A 'BONNIE' WEE BOBBER WITH BOUNTIFUL BEAUTY . . . . A SERIOUSLY COOL ILLUSTRATION OF HOW TO DO IT SUCCESSFULLY WITH A MERIDEN MAULER . . . . ALL THE FINER POINTS TOTALLY WIRED, STANCE, BALANCE, STYLE, DETAIL, NOTHING ELSE REQUIRED . . . . MANY WOULD ARGUE THE '70 BONNIE WAS THE ULTIMATE DEVELOPMENT OF EDDIE TURNER'S LONG-LIVED, MUCH LOVED, PARALLEL TWIN . . . . I WOULDN'T OFFER A CONTRARY OPINION, PARALLEL PERFECTION.

Not a monster lover of the all black bike caper am I, however, this jigger is a stunning turnout in every way and the absence of colour suits it to a tee, the old 'less is more' theory followed to the letter the last and likely greatest of all the Bonnies going back to the first pre-unit model of 1959. In good race fettle these mid size, 650cc Brit Bombs were definitely good for up around the ton plus twenty in the old scale, the T120 designation wasn't based on a fairytale, [unlike the massively flawed oil-in-frame T140] and they kicked arse on tracks of all kinds in the States, the U.K, Australia and around the world at their peak.

This isn't about any of that shit though, do your own research if you doubt my voracity, this blurb is all about the beauty of the Bonnie's splayed port head, as exemplified on this bobbychopper thingy, not only was it a proven performance inlet passage design dating back before the release of the '59 Bonneville when fitted as a race only component, but it just looked so fucking sexy-tough with a pair of Amals hanging off the little manifolds, and even cooler still with a couple of velocity trumpets tacked on for good measure. The fact there was an obvious upward angle to their positioning only enhanced the whole thing's visual appeal, especially in cahoots with what is without question one of the prettiest motor/gearbox combos ever made.

The reality of sales numbers alone for Triumph's most famous model tends to suggest just how right they got it, both aesthetically and mechanically, back in the times of Turner at Coventry, not to mention the tweeking and updating that took place at the new Meriden facility over the next forty years . . . . and they're still going strong today in the hands of blokes like the owner of this way cool ride and thousands more all over the globe.