The bike was from 2004, but it was a “like new bike”. Mechanically it
was very nice, apart from the normal oxidation and some rusty parts. we
unmount almost everything in this bike. First we recovered all elements
that needed our attention, we shortened the rear, like we did in almost
every bike, and next we installed a really nice top of range equipment.
On the front, we install a new brake set, with Braking front disc and new brake caliper from Pretech with 6 pistons.
The front suspension had an upgrade from Ohlins.
New handlebar, handlebar supports, brake and clutch levers from Magura,
and all switches incorporated on the handlebar for a more simple look.
To finished the front look we install a beautiful Motogadget
to give all the info needed to the driver. The front light is a Harley
sportster headlight, painted to match the color scheme with a protector
grid.
Lisbon based Maria Riding Company have been building some very nice Triumph Twins over the last few years and here is their latest, which is based on an 2004 Triumph Bonneville. Maria describe themselves as having the ‘The Essence of Fun‘ and riding this nicely put together Triumph Twin, which has been named ‘Julijana’, ‘fun’ is exactly what you would have, especially if you took it up the odd dusty dirt track. 
The Julijana was built for a client, who had seen one of Maria previous builds named the Juliette and
wanted something similar, but with more rugged off-road looks. Although
the Juliette is the inspiration for this build, the guys at Maria wanted to take a different approaches, since they didn’t want to build two bikes the same.
Luis Correia founder of Maria Riding Company continues…
Our major objective was to built a extreme bonnie, with great equipment
and with a out of the box approach for a bonnie. Something more inspired
in the races, or the endure and motocross bikes. It was a mixed feeling
because, for one side we had loose a little from the classic looks but
by the other side we did something very different from the usual.
About the exhaust, our option was to have a small one. We choose a Zard,
different from the upper exhausts usually used on Scramblers. The sound
is massive! We retune the carbs, installed new air admission, with air
filters from K&N, new custom battery box, lithium battery, with all the original cables maintained, hided as good as possible.
On the back we added new Ohlins suspensions, new transmission set from Renthal, aluminium rear fender, with a posh backlight. More items installed were the black footpegs from Joker, aluminium turnlights, aluminium gas tank cover, and the custom black seat.
The painting was very intensive job of this project. From the engine
covers, to the valve and carbs covers, rims, hubs, headlights, tank, was
all chosed from the beginning to have this unique, agressive and
radical look. We loved the final looks of the tank with Julijana name
written on the top of the tank. The tires are Continental TKC 80.
In the final, we thought that we made one of our best handling Bonnies
ever. The bike is powerful and rides great, thanks to the nice
suspensions and brakes. It´s much more lighter than the original, and
it´s roars like a beast! Although any doubts on the visuals on the
beginning the think that the looks became outstanding on the overall! We
became very happy with the final result!
Check out more on our website in:
www.maria-ridingcompany.com
The Scrambler is one of the most-loved Triumph motorcycles of recent
times. But there’s a common criticism: its off-road performance doesn’t quite match those beguiling looks.
That shortfall has just been blown to smithereens by a team of five
motorcycle engineers. And not just any engineers: they’re all part of
Triumph’s own chassis development team, based in Spain and led by
brothers David and Felipe Lopez.
Since 2001, these guys have overseen the development testing of every
new Triumph model—so you can guarantee that this custom Scrambler can
walk the talk.
The bike is called Tramontana, after a northerly wind that blows over
the Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. “That’s what this
Scrambler does—it traverses the mountains as fast and as light as the
wind,” says David Lopez.
“During the development of the original Scrambler—launched
in 2006—the aim was on-road performance, with the capability for very
light off-road riding,” says Lopez. “But even then, it the potential for
real off-roading was clear. The 270-degree crank version of
the parallel twin allowed excellent traction with a good spread of
torque. And the ergos and intuitive character of the chassis made it fun
to ride on forest tracks.”
A couple of years later, Lopez and his crew handled the development of
the Tiger 800XC. And they got thinking about the good off-road potential
of big capacity bikes when purposely developed for it. “Our off-road
backgrounds were more related to light bikes—trials and enduro,” says
Lopez. “So we were surprised by the pleasure of riding bigger bikes in
challenging conditions and terrains.”
Lopez and his team have a soft spot for the Triumph ‘Modern Classics’
range, and had been planning to turn one into a high performance cafe
racer. But while developing the 800XC, they decided to change tack—and
create the ultimate off-road Scrambler.
It took an extraordinary four years of after-hours work. But this
machine has gone through the same chassis development process as an
‘official’ Triumph model, with extensive engineering input and equally
extensive test-riding.
