2023 marks a decade of partnership between the iconic British motorcycle manufacturer and The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) – a charitable organisation which unites hundreds of thousands of classic and vintage style motorcycle fans all over the world to raise funds and awareness for men’s health and prostate cancer.
To celebrate the landmark, Triumph have revealed a new Bonneville T120 Black Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Limited Edition motorcycle, of which only 250 will be built worldwide, with chassis number 001 being awarded to the highest DGR fundraiser for the 2023 ride.
The special edition DGR model is essentially the same as the current Triumph Bonneville T120 Black, housing the same torquey 1200cc twin motor and high-spec components, such as the Brembo front brake and twin disk set up complete with ABS, cruise control and rain and road riding modes.
As you might expect, where the T120 Black Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Limited Edition model differs is its unique design.
A sophisticated monochrome metallic Phantom Black and Crystal White two-tone paint scheme follows a distinctive ‘dress suit’ inspired design. Gold fuel tank stripe detailing and hand-painted gold pinstriping on the side panels, inspired by the DGR’s dapper clothing and accessory style, completed with the custom DGR 2023 gold script logo featured on the fuel tank and side panels, with an elegant brown stitched bench seat with pillion strap, to round off the apt vintage custom look.
“It’s Triumph’s tenth year in partnership with the DGR, and the whole theme of it is focused on classic, modern classic and vintage motorcycles. And if you’re looking for the epitome of a classic bike, it’s the Bonneville. And this limited edition bike completely represents that with its unique scheme, it’s for a fantastic cause and it’s the first time the public can buy a DGR motorcycle.” Triumph’s Head of Brand Management, Miles Perkins, told Insidebikes.
The T120 Black DGR Limited Edition model follows the one-off Triumph Thruxton RS DGR Edition and a custom '1959 Legends' Triumph Bonneville T120 and matching Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, awarded to last year’s DGR ride’s highest fundraiser as part of a collaboration between Triumph and Gibson.
Talking of the decision to use a Bonneville T120 Black as the limited edition model, Perkins continued: “In the world of motorcycling, the Bonneville T120 is a fundamental motorcycle that changed the game when it launched back in 1959. And now today, the Bonneville T120 sits in that position of being the ultimate modern classic, and it’s one of our biggest sellers. So, it was the perfect choice.”
Each bike comes with a collector edition numbered certificate of authenticity featuring the motorcycle’s VIN reference and DGR edition number, hand signed by DGR’s founder Mark Hawwa and Triumph’s Nick Bloor.
The Triumph T120 Black Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Limited Edition will cost £12,595 with dealers taking deposits from 14th April.
Speaking of the 10-year partnership, Mark Hawwa said he “would have laughed if anyone had said 10 years ago that we’d be celebrating a decade of partnership with Triumph.”
“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.”
Since DGR’s inception, it has become a global event with more than 90,000 riders taking to the streets in more than 800 cities, with more than $37m USD raised for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health to date.
