RUST magazine: RUST #44

HERITAGE
TRIUMPH
BONNEVILLE
T120 ACE
We’ve been testing the Bonneville Scramblers here at RUST – ooh,
and the Speedmaster – but never the Bonneville itself. A chance for a
fortnight on the newest Bonnie, the Ace, was then not to be declined
Words & Images: JB
The Ace is a work of art. I could
just look at it for hours. What
I like is its subtlety. Being
painted Storm Grey and with
every component seemingly
gloss black, satin black or matt black it
disappears into the shadows (and makes
it as tricky to photograph as a black cat). It
is the stealth Bonneville. And okay, it is a
road bike and probably the only time it’ll
go off-road is of it overshoots a corner, but
hey it has flat bars. And as all Bonnies have
something of the look of the Trumpets
Steve McQueen and Ted Simon rode
(funny to link them) – which brings ISDE,
desert racing and RTW adventure into the
frame – then we’ll make the digression.
THAT ENGINE
Triumph has been refining the Bonneville
ever since they reintroduced the twin in
2000. The latest development has been
this new water-cooled – although it
doesn’t look it – T120 motor that arrived
in 2016. When the new-age Bonnie
started it was 790cc producing 61hp and
41lb-ft; now with the T120 we’re talking a
full 1200cc producing 79hp and 77.5lb-ft.
That is a significant uplift and it does give
the Bonnie an air of authority and, well,
muscle, whereas at the start it was gentle
wee retro model.
w
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