“We investigated countless different geometries, suspension types, wheel
sizes, ergonomics and engine configurations,” says Lopez, “just like
we’d have done for a production bike. The development decisions were
made with only one target: off-road performance.”
Visually, the starting point was a very ‘classical’ Scrambler look,
but the finished machine has more of what Lopez calls a ‘modern-retro’
style.
“It’s got the character of the Scrambler and the sixties
Triumphs—provided by the parallel twin and the cradle/twin shock
frame—mixed with modern high performance.”
The spec sheet is mouthwatering: multi-adjustable Ohlins suspension,
alloy rims, twin front discs, alloy yokes and bars, and a tailor-made
Arrow exhaust. Even better is what the bike is missing, to the tune of
almost 40kg when weighed next to a stock Scrambler.
As you can imagine, the mods are extensive. So here’s a detailed rundown.
Chassis geometry “The geometry was developed to provide
a confidence-inspiring ride, balancing front and rear grip—to allow for
easy and predictable rear-wheel drifting.” This geometry was achieved
by repositioning the rear suspension unit top mounts, lengthening the
swing arm, and by changing the forks and yokes.
Wheel Base: 1510mm (up 10mm)
Caster Angle: 26.1 degrees (down from 27.8)
Trail: 111mm (up from 105mm)
Dry weight: 178kg (down from a real-world 217kg)
Weight Distribution: 48.5% Front – 51.5% Rear
Suspension “The suspension is now Öhlins, and was
specifically developed for this bike. We increased the fork stroke from
120mm to 220mm, and the rear wheel stroke from 106mm to 180mm.” The
increased rear stroke comes via clamps machined from solid alloy that
reposition the top of the rear suspension unit, which also improves
progressiveness.
Wheels Lightweight aluminum spoke wheels from Excel,
sized 21” x 2.5” at the front and 17″ x 4.25″ at the rear. “The 21”
front wheel is essential to achieve the desired level of grip and
control of the front end in off-road conditions.”
Frame Modified to reduce weight by eliminating all
non-essential features. The steel fork yokes have been replaced by
custom aluminum parts.
Ergonomics The steel handlebars and risers have been
swapped out for aluminum bars fitted with Tomaselli grips. The
footrests are modified genuine Triumph accessory items, in the 1970s
‘bear trap’ motocross style. “Their position has been changed to lower
the rider in relation to the center of gravity of the bike, to improve
standing up bike control.” The seat is a one-off, covered with Italian
brown leather.
Front Brakes Twin 308mm discs (replacing a single 310mm disc) with two-piston floating calipers by Nissin.
Bodywork Custom-made side panel and rear mudguard. Black anodized aluminum sump guard.
Powertrain Airbox replaced by inlet ports, with
individual air filters to improve low and mid-range torque. Re-jetted
Keihin carbs. Eliminated secondary air system. Custom-made wiring
harness and battery tray. Lithium-Ion battery. Size 17-50 sprockets.
Custom-made dynamic chain tensioner.
Exhaust System Custom Arrow brushed stainless steel
two-into-one high-level exhaust system, covered with wrapping tape to
optimize the exhaust phase.
CNC Machined Components Brake fluid reservoirs, rear
brake master cylinder protector, sprocket cover, headlight brackets and
protector, twin rear light.
The stock Triumph Scrambler
sells for $9,099 in the USA. Perhaps Triumph should take a leaf out of
the Street Triple’s book and sell this machine as an ‘R’ version for
$11,000—still a grand less than the 800XC. Or put together a kit, so
that Scrambler fans can convert their own machines to Tramontana spec.
Would you be tempted?
Images courtesy of Marc Bordons.
The post The ultimate Triumph Scrambler? appeared first on Bike EXIF.
Success can be both a blessing and a curse. While a well-received build
can put a custom shop on the map, it can just as easily lock them into a
certain style. Not ideal in an industry where progression is key.
This is the position that Jose and Tito of Maccomotors found
themselves in not too long ago. A previous Bonneville they’d
built—dubbed Dusty Pearl—had
garnered such interest that they were receiving numerous requests for a
remake. One such brief came from a client in London, but the Spanish
duo “believe that every bike must be unique and exclusive.” So they
convinced their client to let them build something in a similar vein,
but different.
“The idea was to create a comfortable, stylish Triumph,” says Jose, “but
rude at the same time.” Starting with a 2009 Triumph Bonneville T100,
Macco aimed to mix performance and style while still maintaining “the
essence of the bike.”
In the Málaga workshop, the Bonneville T100′s tank was redone in a
matte black and raw metal scheme—designed to emphasize its muscularity.
