Reversed Triumph

This Triumph build was a special one for the shop. Stemming from the 2015 Ryan Reynolds project, this particular Speedmaster motorcycle was given to me by the special projects team at Triumph corporate in Atlanta Georgia. An abandoned concept machine for them led to an essentially blank canvas for creative interpretation on the reverse head motor configuration. The only item that was retained from the Speedmaster was the motor itself. I quickly sought out a Thruxton frame from a similar vintage as the engine and began the customization process of fitting a re-valved Yamaha R-6 monoshock in place. I incorporated a Honda F4i front clip with custom COGNITO MOTO triple trees and front hub to maintain an old school aesthetic while facilitating dual rotors and modern brake calipers. The most time consuming aspect of the build and also one of the most important ones is that I needed a truly bespoke machine with inventive and aggressive features. This led to the painstaking fabrication of the aluminum fuel tank, front fairing and seat cowl. In addition, a heavily modified subframe allowed for the handmade chassis components to fit seamlessly atop the stout motor that features a completely handmade exhaust system as well. Handmade intake manifolds allowed for the use of Mikuni carburetors to narrowly dodge the removable wishbone frame rails which succinctly tuck the custom oil cooler neatly in front of the reversed head engine. A series of custom hoses and AN fittings plumbed into the oiling system along with a pressure gauge assured proper lubrication despite the reversal of the head and cylinder jug. Thanks to the genius of Jeremy Cupp at L.C. Fabrications supplying a stripped down wiring schematic, a handmade wiring harness brought life, light and spark to the machine. Custom rear set foot controls with a gold anodized finish along with low slung clip on handlebars bred life into a traditional cafe racer seating arrangement. Gloss black paint, gold pinstripe, polished aluminum and subtle hints of red gave this machine a sophisticated appeal. Featured in September 2022’s Easyrider magazine proved that this build bridged the gap between different genres of motorcycles.