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Triumph Bonneville T120 Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free Triumph Bonneville T120 car check

Is the Triumph Bonneville T120 reliable? We analysed 1,049 real MOT tests across 543 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 1,049 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
93.2%
Typical Mileage
4,435mi
Annual Mileage
609mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
yrs

The Triumph Bonneville T120 is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Triumph Bonneville T120.

Triumph Bonneville T120 Number Plates

Number plates registered to a Triumph Bonneville T120. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

Triumph Bonneville T120 MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a Triumph Bonneville T120 to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

95%
2022
91.3%
2021

Triumph Bonneville T120 Problems — What Goes Wrong?

The most common reasons a Triumph Bonneville T120 fails its MOT, ranked by how often they occur. Check for these problems before you buy.

Handlebar mounting clamp bolt loose 2

Triumph Bonneville T120 Common Faults & Problems

These are the most common serious faults found on Triumph Bonneville T120 models during MOT testing — flagged as dangerous or major failures that need immediate attention.

Tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm 4
Brake pad(s) less than 1.0 mm thick 2
Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released 1

Triumph Bonneville T120 Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical Triumph Bonneville T120 owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
177 mi/yr
Typical
609 mi/yr
Average
960 mi/yr
Heavy usage
1,184 mi/yr

Triumph Bonneville T120 MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the Triumph Bonneville T120 year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
2022 321 95.0% 2,045 3,855 6,229
2021 379 91.3% 2,601 4,228 6,610

How Long Does a Triumph Bonneville T120 Last?

Based on 543 Triumph Bonneville T120 vehicles on UK roads.

Average
5.1 years
Median
3.0 years

Triumph Bonneville T120 Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all Triumph Bonneville T120 MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
4,435 mi
75th Percentile
7,506 mi
95th Percentile
17,397 mi
Max Recorded
208,108 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used Triumph Bonneville T120

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
2022

95.0% MOT pass rate from 321 tests

Year to avoid
2021

91.3% MOT pass rate from 379 tests

The best year to buy a used Triumph Bonneville T120 is 2022, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 95.0% across 321 tests. The 2021 model year has the lowest pass rate at 91.3% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the Triumph Bonneville T120 Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
Triumph Bonneville T120 THIS CAR 93.2% 1,049 4,435 mi — yrs
Triumph Bonneville 90.1% 235,206 7,823 mi 53 yrs
Triumph Tiger 90.6% 196,853 17,026 mi 32 yrs
Triumph Sprint 87.3% 158,613 21,242 mi 33 yrs
Citroen Berlingo 850 En-prise Bluehdi 87.4% 1,850 65,623 mi — yrs

Compared to the Triumph Bonneville (90.1% pass rate) and the Triumph Tiger (90.6% pass rate), the Triumph Bonneville T120 outperforms both on MOT reliability.

Found a Triumph Bonneville T120 you like?

Run a full vehicle history check on the specific car. See finance, stolen, write-off, mileage and MOT data for that exact vehicle.

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Should you buy a used Triumph Bonneville T120?

The Triumph Bonneville T120 has an overall MOT pass rate of 93.2% across 1,049 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

The most common failure point is handlebar mounting clamp bolt loose with 2 recorded occurrences. Check for this on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection.

On the safety side, the most frequently flagged dangerous fault is tyre tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm. Dangerous faults cause an immediate MOT failure and mean the vehicle is not roadworthy until repaired. If you're viewing a Triumph Bonneville T120 with an expired or recently passed MOT, ask the seller whether any dangerous faults were found and fixed during the last test.

A typical Triumph Bonneville T120 owner drives around 609 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

Triumph Bonneville T120 — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Triumph Bonneville T120 reliable?
Based on 1,049 MOT tests, the Triumph Bonneville T120 has a 93.2% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Triumph Bonneville T120?
The most common failure point is handlebar mounting clamp bolt loose.
How many miles does a Triumph Bonneville T120 do per year?
The typical Triumph Bonneville T120 does around 609 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Triumph Bonneville T120 last?
Lifespan data is not yet available for this model.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Triumph Bonneville T120?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a Triumph Bonneville T120?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used Triumph Bonneville T120 is 2022 with a 95.0% pass rate across 321 tests.