From Green Day’s Tré Cool’s Collection, 1969 Triumph 650cc T120R Bonneville Bobber Custom

From Green Day’s Tré Cool’s Collection

1969 Triumph 650cc T120R Bonneville Bobber Custom

Post-World War II, Triumph’s larger twins remained recognizably similar to the first Speed Twin of 1938. But as the 1960s dawned, unitary construction of engine and gearbox, already a feature of the 350 and 500 twins, was applied to the 650s, launching in the 1963 model year. Thanks to razor-sharp handling, lusty acceleration and a top speed approaching 120mph, the Bonneville continued in this new form as Triumph’s top-of-the-range sportster. As such, it became the logical and hugely popular basis for all kinds of customizations. In Britain, the café racer was the design of choice, a racer from tea shop to café, often for “pinks”, while the bobber was the choice in the US, first popularized by returning American ex-servicemen during the period immediately after WW2, and more conducive to the wide open spaces of America’s west.

Tré Cool

Green Day’s Tré Cool was born in Frankfurt, Germany to American parents and embarked on a music career at the young age of 12 when he was recruited to play drums by his neighbor Larry Livermore for the punk outfit The Replacements. In 1990, Cool was asked to fill in temporarily as Green Day’s. The rest is history.

Cool dropped out of high school to pursue music full time. How punk rock is that!?! Cool’s father was a huge supporter of the band, who converted a Bookmobile to a touring rig to transport the band. Dookie’s massive and unexpected success catapulted the band into lasting American and international music fame and a career that would span decades.

The motorbike offered

Tré Cool acquired this 1969 Triumph 650cc T120R Bonneville Bobber Custom in March 2006, an obvious addition to his collection and penchant for the Bobber-style. A matching-numbers ’69 Bonneville was chopped in to a classic bobber with a hardtail rear end, removal of the front brake, Bates-style seat and headlight, loud straight pipes and other typical custom features – Wesco oil cooler, shrouded forks, oil tank, bellmouths on the carbs and a stripped-down aesthetic. A vibrant red and white tank and rear fender are adorned with Von Dutch-style pinstriping, signed by the artist, Stybes, and dated 2006.

The bike is sold on a clean, clear title in our vendor’s name and Tré has offered a personalized autographed memorabilia item to accompany the sale.