The Ultimate Bonneville! 1968 Triumph T120R
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Many Triumph enthusiasts agree that the iconic 1968 Triumph Bonneville represented the zenith of that model range. As the last year for chrome fenders, this model featured single unit construction, double leading shoe brakes, and a number of engine improvements to create the Bonneville to own!
I had a 1965, and a 1968 and a 1972; all Triumph Bonneville's; I built the 1965 with the help of Broward County, Florida Triumph shop in 1975. Later in life I got a 1968 Triumph Trophy Tr25w 250 cc and had her redone...she was my favorite of all of them 100 mph on
I-5 Washington state......for a 250!!!!! awesome !!!!
Bought my 68 in Naples Italy aboard ship. I had it shipped to Virginia . Had it for the remainder of my enlistment then rode her her back to R I and it never gave me a problem. What a magnificent machine she was from the looks of her to the sound and handling. I DO wish I had her back 😢
A cool Fall afternoon,the smell of burning leaves and my '70 TR6-R on a twisting back road. I'm 18 again !
I miss my 1972 Bonneville 650 5-speed 😑. I played the video a bunch of times, turned it up as loud as I could at the start of the video. listening to it via Bluetooth to my truck speakers. To me it's one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
2-25-21 @ 1427 hrs. My first m/c wuz a brand new 650 Bonneville that I bought in 1968 at the Triumph Dealer on Rte. 83 in Vernon, Ct. But it had Silver painted fenders with a Red stripe down the middle of each one.
I agree! Not unlike my own 'bike. Many Triumph Bonnie enthusiasts harp on about '69 being its zenith, yet I & many other owners disagree.It was the '68!
Really beautiful looking Bonneville, especially the colour. Absolutely right when you said how easily it was to fling them through corners but being absolutely stable. That was my experience riding a couple of '70 Bonnevilles. One motorcycle journalist said quote unquote " You could flick your Triumph through a series of esses while picking your nose and staring a cool looking chick"
1970 was the ultimate Triumph Bonneville
What a lovely tribute. I have been a huge fan since I was a kid and was fortunate to only a mile from the factory.
I have to admit my favourate year was 1970 with the USA small fuel tank.
While I'm in my late sixties, I still ride a Triumph, but the smaller T100R Daytona.
Reliving my first bike, the 68 Bonnie. Quality presentation. Thank you.
Nice video bro. I had a 69 Bonneville in 1969 when I was 19 and yes it was the bike that guys wanted. I loved that bike and wish I had one as nice as yours.
I've owned a lot of bikes over a period of fifty five years but the classic triumphs were the best.
One of the best looking bikes of all time.
I have had my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 40 years. Reliable and dependable transportation. I have never heard of a Triumph motor going bad at 6,000 miles. Someone had to abuse the bike for that to happen.
What a beautifully produced film. You obviously prepared properly with notes that were well written and interesting. Thank you for this. It's a pleasure to watch stuff of this quality.
❤ what happened like that with 50,000 miles barely looked a little bit of oil 🛢️ ran good I use 50 weight motor oil aeroplane AeroShell motor 🛵 AeroShell motor oil 50 weight
Bought my 68 Trophy Sport from a one owner in Greensboro N.C. while stationed in the 82nd back in 72 for a dollar a cc. Had Big D Cycle of Texas restore it in 2012. Been riding it, weather permitting, every chance i get... and there are many here in Ft. Worth year round. Thanks for the post, these machines are definitely addictive to the spirit. -gilpin 7-5-16
Lived in Tarpley Texas for several years just because the Hill Country offered some of the best riding in the state.
Thanks for sharing.
Having ridden a number of Brit bikes with single leading shoe front brakes I would have to say that a twin leading shoe front brake is a major improvement !
Listen to that note fantastic, good old 60s yeh man.
Beautiful color bright engine wheels and chrome so much better than the fugly black and gray everything on today’s bikes
I agree the 1968 t120r is the best Bonneville ever made
My first new bike was a 1971 Bonneville with the new 5 speed transmission. $1,425 out the door. It would do 110 mph with a passenger on board. Got married and sold it to buy a washer and dryer.
@@davidbrook7503 Or washed clothes in a creek and pinned them to a line that could trial behind the bike in the wind as you rode drying the clothes.