Macco shortened and looped the subframe, adding a custom-made, two-up
brown synthetic leather seat. A Thruxton rear fender was bobbed and
fitted, and a fiberglass front fender manufactured in-house.
Macco modified the stock side covers with mesh-lined cutouts, but left
the original chromed engine covers untouched—as they liked the look and
considered them a distinguishing feature of the Bonneville T100. Up
front, 1” Biltwell Tracker bars were fitted, along with Biltwell
Thruster grips, racing-style levers and a mini-speedo. The headlight is a
Bates unit, with a grill borrowed from a Triumph TR6 (of the
four-wheeled variety).
Hagon Nitro shocks (rear) and progressive springs (front) make for a smoother ride, and the wheels are now wrapped in Metzeler
Tourance tires—designed for light dual-sport use with a clear bias
towards tarmac. K&N filters and blacked-out British Customs Predator
exhausts help the T100 breathe a little easier. Other bits include a
LSL sprocket cover, mini turn signals and taillight, and alloy foot
pegs.
While it might share Dusty Pearl’s genes, The Lizard King (as Macco have
named it) is unique enough to keep both its owner and its creators
happy.
All that remains to be seen now is: how many customers will ask Jose and Tito to build another one?
Photos by Sergio Ibarra. Check out Maccomotors’ other bikes on their new website, and keep in touch via the Maccomotors Facebook page.
The post Bonneville T100 by Maccomotors appeared first on Bike EXIF.
If there’s one style of custom motorcycle that’s always been popular,
it’s the mighty hardtail. Reminiscent of the board and dirt trackers of
old, the distinct profile of a hardtail, coupled with the simplicity (or
impracticality) that comes with a lack of rear suspension, holds a
certain charm for many.
While we’ve seen fantastic examples spanning many makes and models,
few evoke as much emotion as those built around British engines of the
1960s and 1970s. So, for today’s selection, we’ve decided to focus our
attention on vintage Triumphs.
These are our five favorite vintage Triumph hardtails—a rather
eclectic mix of styles, so let us know if you agree with our choices.
Falcon Motorcycles Kestrel This was the second motorcycle in builder Ian Barry‘s
‘Concept 10′ series. At its heart is a 1970 Bonneville engine, which
originally came with a damaged gearbox. Ian cut the unit-engine in half,
ripped out the damaged transmission and installed the gearbox from a
BSA A10. He then re-shaped the engine’s contours by aluminum welding new
pieces and fitting them using a jig, and CNC machined new 750cc
cylinders out of aircraft-grade aluminum.
Only ten inches of the original frame remains; the rest was
fabricated from high-tensile steel tubing and set in a custom-made
aluminum jig, to ensure accurate geometry and flawless alignment. In
fact, most of the Kestrel was created in-house from scratch—from the
girder forks right down to the gas and oil tanks, exhausts, handlebars,
seat, levers and fender.
The Kestrel made its début at the 2010 Quail Motorcycle Gathering in
Carmel, California, in racing trim—the lights and license plate removed
in preparation for racing at El Mirage. It promptly won the award for
‘Best Custom Motorcycle.’ [More about this bike | Falcon Motorcycles]
Analog Motorcycles T120 ‘El Matador’ This T120
Bonneville is what happens when a respected builder creates a bike for
himself. ‘El Matador’ was a two-year labor of love for its owner—Tony
Prust of Analog Motorcycles.
The basis of the build is a 1968 Triumph frame with a Dave Bird
bolt-on hardtail. It’s powered by a 1972-spec 650cc T120 motor, rebuilt
by Ed Zender of Triumph specialists Morrie’s Place and powder coated
wrinkle black. Mods include Maund velocity stacks, pipes from Lowbrow Customs
and a belt drive primary from Bob Newby Racing, with an open cover
designed by Tony and Ed. The forks are from a late ’60s BSA, hooked up
to a twin leading shoe hub laced to a 19” rim. The rear rim is a 16”
Harley unit on a conical hub, and the tyres are dual-sport Kenda K761s. A
full rewire was done on the bike, with a new Joe Hunt magneto installed
as well.
It’s an elegant build, with a hint of steampunk via tasteful brass
touches—including the oil plumbing, tank badges, grips, lights and a
brass rear fender from 7 Metal West. The final finish is raw metal
adorned with gold leaf, pinstriping and a luscious clear coat, done by
Brando Custom Paint. [More about this bike | Analog Motorcycles]
Image by Biker Pros.
David Borras’ T120R Before David Borras established El
Solitario, he commissioned this cheeky hardtail for himself from
Californian shop Hell on Wheels. Despite preceding any of El Solitario’s
own builds by about three years, it’s just as kooky and audacious as
what we’ve come to expect from the Galician outfit.
