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.
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…
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The 21st century motorcycle is a complex beast, crammed with electronics and trick engineering in the name of one-upmanship and regulatory approval. But there’s something strangely compelling in the simplicity of an older bike from less complicated times. And they don’t come more stripped down than this 1972 T120 from Pitstop Motor Werk.
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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 Panigale covered in occult symbols. Plus a trio of electric bikes—an old Enfield that traveled the entire length of Britain, and two new concepts designed by Erik Buell. (Yes, he’s back.)
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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…
Read more »In theory, owning an old Brit bike is a great idea. In reality, your right hand will become more familiar with a…
Read more »If you live in the UK and you want a fast street tracker or a well-sorted flat track racer, you call Steve…
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