That bike was one of around 200 they pulled off the line in '71 to make a 5 speed. Rare bike indeed. Sorry for the salt.
Went to the Ace in 1959-61 the Bonnie might have been the bike of choice but not many could afford it back then.
Good video. I agree with you- Triumphs were/are beautiful!! Have owned four in the past years. Loved them all. Currently have a nice ‘71 Bonny 650. Thankyou for a good presentation.
I have a 71 also, do you ever notice all people do is slag the oil in frame bikes off?
@@bonkeydollocks1879 they are clueless pukes.
@@pauliebots they offer good introduction to classic triumph ownership, 👍🏼
@@bonkeydollocks1879 I have a 71 5 speed. Lol.
I bought a brand new green 68 Triumph Trophy 500 for 1,150. It was a beautiful and easy handling motorcycle but when I witnessed a 1968 Suzuki Titan 500 destroy a 1968 Bonneville I knew the stylish and good sounding Brit bikes were on their way out. I guess the final nail on the coffin was when Honda came out with the CB750 Four with a silky smooth engine, a real front brake and reliability that is still unrivalled even today. The Bonneville still has a very important place in history and they almost killed Harley ; you have to remember it was a design that started in the 30's but never had a lot of evolving changes but were for a brief period the best bike around.
By 1973 the price of a new TT was up to about $1,750. At least that is about what i remember paying in spring of '74 for a leftover '73 TT 500 i bought new. Great sounding bike with decent pipes on it in place of the factory exhaust. A great looking enduro. Solidly built of quality materials but archaic engineering means that oil changes occur at least every 1,000 miles at least and keep the rev's down to get even just 10,000 miles out of a bottom end. I never could and gave up on it after my second try.
i had a 1961 t120r in 1967,i put 12.1 pistons ,e3134 cams ex and inlet flowed haed 13/16 amals,remote oil tank,clipons /rearsets.also polished/balanced crank.dont know what true speed was but it was quick lol.
1970 is the one to have.
Hell yea it is!!! Hands down...
Sounds fantastic! Lived quite close to Meriden, just up the road from Jaguar Cars Ltd Browns Lane, a great period.
Good looking machines, my favorite but I'm biased. Bought a new TR6C in '69 and a restored TR6R 7/20. My old ass is probably too beat to ride it. (not)
The British version still had mild steel mudguards, or as you call them, fenders.
Lovely bike, I frequented the Ace cafe between 60-63 and the BSA RR and Goldie were on a par with any Bonnie in popularity.
Great bike I used to ride one
I've had mine for 30 years import from the US to Australia. The guards are stainless steel not chrome as stated
Those were the day!!
Nobody can dispute the quality of materials Triumph's are constructed from. Beautiful great sounding and handling mid weight bikes. The engineering? That's another matter. British electrics,roller bearing crank i believe that required real frequent oil changes and not over revving the engines or suffer the consequences. Nice as they look and ride, and i would love to have a Bonneville. I'd really rather hope to get more than 6,000 miles out of an engine before the bottom end starts coming unglued.
good vid thanks . . with a nice choice of backing music
Stunning bike. You have excellent taste
Instead of trying to manufacture what Triumph is now turning out as a " modern " Bonny, why don't they simply reproduce the original 68 model with refined engineering. ? I'd buy one for a start.
Have to meet a plethora of standards to produce a road legal production bike.
Beautiful machine! And, about 175 lighter than my 1975 Honda CB750K model I bought new.
I had a 75 CB 750 in the late 80s. Kept it till just 5 years ago. Felt like a fool selling it after all I did to it. Sorry but I think it would have kicked the t120s arse. Freight train pull in second and up. Only 5 gears though but I think old Bonnie's only had 5 too? The old 750four got lots of looks too. And compliments. I had chrome chain guard and gauges. But you probably remember. Kick and electric starter. 👍
The 1970 model eliminated the timed crankcase breather and replaced it with a system that connected to the primary and then vented out. The transmission was also improved. 1970 was the last year before the poorly received oil in frame model.