The starting point was a matching numbers T120R Bonneville. Hell on Wheels
completely rebuilt the engine and fitted it to a hardtail frame, with
Amal monobloc carbs, a QPD open belt drive and a Boyer Bransden
ignition. The rims are from Borrani—21” front and 19” rear—with Avon
race tires and a ’71 Triumph twin leading shoe drum brake up front. The
tank and rear fender are classic Wassell items.
El Solitario has since given the T120 another facelift, with mostly
cosmetic changes that include a removable nose cone, and artwork by
Ornamental Conifer and Corpses from Hell. [More about this bike | El Solitario]
Image by Vincent Prat/Southsiders MC.
Untitled Motorcycles T100 SS This board-track inspired
hardtail is something of a departure for London’s Untitled
Motorcycles—but there’s plenty to love. Its owner, who had been looking
for a board-tracker, found it as a partially completed project at the
Veterama Oldtimer Autojumble in Mannheim, Germany. The frame had already
been modified and the basic stance sorted—including original Harley ’45
springer forks, Avon tyres and an Indian board track tank—but a lot of
work still had to be done. It had no foot pegs for one, and most of the
brackets were only tack-welded.
A deal was made and the Triumph delivered to Untitled’s premises. The
team set about stripping the bike down and refreshing the motor, before
prepping the frame for powder coating in gunmetal grey. The tank was
left with just grey primer on it, and the wheels were coated off-white
to add some contrast. Brasswork was added to finish the bike off,
including a carb intake made from an old car horn. That lovely rear
fender is made from Peruvian Walnut, and comes from Woody’s Fenders in
California. [More about this bike | Untitled Motorcycles]
Image courtesy of Andre Silva.
Eastside Bobber I’m a sucker for any bike that looks
single-minded—and this dirt-tracker from the French outfit Eastside
nails it. Its owner is a BMX rider who runs a surf-and-moto shop in
Toulouse; he wanted a hardtail Triumph bobber and would originally have
sent the project to the USA, until Vincent Prat of Southsiders MC
convinced him that it could be done in France.
The motor, forks and hubs were sourced from a T120, before the motor
was completely rebuilt by engine guru Henri Lao Martinez. Factory Metal
Works in the USA supplied the frame, and local custom builder Momo took
care of installing the motor. The bike was then stripped to the bare
basics and fitted with 19” (front) and 18” (rear) rims, shod with Dunlop K70s.
As a nod to the owner’s lifestyle, a beat-up Shimano BMX pedal has been
installed on the kick start lever and the chain now rolls on a
Powell-Peralta skateboard wheel.
The bike is a daily runner—but has been known to get sideways and throw out the odd rooster tail—as our opening shot shows. [More about this bike | Southsiders MC]
Image by Vincent Prat/Southsiders MC.
The post Top 5 Triumph vintage hardtails appeared first on Bike EXIF.
When it comes to applying some well-engineered, performance-focused,
retro-cool to modern day bikes Spirit of the Seventies have yet again
put their stamp on another Triumph build, with their latest variation on
the scrambler theme, “Blackie”. Re-inventing Triumphs with the Spirit,
er, spirit, on such a regular basis doesn’t seem to be effecting the
quality or originality of the work, in fact Tim & Kev are just
getting better and better at it. Experience with what works and what
doesn’t makes it easier for the guys to get it right first time so they
can focus on the style, and the customer’s brief.
Tim from Spirit picks up the story. “Ryosei came to us initially
with for some fairly minor changes, but the project snowballed once work
started and soon it became a fairly full-on build. Ryo commutes through
central London and he was after a couple of specific upgrades to help
with the often wet and pot-holed streets, namely suspension and
braking.”
Spirit builds always look retro cool, but they’re are no simple
styling exercise. Old school looks don’t have to mean old school
manners… “The Ohlins twinshocks have been set up for Ryo, as have
the forks, and the front brake was upgraded to a Brembo unit (calliper
and disc) courtesy of Norman Hyde. The wheels were powder coated in our
signature satin black and fitted with Continental Trail Attacks.”
The guys also paid plenty of attention to power and the right gearing for town use. “We
refreshed the running gear with Renthal sprockets and a Tsubaki chain,
and a full Arrow system allowed the bike to breathe more. Bob Farnham
carried out some air box modifications and dyno work to boost power
further and the bike is now putting out over 10bhp more than stock.”
