Nothing screams classic like the English-born Triumph Bonneville. In 1959, it kicked off the cafe racer movement and became even more famous when Marlon Brando straddled his own Bonneville in The Wild One.
The Triumph Bonneville’s parallel-twin four-stroke engine, well known for its power and speed, was famously combined with Norton featherbed frames to create the elusive Triton. In 2008, fuel injection replaced the need for the dual carbs, but throttle bodies were redesigned as dummy carbs to maintain the original look of the engine.
The Triumph Bonneville has retained its stylish, quintessentially British looks through several generations: production started in Hinckley in 2001 and continues today.
The current ‘Modern Classics’ range was launched in 2016 with the Street Twin, Street Cup and Street Scrambler at the lower end of the range. The Bonneville roadster is available in the traditional T100 and T120 variants, and the Thruxton and Thruxton R are modern day cafe racers. A ‘factory’ 1200cc Bobber completes the range.
Some of the most prolific custom shops out there have found success by settling on a winning recipe, then replicating it countless times. But the real trick is to find new ways to riff on the same style, so that it doesn’t become stale. And Tamarit Motorcycles has that down to an art. Sure, if…
Read more »
Hayden Roberts once quipped that when he moved from England to California in the early 2000s, it was “about 40 years too late.” His work testifies to that: as Hello Engine, he builds neat vintage Triumphs that look like they were transplanted straight from the 60s. And like many of the desert sleds from that…
Read more »
Unless you’re handy with a grinder and welding gear, it’s not cheap to put a custom bike in your garage. But if you live in Spain, you can get a taste of high-end custom culture without draining the Euros from your bank account. That’s because Spain is one of the countries where the rental company…
Read more »
Triumph’s current modern classics are wonderfully designed machines that recall the marque’s history, while offering contemporary performance. But their complex electronics and liquid-cooled, fuel injected motors make them notoriously hard to customize. Superficial changes are a walk in the park, but going deep requires a master’s degree in engineering. The thing is, Triumph’s retro range…
Read more »There’s something to be said for using the right tool for the job. But there’s an almost defiant joy to choosing a…
Read more »The alt-moto scene is full of enthusiasts that have a measure of good taste, but don’t have the means to build or…
Read more »Classic Triumph bobbers tend to be commissioned by riders with many years and miles under their belts. After all, it usually takes…
Read more »After exactly two hundred editions of Bikes of the Week, we’re retiring the format and switching things up a little. Our new…
Read more »If you’re anything like us, you probably spend the odd moment fantasizing about your ideal garage. But after seeing the latest project…
Read more »Working from an old barn in Idaho, Union Motorcycle Classics produce some of the nicest restomods and classic customs we’ve seen. But…
Read more »There are bikes that look ‘busy,’ full of angles and ancillaries, pumped up like a bodybuilder on show day. Then there are…
Read more »There’s something about a classic Triumph dirt bike: the appealing proportions, the chunky rubber, the swept-back bars and the plush seat. Put…
Read more »