Was it poorly received? I don't really remember. Perhaps on the Bonny but on the TT 500 i think it was heralded as a brilliant engineering upgrade as a way to eliminate the potentially vulnerable external oil tank that could possibly puncture if you took a spill hill climbing for example. I saw the TT 500 as a fore runner of the modern day Dual Sport. A versatile do anything bike. Somewhat of a compromise because it wasn't exactly brilliant on the interstate or on the tighter trails but it would do it and unlike Japanese 2 stroke enduro bikes i could ride out to the hills. Play around exploring the trails and still make it back home on the same tank of fuel i set off with. The place where the thing really excelled was ripping along on the fire roads and on the twisty paved roads leading out to the forest playground.
Stainless fenders were offered for that year.
handles like a dive bomber and good on gas,and steve McQueen liked them so I do to
Those are bing carbs on that bike and even 70s had chrome fenders,, facts only
Nice bike
Had 1980 Bonneville. Harley elders would scratch there head wondering where the power came from looking at it's compact size..
Riders not elders.
Did you forget about Norton?
The 650cc 68 model was the best one and should never have gone to 750cc; more vibration, heavier and lower compression with less hp. In the 1970s the quality control was terrible and the engine leaked oil like a sieve from everywhere.
Tappets need adjusting, they are rattling a bit.
How did you get Bill Murray to do the narration?😁
Falsely accused Mr. Lucas for two breakdown s. Turned out it was a non vented reproduction gas cap. Peered into the tank just like McQueen heard the whoosh of the tank venting.Sorry Mr.Lucas!
I love my bonnie!
Nice accompanying description. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Chromed fenders? Big deal. 1973 had nice SS front fender. Can polish it to whatever degree you wish. I prefer the increased predictability of the stiffer OIF bike frame. Yes, a real difference in rideability and 'flickability,' even if 'purists' seek a traditional frame.
I WANT!
What a beauty! but please take those blue Hagon stickers off. Why they chose blue over a less conspicuous white or black is anyone's guess??
yes, a great and iconic bike.. however after filming this video I acquired a Norton Combat Commando and just lost all interest in the Triumph, which has now gone to a new home
phil
Hi Hope that combat engine holds out ok as they had a habbit of knocking out the mains , I know they modified them and put American "Super Blend " bearings in but a guy I knew knocked even those out in 1000 miles and was promptly banned from the Norton shop as it was his sixth rebuild under warranty , mind you he revved the a**e off it , he had Dunstall exhausts fitted and it did sound the Biz ! his mum bought him the bike for his seventeenth birthday , alright for some eh ! :o) lovely looking bike , enjoy .
@@nicnak4475 Even the Triumph bottom end wasn't the strongest. My '73 TT 500 had the mains rattling pretty good at around 5,500 - 6,000 miles. Owning any street rather than race vehicle that needed such frequent oil changes was a new concept for me. So was having a tach where you basically guessed where the factory should have marked redline.
@gregorytimmons4777: the purists can complain all they want about the Triumph Trident but you wouldn't have those bottom end problems with it. Famed British racer John Cooper, when racing to the finish line reved out his triple to 9,500 rpm!, if you did that on a British twin , you'd take it home in a basket!
must agry but happy with my matchy csr all brit bikes are good if its a good one. nice to see all types being restourd but the bonny was lovely if you could by one in the early 60s
How much are you asking?
Never mind right handed... left handed... this's both handed at it's best
Why does this Guy Whistle at the end of the each Sentence ??????
That’s a Bonneville not a TR6 R.
Wear any leather jackets or Levi’s jeans in particular with your leather biker jacket?
I always do.Levi boot cut jeans over my Redwing boots.
Wow my 1970 450 Honda Scrambler weight more than that with smaller engine
Ironically the best Bonneville is a W800 Kawasaki. Unfortunately they weren't sold in North America and the original is no longer in production, but they were sold in Mexico and if you are down there you might still be able to get your hands on one. If anyone who owned a 60s Bonneville doubts me, try a W800 and you'll see what I mean. There is a new W800 that is being released in America but it's been altered to comply with the Euro 4 specs and is aimed at younger hipsters and isn't the same bike as the original W800 unfortunately.
They made a great "copy" if you can handle knowing that .
Triumph was only part of it, BSA was up there in go, the Commando was superior, my first legal motorcycle was a 67 Bonneville, it was fast ,I could give a 750 Atlas a hard time, but the new Commando would beat me...
