TRIUMPH MECATWIN ROCKETEER

TRIUMPH MECATWIN ROCKETEER

One of our all-time favourite cafe racers is Mecatwin’s stunning Triumph 800 Racer. The French workshop specializes in Triumph and Harley customs, and has recently released the Rocketeer, a custom version of the Rocket III. The Rocket is already somewhat extreme, having a 2.3-liter inline triple, so Mecatwin has wisely left the 140 bhp engine alone. Instead, it’s cleaned up and blacked-out the visual elements, and upgraded ancillary components such as the exhaust system. It’s enough to transform the bloated cruiser into a more hardcore machine with a tiny hint of the rat bike aesthetic—less Electra Glide and more V-Rod, if you like. We’d never ride one of these in a million years, but it’s still an interesting machine to contemplate.

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE HEUER

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE HEUER

You’re looking at a British bike painted in the colors of an American oil company, designed to promote a Swiss watch made famous by a French motor race. Yes, it’s a stretch. Triumph has always paid a lot of attention to marketing, and especially to what you might call ‘brand association’. It probably started back in 2005, when we had limited edition Bonnevilles customized by the English designer Paul Smith. Today, we have the Triumph Bonneville Heuer, which was unveiled in Paris by the English F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The motorcycle is a one-off to mark the 40th anniversary of the Heuer Monaco watch and the 50th anniversary of the Bonneville itself. And of course, Steve McQueen makes the obligatory appearance too: he wore a Heuer Monaco in 1971′s Le Mans. 

TRIUMPH CUSTOM BY JANO CYCLES

TRIUMPH CUSTOM BY JANO CYCLES

This super-low, turquoise-framed machine was built from scratch by Jano Bachleda of Colorado-based Jano Cycles. (If the name rings a bell, it’s because his Triumph Bobber caused a bit of a stir on this site six months ago). Jano tells me he’s been dying to make a bike “that had a drag look about it”. Well, I think he’s succeeded: Petrol 77 looks like it wouldn’t be out of place competing in the 1/4 mile at the local drag track. Because Jano builds all his bikes from the ground up, he usually incorporates some really interesting features—like the amazing front frame loop that stores the oil in the frame. Jano’s original plan was to run the gas through the upper part of the frame, but unfortunately it didn’t work due to vacuum problems. So now the gas is running straight from the gas tank to the carbs with a help of a vacuum pump. Apart from the classic spoke wheels—off a 1976 Triumph Bonneville—the rest of the bike has been completely custom fabricated, including the seat, gas tank and rear hard tail. Lastly the 77 racing numbers finish the whole drag look.

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BELSTAFF

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BELSTAFF

The Belstaff motorcycle fashion label is now Italian-owned, but the company still plays on its gritty English heritage. Earlier this year it teamed up with Triumph to create a limited edition to mark the Bonneville’s 50th anniversary. Photographer Nick Dunmur ably captured Belstaff’s signature colors of black and gold.