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.
We’re all for extreme machines that draw a crowd when parked up, but we also love ‘sleeper’ customs—those that keep their performance potential under wraps. At first glance, this Triumph from Amsterdam looks like a regular Street Twin with a mild retro makeover. But it’ll probably get its rider from A to B faster than…
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From cafe racers to scooters, we’re covering interesting ground this week. From the UK we’ve got a stunning Guzzi and a sensible Bonneville, Switzerland offers a sleek Honda CB400, and from the Czech Republic we have news of the rebirth of Čezeta.
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The motorcycle industry is replete with modern replicas of classic machines. These days, you can buy bikes that mimic the style of vintage motos—but with hidden electronics and catalytic converters, and no oil leaks. Period-correct old timers are becoming rarer by the day. So we need guys like Hayden Roberts: craftsmen who live and breathe…
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Triumph are great at recalling the past via the design of their modern day classics. But there’s one element Hinckley hasn’t brought back: the infamous ‘bathtub’ fairing. Edward Turner’s idea to enclose the rear wheel first appeared on the 1957 Triumph 3TA ‘Twenty One,’ and later the 1959 5TA ‘Speed Twin.’ It was a move…
Read more »The 21st century motorcycle is a complex beast, crammed with electronics and trick engineering in the name of one-upmanship and regulatory approval.…
Read more »There’s something for everyone this week. We’ve got a Bonneville beach cruiser, a pair of high-performance Triumph Speed Triples, and a Ducati…
Read more »Ben Giese is a man of exceptional taste. As the creative director and editor-in-chief of the aesthetically superior motorcycle magazine, Meta, he…
Read more »Most manufacturers have at least a couple of retro-styled motorcycles on sale. But Triumph has more skin in that game than anyone…
Read more »We’ve profiled 2LOUD’s work for almost two years now. From day one, builder ‘Max’ Yicheng has consistently delivered elegant and harmonious machines…
Read more »One of the most famous names in the history of British motorcycling has returned: the Triumph Speed Twin. It first caused a…
Read more »The pre-2016 Triumph Bonneville is one of the shining stars of the custom scene: a bike that only gets better as you…
Read more »A lesson in laying (exhaust) pipe from Taiwan, a BMW K100 called ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, and a GSX-R750 hiding a little…
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