Triumph Motorcycles certainly loves its limited-edition special bikes. And, I mean, the company is hardly alone in that endeavo(u)r. You can say the same about many of the major motorcycle manufacturers that are currently active in 2024, from MV Agusta to Harley-Davidson.
Case in point: The new 2025 Triumph Bonneville T120 Elvis Presley Limited Edition.
Only 925 of these bikes will be made, full of graphic details that were inspired by the one-of-a-kind Elvis Bonneville that was auctioned off for charity in 2023. And if you're an Elvis fan, or a collector, or both, then you might be excited to add this particular Bonneville T120 to your collection.
But what's the Elvis connection to this specific Triumph you ask? Let me explain.
Gallery: 2025 Triumph Bonneville T120 Elvis Presley Limited Edition
While the history of Elvis and his love for Harleys is well-documented in the general historic pop-cultural collective consciousness, the King also had a stable of other bikes (and at least one trike) that he loved.
In 2023, Triumph donned its best houndstooth flappy-ear cap, pipe, and Benedict Cumberbatch mask to investigate the Case Of The Missing Memphis Mafia Bikes. The story goes that for years, there were rumors about Elvis being so impressed after riding a Triumph Bonneville that he just had to give his closest friends their own so they could all go riding together.
But in 2023, Triumph actually found evidence to support the idea that this was much more than a myth. The only better proof they could possibly have turned up than the actual checks that Elvis wrote to purchase the bikes would have been the bikes themselves.
Sadly, the bikes themselves still haven't turned up, and Triumph is still requesting that anyone with information on their whereabouts reach out at elvistriumph@triumphmotorcycles.com.
Some Pop Culture Is Forever
Even in 2024, unless you live in a situation where you've had no contact with the outside world, it's probably difficult to find someone who hasn't at least heard of Elvis. More likely, even if you wouldn't consider yourself to personally be a fan, he's probably touched your life in at least one way.
I didn't grow up in an Elvis-loving family, but I had a downstairs neighbor in one apartment I lived in who was absolutely obsessed. Every commemorative everything she could get her hands on found its way into her apartment. That, her quilted floral housecoat, and the faint odor of steamed fish that permeated the hallway around her door are the things I remember most about her. Her fandom made her happy.
More than that, though, I think of a scene from the great Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train. Released in 1989, it's a movie that tells three different stories set in Memphis. One of them is called Far From Yokohama, and tells the story of two Japanese tourists named Mitsuko (Youki Kudoh) and Jun (Masatoshi Nagase) who travel to Memphis on an Elvis-based pilgrimage.
It yielded this memorable scene, for which you won't require subtitles. And it still sticks in my head to this day, because we've all been both of these characters when we've cared passionately enough about something. It's literally a scene I have referred to approximately a zillion times in real life when I'm hanging out with people I know, as a kind of shorthand for ultra-passionate fandom.
To understand the scene, all you need to know is that Jun and Mitsuko are on a bit of an Elvis spiritual journey, spurred by Mitsuko's love for and reverence of the King. They're a couple, and while they clearly love each other, Jun just isn't as into Elvis as Mitsuko is.
Now, thanks to this new Triumph limited edition Bonnie, someone could theoretically recreate the journey these two characters take (and this scene too, if they wanted) and amp up the Elvis content to 11.
Classic riding character and styling, but with modern touches like LED lighting, modern brakes and suspension, and a USB socket to keep your phone charged so you can keep pumping your favorite tunes into your Bluetooth headset as you ride. Granted, the Elvis Presley Limited Edition Bonneville T120 starts at $15,495, so it's certainly not the cheapest of dreams to achieve. But timeless? Yes. Priceless? Possibly, depending on how you feel.
