Triumph Bonneville T120R
Twin carburettors and a light British chassis made the Bonneville one of the defining fast road motorcycles of the early 1960s.
1961 Triumph T120 Bonneville 650 right side · Yesterdays Antique Motorcycles · CC BY-SA 4.0 International
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Triumph named the Bonneville after its record-setting runs on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. This page follows the 1961 U.S.-market T120R roadster, whose engine and separate four-speed gearbox sit in the revised duplex frame. It predates the stiffer unit-construction engine-and-gearbox package introduced for 1963.
Look a little closer.
The T120 name advertised an intended 120 mph image, even though period road-bike performance depended on gearing, tune, rider and conditions and was usually lower.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Why two carburettors?
The Bonneville used a separate intake path and Amal carburettor for each cylinder. That supported stronger high-speed breathing than Triumph's single-carburettor touring twins, but it also asked owners to keep both carburettors correctly synchronized.
Source: Triumph · Bonneville story ↗A motorcycle in two powertrain pieces
On this pre-unit Bonneville, the engine and gearbox are separate castings joined by a primary chain. Triumph changed to unit construction for 1963, so later T120 parts and specifications should not automatically be applied to this 1961 bike.
Source: Cycle World · 1962 Bonneville road test ↗Where these facts come from
- Triumph · Bonneville story
- Triumph · Brand timeline
- 1961 Triumph Bonneville reference
- Cycle World · 1962 Bonneville period road test
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.