Triumph Unveils T120 Bonneville Black DGR Edition

[Hugh Janus]

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its partnership with the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, Triumph has unveiled the Bonneville T120 Black DGR Edition. The US will get just 50 units. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Get your tweed on: The 2023 Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride (DGR) is almost here. If you’re familiar with the name (and the movement), then you already know it’s become the world’s largest on-road charity motorcycling event since its debut in 2012, raising more than $31.5 million across 107 countries in the ensuing years. With its signature “Ride Dapper” theme, the DGR has managed to bring hundreds of thousands of smartly dressed “gentlefolk” together worldwide, all riding classic and vintage-style motorcycles to raise funds for the fight against prostate cancer and other men’s health initiatives.

You’re also probably aware of Triumph Motorcycles’ support of the charity ride (it became the DGR’s official motorcycle partner in 2014), which, given the classic motorcycle theme, was always going to be a natural fit for the brand. And Triumph, to its credit, has been instrumental in growing awareness of the DGR’s mission from the start, providing exposure, financial support, and even offering motorcycles from its Modern Classic range as rewards for the top fundraisers in the campaign. Last year’s collaboration with Gibson Guitars resulted in a one-of-a-kind custom edition Bonneville T120 that referenced the 1959 Gibson Les Paul, with Gibson chipping in a Les Paul Standard Reissue guitar that paid homage to the 1959 Triumph Bonneville T120. The bike and guitar were awarded to the 2022 ride’s highest fundraiser (which broke participation records).

For the 2023 ride, Triumph is celebrating its decade-long partnership with DGR by unveiling the new 2024 Triumph Bonneville T120 Black DGR Limited Edition. The elegantly eye-catching version of one of Triumph’s most iconic motorcycles has been created to celebrate the landmark 10-year anniversary, with the aim of making the 2023 DGR the most successful to date.

Related: Triumph and Gibson Unveil Custom T120 and Les Paul

The T120 Black DGR Edition goes for a more refined look over the base T120 Black, with an elegant two-tone paint scheme and classic pinstriping. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Because the T120 and its other Modern Classic brethren received significant updates for the 2022 model year, the DGR machine leaves the mechanics as is and focuses on cosmetic features to make its case. Most obvious here is the stylish DGR-themed metallic black and white paint scheme, which emphasizes official DGR branding with a custom logo on the tank and side panels, lots of tasteful gold detailing, and a distinctive brown (naturally) seat. Each T120 Black DGR Limited Edition comes with a signed certificate.

The 2023 DGR logo and hand-painted pinstripes shown on the two-tone tank. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

First, a recap of the changes the Bonneville received for 2022, most of which focused on weight loss, better throttle response and improved braking. That year Triumph also made tweaks to the 1,200cc high-torque parallel-twin engine, reducing engine mass through the use of a lighter crankshaft. An optimized clutch and balancer shafts also reduced inertia, giving the latest-generation machine a more responsive throttle for quicker access to the 77 lb.-ft. of torque and 79 hp (claimed).

Weighing 15 pounds less than the previous-generation bike and boasting new lightweight aluminum wheel rims and higher-spec Brembo brakes along with added cruise control and enhanced riding modes, the latest-gen Bonnie manages to improve on an already excellent standard machine.

Related: Triumph and Gibson to Support a Dapper Ride for Awareness

The side panels feature a more prominent DGR logo treatment framed by pinstripes. The umbrella and wrench will likely get more than a few questions from bystanders. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

But, as mentioned, the new 2024 T120 Black DGR is its own thing, and the model taps into the whole “dapper” vibe via a sophisticated metallic Phantom Black and Crystal White two-tone paint scheme, which, according to Triumph is meant to evoke “a distinctive ‘dress suit’ inspired design, drawing inspiration from ‘dressing dapper’ for dinner.” In any case, it’s a far more refined look than the stock T120 Black offers, though much of the lower portion of the DGR bike retains the dark treatment of the base model.

Adding more elegance to the mix are a series of tasteful hand-painted gold stripes along the fuel tank and on the side panels, though taking center stage on the panel is a prominent DGR 2023 gold script logo. The brown stitched bench seat with pillion strap further enhances the vintage custom look.

Triumph updated much of the Modern Classic range for 2022; aluminum wheel rims and higher-specification Brembos were part of the improvements. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Each bike comes with a collector edition numbered certificate of authenticity featuring the motorcycle’s VIN reference and DGR edition number, both hand signed by the DGR’s Mark Hawwa and Triumph’s Nick Bloor. Edition 001 of the T120 Black DGR will eventually be presented to the rider who raises the most funds at the 2023 event.

Hawwa, founder of the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, said: “If anyone had said 10 years ago that we’d be celebrating a decade of partnership with Triumph Motorcycles, I would have laughed. Triumph has become like a family to me and to The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. They are passionate about getting classic styled bikes out for a ride and using the machines we love to make a positive impact for our cause. We are beyond proud to release the Bonneville T120 Black Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Limited Edition motorcycle, to celebrate what we have achieved together, and to continue doing more of what we love.”

Other than the tank and front fender, the DGR bike retains much of the stock T120 Black’s blacked out treatment. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Triumph has informed us that the Limited Edition motorcycles will be considered model year 2024 in North America. The bikes will have an MSRP of $13,495 for the US, which will receive 50 units. In Canada, MSRP will be $14,995 CAD, with five units allocated to our northern neighbors.

In the US, the T120 Black DGR edition will retail for $13,495 and will be considered a 2024 model. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

This year’s ride is set for Sunday, May 22. Preregistration is open to riders across the world, and official registration and fundraising begin on March 28.

Source

[Saul]

Lovely looking bike but riding that DGR edition in the UK would get the pissed ripped unmercilessly. 

[yen_powell]

I feel left out, I'm not dapper or distinguished and I don't have a very old bike or a brand new one that looks like a classic bike. I could wear my pants on the outside I suppose, they're classical looking....covered in 'dap' as well.

[Pedro]

That’s very gay, and maybe racist too.

[XTreme]

1 hour ago, yen_powell said:

I feel left out, I'm not dapper or distinguished and I don't have a very old bike or a brand new one that looks like a classic bike. I could wear my pants on the outside I suppose, they're classical looking....covered in 'dap' as well.

You never know Yen......they might make a "Smelly Cunt" model?