THERE'S one motorcycle that hasn't been swayed by the huge trend in retro and traditional machines - because it invented it.
Triumph's Bonneville has been rocking its '50s image since, well, the '50s - many decades before the latest revival of turn-ups and key chains.
But there is new competition for the Bonnie, and the current 865cc, air-cooled, 68hp version was in danger of looking (ironically) a little left behind by upstarts like BMW's R nineT and Ducati's Scrambler. Hence the 2016 Bonneville has been one of the most eagerly awaited new bikes of year, ever since we saw it in spy shots.
The wait just ended. This is the all-new 2016 Triumph Bonneville, which comes in three guises, each with a different liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine.
There's the entry-level 900cc Street Twin; the 1200cc T120, styled to ape the 1959 original; and the top-of-the-range café racer-style Thruxton, also 1200cc.
Each has a different chassis design and distinct engine, and none shares a single component with the existing Bonneville range according to Triumph.
There's also a T120 Black, which is like the T120 but with different styling detail, and a Thruxton R (shown in our main image), which is an even-higher-spec version of the Thruxton featuring Brembo monobloc brake calipers, Showa big piston forks, Öhlins rear suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa Tyres. If it looks familiar, that's because it featured alongside David Beckham in the recent short film Outlaws.
Triumph hasn't released full specifications yet, only torque figures. The Street Twin makes a claimed 59lbft at 3,200rpm, 18% more than both the previous Bonneville and Ducati's Scrambler according to Triumph. The T120 makes 77.4lbft at 3,100rpm, which Triumph says is 54% up on its predecessor and 9% more than Harley-Davidson's Sportster Forty-Eight.
The most powerful of the new range, the Thruxton, produces 82.6lbft at 4,950rpm, a claimed 62% improvement on the previous model and 25% more than the Norton Cafe Racer. It's still not quite on par with BMW's R nineT though, which makes a claimed 87.7lbft.
Each of the new Bonevilles has also been brought up to date electronically, with standard features including ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, slip-assist clutch for an easier lever pull, traction control that can be switched off, an LED rear light, an immobiliser with a chipped ignition key and a USB charging socket.
The T120 and Thruxton (unlike the R nineT) have riding modes. Both have 'road' and 'rain' modes while the Thruxton has a third 'sport' mode promising a 'more immediate throttle response'.
T120 and T120 Black also come with heated grips as standard.
Triumph hopes to tempt would-be customisers with accessory 'inspiration kits' to turn each of the 2016 Bonnies into something new.
Options for the the Street Twin are a Scrambler kit, including a high-level Vance & Hines exhaust, brushed aluminium components, and brown ribbed 'bench' seat; a 'Brat Tracker' kit including Vance & Hines slip-on cans, rear mudguard removal kit and a brown bench seat; and an 'Urban' kit, including a fly-screen, single leather pannier and Vance & Hines slip-ons.
For the T120 and T120 Black there's a 'Prestige' kit including Vance & Hines peashooter slip-ons, a ribbed and stitched black seat and chrome clutch cover.
For the Thruxton and Thruxton R there's a 'Track Racer' kit, including a cockpit fairing, clip-on bars and leather tank strap; and a 'Café Racer' kit, including a fly-screen, rubber knee pads and clip-ons.
Exclusively for the Thruxton R there's an additional 'Performance race' kit which is 'specifically designed and developed for competition use and closed circuit racing'. Details have not been confirmed but Triumph's press release says: 'The Factory Race kit will take the standard engine performance to an even higher level, with more power, torque and lower overall weight.'
Triumph describes the basic Street Twin as its 'most contemporary, fun and accessible new Bonneville' and says it's 'inspired by the new-wave custom scene'. It's got black engine cases, an up-swept brushed stainless steel exhaust system and cast wheels. As well as superior performance, Triumph says the new liquid-cooled engine offers 36% better fuel-economy than the old one. The Street Twin comes in red, silver and three choices of black: matt, 'Jet' and 'Phantom'.
The T120 is 'inspired by the legendary 1959 Bonneville and styled to incorporate more of the original’s iconic DNA,' according to Triumph. It's got brushed aluminium engine covers with bronze detailing, while the T120 Black has black engine covers with machined aluminium detailing. Both have a peashooter exhaust with a double-skin design that hides the catalytic converter behind a single, seamless section of pipe.
The T120 comes in black, red, red and silver or black and white. The T120 Black comes in black or 'Matt Graphite' and features exclusive styling detals including a dark brown seat and black rims, grab-rail and exhaust.
The Thruxton and Thruxton R – named after the 500-mile Thruxton endurance race series – have a ‘flat-on-the-tank ethos and streamlined sports silhouette' according to Triumph. The new eight-valve parallell-twin engine provides 'immediate and exciting power delivery' the firm says, while the dedicated chassis is set-up for sporty handling. Both versions have clip-on bars, fully-adjustable suspension and aluminium rims and swing-arm.
Styling details include a Monza-style filler cap, up-swept exhausts, and aluminium bar-end mirrors.
As well as higher-spec brakes and suspension, the Thruxton R has a polished top yoke, aluminium tank strap and clear anodised aluminium swing-arm.
The Thruxton comes in black, white with a black tank stripe or 'competition green' with a metallic gold tank stripe. The Thruxton R comes in red or silver.
Prices are to be confirmed.
See all the variants in our mega-gallery of the new Bonneville family below.
The liquid-cooled models replace every version of the existing Bonneville except the Scrambler, America and Speedmaster, which will be sold alongside the new range - at least until 2017, when our money says there will be a new liquid-cooled Scrambler too.
We should also expect a bobber edition at some point, since that's one of the machines we've seen in spy shots.
Triumph issued four press releases on the new Bonnies, one introducing the range and one on each of the new versions. In the interest of bringing every confirmed detail to those who want it, we've reproduced all the press releases in the following pages.
