This is a 1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R that formerly belonged to Billie Joe Armstrong, the larger-than-life frontman of iconic punk band Green Day.
Armstrong is well-known for his love of vintage vehicles, we previously featured his VW Beetle on Silodrome, and he’s owned many other classics over the years. The T120R was a special version of the Bonneville
Fast Facts: The Triumph Bonneville T120R
- The Triumph Bonneville T120R was introduced in the early 1960s as a high-performance export version of the standard Bonneville, built specifically to appeal to the American market. With its wide handlebars, smaller fuel tank, and revised gearing, the T120R offered a riding experience tailored for long-distance cruising on US highways.
- The model’s foundation lay in the original 1959 T120, which was based on the Triumph Tiger T110. It used a 649cc OHV parallel-twin engine producing up to 50 bhp and was capable of reaching 110 – 115 mph. From 1963, it featured unit construction for improved reliability, lower weight, and manufacturing efficiency.
- Pre-1970 versions were equipped with a duplex cradle frame and traditional suspension, while later models adopted the less-popular oil-in-frame design (a change many purists disliked). The Triumphs of this era earned their street-cred through AMA racing and no small amount of cultural cachet from owners like Steve McQueen.
- The motorcycle featured here is a 1968 T120R that belonged to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Finished in faded Hi-Fi Scarlet, it has period-correct features including wire-spoke wheels, stainless steel fenders, and a two-up seat. It’s offered for sale from Lodi, California, with documented celebrity ownership and just 4,800 miles on the odometer.
History Speedrun: The Triumph Bonneville T120R
The Triumph Bonneville T120R was never meant to be just another 650 twin. It was built with one eye firmly on the American market, the “R” variant of the Bonneville T120 became a defining export model in the 1960s and early ’70s – designed specifically to match the expectations of US riders who wanted more punch, taller bars, and leaner styling.
The Triumph Bonneville T120R was built with one eye firmly on the American market, the “R” variant of the Bonneville T120 became a defining export model in the 1960s and early ’70s. Image courtesy of Triumph.
The roots of the T120R can be traced back to the 1959 debut of the original Bonneville T120, a parallel-twin based on the Triumph Tiger T110 but fitted with twin Amal carburetors and a higher-compression cylinder head. The model was named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, a reference to Johnny Allen’s 1956 speed record aboard his Triumph-powered streamliner.
From the start, the T120 was positioned as Triumph’s flagship performance motorcycle, a halo bike in every sense of the term, and it quickly gained a reputation for being fast, tractable, and capable both on the road and in competition.
As the US became Triumph’s most important market, a range of export-specific variants emerged. The T120R was produced from approximately 1962 until 1972, and was very much tailored for American tastes.
It had wide, western-style handlebars, smaller teardrop fuel tanks, and adjusted gear ratios more suited to long-distance journeys that American riders were more likely to undertake on the nation’s seemingly limitless highway system.
It was powered by a 649cc OHV parallel-twin with a 360º crankshaft, producing 46 – 50 bhp depending on the year and tuning, and it could top out at 110 – 115 mph, a remarkable turn of speed for the era and considerably faster than most cars (or motorcycles) then in production.
From 1963, unit construction became standard – combining engine and gearbox casings into a single unit for added rigidity and simplified assembly. Earlier models had separate engines and gearboxes bolted into the frame next to one another.
The Bonneville T120R was powered by a 649cc OHV parallel-twin with a 360-degree crankshaft, producing 46 – 50 bhp depending on the year and tuning, and it could top out at 110 – 115 mph, a remarkable turn of speed for the era. Image courtesy of Triumph.
The chassis used a traditional duplex cradle frame with telescopic front forks and twin rear shocks until 1970, when Triumph rolled out their controversial oil-in-frame (OIF) chassis – enthusiasts typically consider the pre-OIF bikes the peak of the model’s development.
In the hands of racers like Gary Nixon and Buddy Elmore, T120 variants were campaigned successfully in AMA racing. Though many off-road racers preferred the TR6 for its single-carb reliability, the Bonneville name remained a cultural heavyweight. Steve McQueen owned multiple Triumphs including at least one Bonneville, though he’s most often associated with the TR6C “Desert Sled.”
By 1973, the T120 gave way to the larger-capacity T140 as Triumph scrambled to respond to Honda’s all-conquering CB750. But the T120R had already made its mark. It was light – only around 175 kgs dry – torquey, and fast enough to feel potent without being overbearing. It remains today one of the most collected and revered classic British motorcycles of its era.
The Ex-Billie Joe Armstrong Triumph Bonneville T120R Shown Here
This 1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R was owned by Billie Joe Armstrong – the lead singer and lead guitarist of Green Day, before it was acquired by the current dealer in 2019.
This 1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R was owned by Billie Joe Armstrong – the lead singer and lead guitarist of Green Day, before it was acquired by the current dealer in 2019.
The bike is finished in faded Hi-Fi Scarlet, it has polished stainless steel fenders, “eyebrow” tank badges, rubber knee grips, a contoured two-up seat, folding passenger footpegs, and both center and side stands. It rides on 19″ front and 18″ rear wire-spoke wheels with drum brakes front and back, and the five-digit odometer shows 4,800 miles.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Lodi, California by the selling dealer with spare parts and a clean California title, showing Billie Joe Armstrong as the former owner. If you’d like to read more or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer + Triumph
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.