who had broken down in the middle of the road and caused the sudden braking, I opened up the throttle.

The bike does fly, but doing it misses the charm of my bonnie. There's no freight train pulling you from behind on this bike. It's a bit too German and no longer manic. I pulled over at about the 15 km mark, just by the Sealink and did a little walk around. Triumph has been generous with the farkles. You have every single accessory included with your purchase price. Center stand, excellent suspension, heated grips (Bhutan, I remember you).







I quickly took some photographs and then took a u turn and headed back to the showroom. The traffic was pretty heavy on this side of the road. I was stuck in a traffic jam for a bit and man the engine does really heat up. But after doing arms at the gym, I was grateful for the clutch. It is absolutely effortless and brilliant. The best clutch I've ridden with in my limited riding career.

On the other hand, the ride by wire in bumper to bumper traffic is not as fun. It's notchy and you can hear it click on and off, a bit like Mustaq bhai, my neighborhood tailor's sewing machine.

Finally, after reaching the showroom I came to the conclusion that despite riding with a stock seat, my bum wasn't sore. The seat is finally comfy on the bonnie.

Parking the bike, here are my conclusions: while Triumph has done everything to make this bonnie the best ever, in the process they've gone and lost the soul of the Bonneville. So gone is the manic acceleration (at least till 100), gone is the slightly forward perched seat and the beauty of the air-cooled engine. Instead, we have a bike that looks like a Bonneville, has the best safety features this side of 12 lakhs but with the heart of a modern, unremarkable two cylinder mill.

Here's a quick list of the pros and cons, in my opinion as a current Bonneville owner.

Pros:
1. Excellent brakes. ABS makes that even better
2. Superb suspension. All the after market chaps are going to wonder how to make money
3. Great stock seat
4. Traction control (it was bone dry here in Bombay and so didn't get to try it)
5. Excellent MID
6. Finally the key is in the correct place and no more scratches on the left fork.


Cons:
1. It just misses something about the Bonnie. I can't put a finger on what it is - power, torque etc are mere numbers. This is different. That said, if I hadn't bought the old bonnie, I'd have bought this.
2. Ugly DRL
3. The bike feels smaller. While it's probably a good thing, it feels too much like a Pulsar

So the million rupee (and then some) question: will I be upgrading to the T120?

The answer is an emphatic no. While my Bonnie misses out on essentials such as ABS and TC and great suspension from the factory and a center stand, it's heart feels like a true, blue blooded Triumph that I longed for and saved for years to buy (my savings account, opened in 2003 is still nicknamed Bonneville Fund).


(Stuck on you/Got this feeling down deep in my soul that I just can't lose)

[The Brutailer]

Wow. Nice way to spend an afternoon! I agree with you. Sometimes no matter how good the product is, if there's no 'zing' , it loses it's soul. Reminds me of a particular Top Gear review of the Ferrari 458 Italia v/s MP4-12C. Even though the McLaren was better in every way than the Ferrari, Clarkson still judged the Ferrari as the better car. It had soul. Unfortunately, you can't put a price on that!

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by djpeesh

Suddenly a car in front of me slammed the brakes and I was forced to do the same and without a fuss and with no drama whatsoever, the Bonnie came to a halt, in fact so fast that I thought a real autorickshaw might come hurtling into me. So the brakes were excellent.

While my Bonnie misses out on essentials such as ABS and TC and great suspension from the factory and a center stand, it's heart feels like a true, blue blooded Triumph that I longed for and saved for years to buy (my savings account, opened in 2003 is still nicknamed Bonneville Fund).

Hi Buddy,

Thanks for your first impressions! Very poetic closing and how you are so happy with your Bonnie minus the essentials (read lifesaving) like ABS and traction control.

If you were on your Bonnie minus ABS in the exact situation which you have mentioned above, what in your honest opinion could have happened:

a) You could have stopped in time with no drama or fuss.
b) Rear ended the car in front.
c) Skidded and fallen.

Your reply would be an interesting read.

Thanks.

Cheers

[djpeesh]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Hi Buddy,

Thanks for your first impressions! Very poetic closing and how you are so happy with your Bonnie minus the essentials (read lifesaving) like ABS and traction control.

If you were on your Bonnie minus ABS in the exact situation which you have mentioned above, what in your honest opinion could have happened:

a) You could have stopped in time with no drama or fuss.
b) Rear ended the car in front.
c) Skidded and fallen.

Your reply would be an interesting read.

Thanks.

Cheers

Cyborg,

From past experience, there would have been some fishtailing and a lot of drama while jamming the brakes but the bonnie would have stopped. She's OK that way. But the T120 brakes are very very good. I suppose the twin discs up front help.

Honestly, if the current setup had the old one's engine, I'd have traded up in a heartbeat. The new Bonnie's has everything I miss on my bonnie without the je ne sais quoi of the old bonnie.

On a separate note, I wonder if any of the nice bits can be added on the old bonnie. I wish I could transplant the front end of the T120, minus the DRL, onto my bike.

