Paul Newman and his Bonneville Roadster

Dig this shot of Paul Newman and his ’68 Bonneville T120R.

The 1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R (Roadster) was at the apex of its development, the promise of the first 650cc Thunderbird of 1950 now fully realized. It was as fast as any motorcycle in the industry, easily reaching 120 MPH, handled beautifully, looked terrific, and had brakes that worked like a champ. The 1968-70 Triumph twins, Bonneville and TR6 both, shared three glory years when most of the glitches of earlier models had been solved with upgrades like double-damped forks, twin leading shoe brakes, and twin Amal Concentric carburetors. The twins still very recognizably had their roots in the 1950s models, making them instant classics.