Exclusive: Triumph Bonneville T120 Black, Thruxton Not Coming to India; Launch of 3 Modern Classics on Feb 4

Even as the anticipation surrounding the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi next month gains momentum, comes a downer of a revelation about the upcoming 2016 Triumph Bonneville model launch. As per exclusive information available with BikeDekho.com, Triumph Motorcycles India will only be introducing 3 out of the 5 international Bonneville models from its 2016 line-up in the country.

According to sources, the company has already finalised its India plan for the 2016 Bonneville models, and will be launching three models - the Bonneville Street Twin, Bonneville T120, and Thruxton R - on February 4, one day before the Expo opens for the public. However, Triumph will not be launching the Bonneville T120 Black, and the Thruxton cafe racer. 

This news comes at a time when all eyes are pinned to the largest motoring exhibition in the country, and could cause some disappointment for Triumph fans here. The British bike maker had unveiled these five 2016 models from the Triumph Bonneville line at EICMA, Italy in October 2015, and subsequently announced it would be bringing them to India as well. Earlier this week, the company even began taking bookings for the 2016 Bonnevilles.  

While the exact reason for not bringing the T120 Black and Thruxton here is not known, we expect to hear more on the same from Triumph Motorcycles India at the time of the 2016 Bonneville launch. Triumph has been prompt in bringing its international launches to the country in the past.

With the 3 new models, Triumph will bring in 2 brand new liquid-cooled parallel-twin engines: One with 900cc capacity in the Street Twin, and the other a 1200cc ‘high-torque’ motor which will power the T120, while a ‘high power’ version of the larger engine will propel the Thruxton R. The company has revived the ‘T120’ tag for the first time since the original launch in 1959. The company had announced earlier this week that it had begun taking bookings for this latest generation of its Modern Classics range.

The Street Twin, which will feature ABS, traction control and ride-by-wire technology is the only one with a 5-speed gearbox, while the T120 will come with switchable ABS and two ride modes. Both these bikes will get KYB suspension. The Thruxton R, meanwhile, will feature Showa and Ohlins suspension at the front and rear,respectively, and also have three ride modes - road, rain and sports. The two bigger bikes will have 6-speed gearboxes. Triumph Motorcycles India is expected to announce the power figures of its motorcycles at the time of launch but we can expect them to be the same as those from the company’s Brazil models, as seen in the past.

Of the 2 Triumph ‘no-show’ motorcycles for India, one is the ‘murdered out’ T120 Black, which has a unique dark brown seat and blacked out details, including rims, grab rail and exhausts. It is available in Matt Graphite or Jet Black colour options globally. The Thruxton is the company’s signature retro-styled cafe racer, complete with a more race-oriented stance, sculpted tank, clip-on handlebars, bar-mounted mirrors, cowl-shaped pillion seat and dual upswept exhausts.

 Stay tuned for more exciting and latest launch updates from the Auto Expo.