By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Cruiser vs Retro Classic
BMW R 12 (MY2024) vs Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition (MY2025)
You'll leave the BMW R 12 in one gear and roll the throttle on: the boxer builds and doesn't once turn on you. On the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition, the same twist wakes a parallel twin, and there's a pulse you can count. It hauls from low revs, beat by beat.
So which one do you buy?
Buy the Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition if…
Keeping running costs low
Clear edge: Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
On running costs, the Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition pulls clearly ahead. It's the easier one to own on a tight budget.
The Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition has the edge if…
Daily commuting & city riding
Narrow edge: Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
The Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition edges it for the daily grind. It's down to easier everyday riding. It's a small gap, not a reason on its own.
Sporty riding on twisty roads
By a nose: Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
The Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition is a touch more fun when the road starts bending. Just a touch.
Which one's the smarter buy
Different classes, different trade-offs
These bikes sit in different classes, so neither is the clear better buy for the money. The R 12 costs less, but that doesn't make it the value winner over the Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition.
What makes each one tick
R 12
Through mountain switchbacks the R 12 keeps its front tire on a tidy line, and you're already scanning for the next bend before this one's done. Real commitment drags the footpegs. A deep pothole isn't soaked up by the stiff suspension, which sends each hit straight into your back. On wet, cracked asphalt, the brakes bite clean.
Nils rode the R 12 in Montenegro in 2024 (NastyNils Testride).
Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
The seat on the Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition sits 27.8 in (705 mm) up, and there's lumbar support in its sculpted pad for long hours in the saddle. Its twin Brembo discs bite hard.
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition has the lower seat: 27.8 in (705 mm) vs 29.7 in (754 mm).
- The R 12 has the lower wet weight: 500 lb (227 kg) vs 580 lb (263 kg).
- The R 12 makes more peak power: 95 hp (70 kW) vs 77 hp (57 kW).
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Wrong job for both
Neither one is built for long-haul comfort. For big miles, look at a proper tourer or sport tourer.
A confidence-building first motorcycle
Not built for this
A first bike should forgive mistakes, and these two don't do that well enough. Come back to them later.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
R 12
Strengths
- Boxer Torque, Zero Drama
- Clean Throttle In Any Weather
- Surprising Composure In The Hills
- Brakes Hold On Wet, Broken Roads
- Authentic boxer character
Trade-offs
- Footpegs Drag When You Push
- Firm Suspension Beats You Up
- Quickshifter Gets Harsh Up High
Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
What owners say
Strengths
- Comfortable solo ergonomics with low seat
- Confident handling for a cruiser
What they cost used
These prices compare a 1-year-old R 12 with a 1-year-old Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition.
- R 12
- about $10,600
- Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition
- about $12,800
At one year old, the BMW R 12 sits around $10,600 while the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition runs about $12,800. That's a $2,200 gap in the R 12's favor. These are US market estimates, not live listings.
What they share
- Gearbox
- 6-speed
- Front brake
- 310 mm
- Rear tire
- 150/80-16
Where the spec sheets split
| R 12 | Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 29.7 in (754 mm) | 27.8 in (705 mm) |
| Wet weight | 500 lb (227 kg) | 580 lb (263 kg) |
| R 12 | Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 1170 cc | 1200 cc |
| Engine | Flat-twin (boxer) | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled | Liquid-cooled |
| Power | 95 hp (70 kW) | 77 hp (57 kW) |
| Peak power at | 6,500 rpm | 6,100 rpm |
| Torque | 81 lb-ft (110 Nm) | 78 lb-ft (106 Nm) |
| Peak torque at | 6,000 rpm | 4,000 rpm |
| R 12 | Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 US gal (14 L) | 3.2 US gal (12 L) |
| R 12 | Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Final drive | Shaft | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) | Telescopic |
| Front tire | 100/90-19 | MT90-16 |
| Wheelbase | 59.8 in (1519 mm) | 59.1 in (1501 mm) |
What comes fitted, what costs extra
| R 12 | Bonneville Speedmaster Icon Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone Connectivity | Option | Not offered |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