“We shortened the frame rails and fitted our Shorty seat unit,
upholstered by Glenn Moger. The cut and shut mudguard has a Posh rear
light mounted to it and Oberon indicators are mounted front and rear. We
relocated the the ignition and reg/rec, drilled and pc’d the chain
guard, sprocket covers, fake carb caps, Spirit mudguard and headlamp etc
and fitted various LSL parts from the headlamp brackets to the bars.
Oberon risers and levers are complemented by Oury grips.”
Spirit of the Seventies’ visual signature is always the paint, and whatever the build spec or brief their work is unmistakable. “The paint was taken care of by D-Luck’s.”
“The Motogadget speedo tested us, the newer Triumphs require the use
of a healer, supplied by Motogadget to enable it to work, you have to
bypass the bike’s immobiliser. It wasn’t quite as simple as anticipated
and there was a lot of time and money lost while we tried to sort it out
but we got there in the end.”
So, how fast does she go, mista? “I’ve ridden the bike through
London myself and came to the conclusion that it’s pretty much the
perfect city bike, it’s got a relaxed riding position, plenty of grunt
and makes enough noise to let people know you’re there.” …and why Blackie? “Kev named the bike after Clapton’s favourite guitar”
Ok, so it’s just another ‘stunning’ Triumph from Spirit of the
Seventies, but are we bored yet? No. Just very jealous. See loads more
from BSMC Co-Founders, Spirit of the Seventies on their Bike Shed Pages or on their Website, and you can see this bike at the BSMC III in a couple of week’s time.
Desert sleds still have a place in modern motorcycling iconography.
Originally an American phenomenon, today it’s the Triumph Scrambler from
across the ditch that embodies the spirit most closely. And it doesn’t
take much to give a modern Scrambler a touch of the desert sled vibe, as
this 2012 Triumph from British Customs shows.
Desert sleds been around since the late 40s, and were originally
based on street bikes from Indian and Harley. Fitted with trials tires,
the bikes were still as heavy as sin—even after a thorough diet. The
British 650cc twins came a little later, and pretty much ruled the
desert until the 1970s.
In the early days, the mods were all trial and error—and mostly a
reflection of the rider’s style. Not a lot of aftermarket parts were
available for bolt on modification; most stuff was invented and built
from scratch in garages.
The parts market is bigger these days, so it’s easier to build a bike like Sinuhe Xavier’s
classy Scrambler. Xavier is an LA-based director and adventure junkie,
and no stranger to the desert. Having grown up on dirt bikes, paved
streets still feel strange to him.
“I bought the Scrambler thinking it was going to be a great dual-sport
in the traditional sense,” he says. After he came to his senses and
called British Customs, he ended up with a “really fun bike to ride anywhere.”
Jason at British Customs pulled out all the stops and started the
build with traditional sleds as inspiration. The Monza gas cap, padded
motocross bars, number plates and high fender were all part of a
throwback to the sleds of the 50s.
The biggest deal, however, was a weight-loss program. A pair of
lightweight Talon hubs with Excel rims were installed, and shod with Continental Twinduro TKC80 tires. Lightweight brake rotors from the Italian company Braking reduce the avoirdupois still further.
Performance gets a boost via an air box removal kit. Two high-flow
K&N conical filters now handle intake duties, with spent gases
exiting via a featherweight Arrow two-into-one exhaust system, which
adds a throaty note to the sound.
The seat is a British Customs Slammer unit, shorter and slightly thinner
than stock, but with a vintage profile, a gel insert and a classy
tuck-and-roll vinyl finish.
There was only one way I could think of photographing this bike.
Covered in dust and dirt. So we headed towards the Mojave Desert, and
let the beast run wild in its element.
A fun bike to ride anywhere? Yes, indeed.
If you’ve got a Triumph in your garage, head over to the British Customs website for a huge range of performance parts.
The post Triumph Scrambler by British Customs appeared first on Bike EXIF.
Paul Bussoti shows me his bike was a Triumph Bonneville in the garage of his Meo.
E 'was created with passion, giving it personality but in a balanced way and in the proportions and colors.
The bike has been baptized with the name "Iron and Motus" (Ferro a mottus) then that is the small motorcycle club to which our friend belongs
Wheels powder coated, floating front disc, I'll do the front and rear
Beates, handlebar bar street, instrumentation 60mm, modified tank, Monza
cap, cover carburetors CNC, mirror END bar, knobs brown vintage,
handmade saddle, shortened chassis, fenders craft arrows Arizona, Zard
exhaust cross ceramizzaro black, custom paint, paratroopers chain and
sprocket mass engineering, engine guard, running boards LB, conical
filters, battery box door, tag complete electrical system, 34mm shock
yss