[Sting]

Thanks for sharing your initial impressions, djpeesh. I was hoping to fall in love with the 1200 cc mil. I'm in double mind whether I'm happy or disappointed that you werent overly impressed with the T120. On the positive side my urge to consider it as an upgrage isnt fueled after reading your post! This will still be worth a test ride; though the Tiger still retains the top spot for an addition to the garage. Maybe time to start an Add-A-Tiger fund!

I wish they had just added ABS and a better suspension and sold the Bonneville for a few more years.

Cheers,
Sting

[mobike008]

Nice initial impression report and makes it even more believable since it's coming from an existing Bonnie user

If I recall correctly, I was the first member on forum to have test ridden the Bonnie way back in early 2014 and I was so smitten that I bought it instantly. And, at the same time I had done a comparison report of Bonnie A3 vs. Bonneville T100 and A3 outshone the T100 in almost all departments except in the looks department

With new T120, I'm disappointed that along with technology upgrades like Ride by Wire, More powerful engine, ABS, Traction control they have not really upgraded it cosmetically which is an important parameter for folks plonking in 10+ lakh rupees

From what I understand from your ride report, it feels equally good to ride this upgraded T100 but, misses the Bonnie soul. I reckon I have to agree with you on this front

Will I pay 10+ lakhs for this motorcycle? I guess no as that price range will open up a wide range of superbikes to choose from

Would be interesting to see how many they sell in next few months

Thanks for sharing the report !!!

[PISTONS]

Thanks DJPeesh for sharing this thread. I know purists will not like reduction of weight and short handle bar (Which resembles Pulsar 150) when any manufacturer is making an upgrade. We all remember Unicorn 150 to 160 upgrade.

This was exactly the reason I booked T100 without any delay as that was the last piece left in the showroom. I anticipated this comparison between air-cooled Bonnie Vs an upgraded 1200 liquid cooled one is inevitable (Like CI and UCE).

Thanks AVI Bhai for indirectly influencing me for a Bonnie.

Yes the T120 carries the original Bonneville silhouette with technical upgrades, But I don't think 10.5 lakhs is worth to pay. For me, I always wanted to have that peashooter exhausts, dual meters, chromed engine and tail lamp. If I further delay and miss this T100, I need to pay 3 lacks additional for the same looks and extra 300 CC.

Below is my pick

[Da Vinchu]

I always wanted to buy a bike which would become a classic after prolonged ownership. If at all I have to spend a million bucks on a bike, I rather retain it for a lifetime. T120 was ticking all these requirements. However this short ride review has made me rethink about the purchase decision. May be I should wait for some more reviews before booking the bike. Unfortunately there is no single extensive authentic Indian review available about the bike.

[mohitaga]

Hi All,

This is my first post since I joined TeamBHP, excuse me if this doesn’t align to your expectations. I wanted to share my recent experiences with Triumph and needed suggestion and opinions from our community’s experts.

After almost 12 years, I am planning to buy a two wheeler again. I have been driving only four wheeler since 2012. So I know it will be quite a change..

Why a bike?
Well discussion started when one of my close friend who owns a interceptor 650 suggested to go on a bike trip (obviously Ladakh ). So I thought let’s first get used to bikes again, then only we can plan for such a long trip (Jaipur - Ladakh).

First was taking bikes on rent, but that was somehow didn’t appeal me. I thought why not buy some classic machine and plan for it.

How I finalised T120
I was a big fan of Bonneville Bobber back in 2015/16. So definitely wanted to check Triumph bikes. For classics I could shortlist either speed twin or T120. T120 looked more appealing on videos and photos, given it was pure classic with a couple of modern features. So I wanted to see the entire Bonneville series in person. Little did I know, Triumph dealership at Jaipur did not have even a single Bonneville on demo. Only one customer’s speed twin was parked at front.

Test Drive and Dealership Experience
I was actually surprised that how are they expecting to sell a bike if they don’t have it on display. Later after watching a couple of videos, I understood that this is the case with tier 2 cities. Since these bikes are expensive with little to no demand, normally dealerships don’t want to keep them in their inventory.

I had a conversation with the sales person and told him that I can’t really make a decision, since I have never driven one and have no experience with a super bike. I was a bit confused, if this would be too big to handle or maybe not as comfortable as I am expecting. He agreed to arrange a test drive as early as possible.

To my surprise, he called up the very next day to schedule a test drive. Though this wasn’t a TD vehicle and I didn’t really wanted to know how he arranged it

So me and my interceptor friend reached the dealership to see it in person. Till this time, my friend was not in favour of my decision. He was like, buy the interceptor or any other RE 650 and suggested that there won’t be so much of difference.

Now when we both saw it in person and took for the TD, his opinion took a 360 turn. He said when this started he really felt it… and the way bike handles is no comparison to his interceptor. He also mentioned that his interceptor is more of a raw bike, whereas this is was more sophisticated and league ahead.

