If the Bonneville is the heart of Triumph’s modern classic lineup, the Thruxton is undoubtedly its soul. The name itself is steeped in the grime and glory of 1960s endurance racing, specifically the Thruxton 500-mile race, where Triumph’s twin-cylinder machines first proved their mettle. By 1969, the Thruxton had become the first production motorcycle to lap the Isle of Man TT at over 100 mph—a feat that cemented the "Ton Up" culture of the era.
In the modern era, Triumph resurrected the nameplate in 2004 with the air-cooled 900 series, followed by the game-changing, liquid-cooled 1200cc Thruxton R in 2016. These bikes offered a "factory custom" look straight off the showroom floor, but for the world's premier builders, they remained a challenge to improve.
Whether it’s the original carb-fed brutes or the high-spec "R" models, the Thruxton remains the ultimate canvas for those looking to blend British heritage with contemporary performance. Here are five of our favorite Triumph Thruxton customs featured on Bike EXIF.
‘Helios’ by Tamarit Motorcycles
Spanish outfit Tamarit Motorcycles has customized over 120 Triumphs, but 'Helios' is one of their most sophisticated efforts. Based on an air-cooled, carbureted Thruxton, the bike is defined by its stunning monocoque tank and tail unit. This bodywork features a hydraulically-assisted hinge, allowing the entire top section to lift for easy mechanical access—a feature as practical as it is visually arresting.
The mechanical details are just as impressive. Tamarit replaced the stock twin-shock setup with a mono-shock conversion, utilizing a 6-inch swingarm stretch and a Hagon shock for a long, low profile. The engine was treated to a full rebuild and fitted with a completely bespoke under-tail exhaust system, complete with MotoGP-style hexagonal mesh outlets. Even the oil cooler was reimagined, integrated into a finned design on the frame's front down tubes.
The burnt metallic orange paint—inspired by the Greek sun god Helios—contrasts beautifully with a mirror-polished, chrome-plated frame. Rolling on 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels with lenticular covers, Helios represents the pinnacle of Mediterranean café racer style: bright, bold, and technically flawless. [MORE]
‘Super Ten’ by Onehandmade
Taiwanese builder Chun, better known as Onehandmade, is a master of aluminum shaping. His 'Super Ten' build transformed a 2014 Thruxton 900 into a tracker that defies the "standard" flat track aesthetic. Chun spent months perfecting the lines of the aluminum fuel tank, building it three times to ensure the integrated fuel pump fit perfectly without compromising the svelte silhouette.
The bike’s stance is dictated by a set of forged billet aluminum ‘Flurry’ wheels from Arlen Ness and high-spec Öhlins shocks. The braking system is a full Beringer setup, matched with Rough Crafts risers, bars, and grips. Despite the complex fabrication, the bike feels incredibly light, helped along by the removal of bulky stock components in favor of Speed Merchant covers and a bespoke right-side-only exhaust.
The livery is a subtle, classy twist on the iconic Martini colors, executed by Air Runner Custom Paint. It’s a pro-build in every sense of the word, demonstrating that even with the older 900cc platform, a world-class builder can create a machine that feels entirely modern and uniquely aggressive. [MORE]
The ‘HandBrake’ Skateboard Thruxton by Rogue Motorcycles
What happens when a 2011 Triumph Thruxton meets a skateboard artist? You get this audacious collaboration between Billy Kuyken of Rogue Motorcycles and Hans Bruechle (HandBrake the Artist). The most "street" build on our list, it features a literal skateboard deck as the seat base, supported by a custom mono-shock conversion that required cutting the original frame in half.
The bike’s beefy front end comes from a Suzuki GSX-R1000, fitted with a unique gold Kashima coating for ultra-low friction. The wheels are Excel rims (5.5” wide at the rear) laced to Cognito Moto hubs, while the gear shifter tip has been replaced by a stack of skate wheel bearings. It’s a riot of textures and subcultural references that shouldn't work together, yet somehow do.
The paint is the standout feature: Hans spent 31 hours hand-painting the tank and rims with his signature street art style, featuring pin-up girls in aviation helmets and funky faces. Combined with a cherry red powder-coated frame and Malossi velocity stacks, this Thruxton is a high-performance middle finger to the "black-and-chrome" traditionalists. [MORE]
The ASH Motorcycles Street Tracker
Debut builds are rarely this polished. ASH Motorcycles—a trio of British craftsmen, including a retired aircraft engineer—used a Thruxton 900 to create a textbook street tracker that looks like a factory prototype. The team manually machined new yokes from solid billet aluminum to hold Yamaha R6 forks, a process done entirely without CNC machinery to ensure every part felt truly "hand-built."
The fuel tank was inspired by iconic Trackmaster designs, shaped over a wooden buck, and finished with a classic Monza gas cap. To achieve the aggressive tracker stance, they removed the frame's lower rails, turning the parallel twin into a stressed member. This not only lightened the bike's appearance but also allowed for a more compact engine layout, breathing through a Twin Power air box eliminator kit.
The bike sits on 19-inch Excel rims with Maxxis flat track rubber and features a TIG-welded stainless steel exhaust that provides a "loud and throaty" soundtrack. The paint—a timeless mix of bare aluminum, graphite, and candy red—makes this Thruxton look like a machine built for the professional dirt ovals of the 1970s, but with the reliability of a modern British twin. [MORE]
‘Phantom Blaze’ by Mellow Motorcycles
The German workshop Mellow Motorcycles doesn't do "mellow." When Triumph approached them to build a racer for the Sultans of Sprint series, the mission was absolute speed. The result is 'Phantom Blaze,' a supercharged Thruxton R that pushes the 1200cc parallel twin to its absolute limit. Plumbed with a Rotrex C15-60 supercharger supplying 0.6 bar of boost, the bike’s output jumped from a stock 96 horsepower to a staggering 147 horsepower at the rear wheel.
To handle the 53% increase in power, Mellow installed forged pistons and a reinforced clutch. The chassis received equal attention, featuring a CNC-machined 8.5 cm extended swingarm to keep the bike stable during high-speed launches, and Wilbers shocks to manage the rear-end squat. The front fairing is a masterpiece of hand-formed metalwork that took nearly 300 man-hours to complete, blending the high-tech Rotrex unit with a silhouette that harks back to the "Spirit of 59."
Finished in a striking blue and yellow livery, 'Phantom Blaze' is more than a showpiece; it’s a podium-winning drag bike. It proves that while the Thruxton R is a formidable street bike, there is a monster lurking inside that 1200cc engine just waiting for enough forced induction to wake it up. [MORE]
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