I couldn't agree more about the Commando. As much as I loved that Bonne, I subsequently acquired a '72 Combat Commando. After just one ride the Triumph went to the next deserving owner. The Commando.. faster, infinitely smoother, and sounds like TWO Bonnevilles! But ALL the British bikes are beautiful classics, deserving of the limelight. I am currently completing engine rebuild of a glorious 1953 Ariel Square 4. Rule Brittania!
This is strange, I also just purchased a 72, my third Commando, I'm Aussie, 65, I have been a motorcycle rider since my first, BSA Bantom , thirteen , then a 56 Red Hunter, then my 67 Triumph.. would really like to talk more with you..
although i had the 61 t120r i also had a 63 rocket gold star and a 650ss.never had a 750 norton as the reliability of them in their 1st days was terrible.what i like with the triumph is start it and go flat out,it never broke the engine but did destroy 2nd and 3rd gear twice.the rgs handled better but 70 mph in 1st took so long with clutch slip as it was running an rrt2 gearbox that the bonnie was gone.the norton was nice and fairly quick but personal taste it never did that thing for me that the other 2 did.
The old ultimate thing to do is put a Norton crank in a Triumph bottom end with the 12 barrel roller bearing on the drive side.Norton rods to = around 900 cc.Fast and strong.
@critchley3829: Yes, BSA was the #2 seller in North America, & l think was always somewhat in the shadow of Triumph, perhaps a bit underrated.
68 best year for sure. 69-70 went with the unattractive painted fenders, apparently to save cost. then quickly downhill there after.
I like the painted fender
The 1969 T120R with "Olympic Flame" painted fenders and tank is my favorite. The 69's chromed rear springs look nicer than the 68's. Just my opinion. Both years are classics,......as a bike shop owner said to me when I mentioned the 1969 T120R,......"You mean the one everybody wants".
@@dealit3370 i had a 1969 T120R with chrome fenders.......maybe the guy lied ..lol..a great bike
I also had a 69 Bonneville with chrome mudguards so maybe the dealer lied to me as well.
I am sorry, but that opening statement is hogwash. With every new innovation in every model of almost all marques, there were a barrow full of problems that had to be sorted out and some never were even by the dying days of the indystry in Britain. Lack of engineering forethought and planning lead to poorly engineered transition models that had to be retrofitted or reengineered to meet reasonable levels of servicability. I am sorry having been a british bike owner l do not agree. They were loveable, but never reliable, they were beautiful, but like Harley Davidsons, there was a greater emphasis on form over function. A balance between form and function, became the mainstay of Japanese motorcycles, and a leaning toward function over form was the preserve of the Germans. The Italians, depending on the Marque sometimes had form and function (moto guzzi), and sometimes form over function like the British and Americans, (Ducati).
Thanks for the effort of your comment. I am just pleased that my video continues to draw viewers and input. Just as in politics, it is always good to have discourse from multiple viewpoints!
@@texcarguy People who own a British bike today, the older classics, are lucky enough to have modern engineering methods and materials to provide them with better spare parts and oils etc than were available when the bikes were made. Triumph happens to be one of those makes which has a a huge range of people making many parts far better and with more precision than back in 1959. CNC machining can allow engines case (even vertically split ones), for example, to manufactured with such fine tolerances they never leak oil. This is a boon for those who stayed the course and therefore are rewarded for doing so with wonderful aftermarket support. Hope you still ride, it can be a daunting task sometimes, and I came back sore.
Britain had had rationing for 10 years after WW2. British motorcycles were reliable and dependable transportation. They were not a toy. I commuted on my Triumph Tr-6 with a hard tail and magneto for 20 years when I was working. I have had her for 40 years now. Real motorcycles leak oil but not too much.😂 Single carburetor version was easier to live with. Twin carbs would vibrate like a paint mixer if not synchronized properly. Many people in Europe ride vintage motorcycles because they are exempt from many regulations on modern motorcycles. Today's motorcycles are a collection of government regulations on 2 wheels.
They leaked oil, they had to be gone over constantly to make sure nothing was gonna fall off, a pain to adjust the twin carbs, ect ... Modern bikes are 1000 per cent improved and more reliable. just saying
Never had any problems like that on mine .Modern bikes are like comparing a new Mercedes to an old Camero.
no wonder they made alot of them into hard tails ,,look gay stock
'78 is ok w/ me
@@MrBrimor2654 id like to own a older one