Well when I drove it, it was purely magical. Bike didn’t feel like it’s a 250 kg heavy machine, it was easy to handle. I couldn’t take it to the 6th gear though, as it was already reaching close to 80 on 5th and I didn’t want to drive it faster than that. Later the sales exec told me that this bike has good gear ratios and can be easily drive at 40-50 on 6th gear.

I decided, that if I am going to buy one this is the one I want. Now why not any RE 650? Well when my friend bought interceptor, I was the one who convinced him to buy interceptor instead of a classic. Reason was simple, classic was turned more into an everybody’s bike and lost it exclusiveness. Whereas interceptor was still limited. Now today with so many RE bikes and waiting period 3-9 months, it wasn’t simply for me. I wanted something which isn’t common at all.

What I booked
I booked the bike very next day and after going through almost all of the color options, I finalized the matt graphite color. Here is the picture for reference (it’s from google, I am yet to receive my)


Suggestions I Need
I will be driving a bike most probably after a week or so and right now I am overwhelmed with the accessories, riding gear, navigation and what not.

What are the basic must have riding gear and accessories needed?
Which helmet should I buy?
Bluetooth headset with a intercom is needed? We are planning to go on a 150-200kms trips to start with.

I would also love to hear any Triumph owner’s experience with their machines, since there are very less videos or user experience available. Specially on the Bonneville series.

Thank you everyone for your time and I am really looking forward for your suggestions.

[skviknaraj]

Originally Posted by mohitaga

.............

First Off.. Congrats on the booking. Looking forward to your travelogue and experience with this machine.

Originally Posted by mohitaga

Suggestions I Need
I will be driving a bike most probably after a week or so and right now I am overwhelmed with the accessories, riding gear, navigation and what not.

What are the basic must have riding gear and accessories needed?

It all depends on the budget you have in mind. Please go through the TBHP thread on riding gears. Link here (The Riding Gear thread)

If you can get a CE AA rated jacket/pant very good ( Revit, Leatt and Oxford) or from Indian manufacturers (Viaterra, Rynox, DSG), no matter what try out the gears in person and check the fit before making the purchase.

As for the Gloves, Viaterra and Rynox both have CE rated gloves.

Don't forget the boots, finding a good branded one will be tough as mentioned in the above thread on riding gear. However a visit to Delhi or Mumbai should get you sorted.

For the vehicle accessories part, I would suggest getting the crash guards first. And as you start riding more, based on your need preference and budget you can add them later on. Hopefully before your Ladakh ride, you will have settled into you bike and will know what else is needed.

Originally Posted by mohitaga

Which helmet should I buy?

Again Budget is key here. Please use this TBhp thread as reference: LINK HERE (Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet).

Also don't forget a set of earplugs

Originally Posted by mohitaga

Bluetooth headset with a intercom is needed? We are planning to go on a 150-200kms trips to start with.

IF you both are going to be riding together, then you can invest in them. Preferable if you both can get the Bluetooth intercom from the same brand. You have the Bluarmor, Cardo and Sena. Can use this thread as reference. (Bluetooth Intercom / Headsets for Motorcyclists)

[mygodbole]

FIRST and foremost, get a good battery charger. I had a Triumph America (a bonneville with a cruiser look) and the battery conked off in just 21 days of not riding. It is a pain in the place-where-the-sun-don't-shine and mostly everywhere else. In my case in 2010, I ended up calling Triumph UK and they agreed to replace the battery and suggested a battery charger.

While at it, also purchase good quality jump start cables and make sure to carry them. They really help in tight situations since most sedan (not Alto/Swift) batteries can help jump start the bike. Additionally, learn how to jump start your bike, do it in the Triumph workshop so you can learn from the experts. Ask questions if anything is NOT understood (even if others laugh behind your back, better safe than being stranded)

Sissy bar/grab handle needed. Budget and buy.

Extended mud-guard (to protect the engine area) in case you plan on riding in the rains. It will certainly impact the aerodynamics.

Be prepared to spend more in case the 'footrest' seems inadequate.

A 'tank' bag may be useful. Keep on your spending blueprint.

Riding gear is personal choice/legal aspects/weather impacted. Good riding gear is essential when you go on a long ride > a long ride comes when you are comfortable on the bike at highway speeds > Takes time. So, plan but take a breathe before blowing cold cash.

I type all this not to scare you, but make you aware of the challenges since you state that you will riding after 2012. Knowledge is power , not a scarecrow.

Ride safe.

[mohitaga]

Originally Posted by skviknaraj

First Off.. Congrats on the booking. Looking forward to your travelogue and experience with this machine.

Thank you skvknaraj, I at least have a starting point now. I was so confused with the products available and insta and youtube throwing everything related to it to my feed..

[mohitaga]

Originally Posted by mygodbole

FIRST and foremost, get a good battery charger.
=====
Ride safe.

Thankyou mygodbole. I do have jumper cables.. will check if those can be used with the bike.

Grab handle / sissy bar, engine sump guard, and the crash guard I already ordered with Triumph. Hopefully, these will arrive with the bike.

For riding gear, I will go with the basics first..