Very often are we floored by a custom bike that takes the original model and turns it into something that’s better than what we expected. Yet that’s what 27-year-old Benjamin Blanchard was able to accomplish.
The French graphic designer took a Triumph Speed Triple bike and injected some straight up attitude into it. Already sporting a powerful 1,050cc DOHC three-cylinder, fuel injected engine, Blanchard went out of his way to re-model the bike to his liking. Carbon fiber was used on the bodywork of the bike, with incredible detail put on a lot of its parts.
The prevalent use of carbon fiber on the bike drastically reduced its weight, making it lighter and faster than any of the standard Speed Triple’s out there. The light weight of the bike, combined with its powerful engine, has turned an already impressive Speed Triple into the Impoz Speed Racer.
It takes a really impressive presence to catch our attention. Benjamin Blanchard managed to achieve that - and more.
Take a look at this bike and you’ll most likely have troubles recognizing it as being a Triumph Speed Triple (at least we did), much less uncover the special features that made the transformation into custom possible. The bike was customized by Austrian Triumph specialist Julian Schneider for his own use on the twisties of the Austrian Alps.
Schneider, who is actually a fan of New Zealand motorcycle racer and land speed record holder Burt Munro, has actually called his bike the Burt Munro Edition. Although it won’t set any records as it is powered by the original engine, which only got some intake modifications and a Supertrapp exhaust, this Triumph should now handle and feel much sweeter considering the great number of aftermarket parts. It features full Ohlins suspensions and a steering damper, Marchesini magnesium wheels and a Beringer brake system. Also, the LSL bars, footrests and headlight as well as the Magura brake and clutch controls together with the several other Rizoma parts contribute at turning this into a completely different ride.
Overall, the bike looks like a modern café racer and the red/black with gold stripes and rims looks just striking.
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This might look like a subtle way to modify the Triumph Speed Triple, but it is actually a production special edition model that the British motorcycle company created and on which a new logo is being introduced. The bike will go on sale in Italy this summer and while technically it is unchanged from the standard Speed Triple, visually it is a whole different story. To begin with, the matte olive drab color gives it that serious appearance and another thing you’ll notice is the different "Triumph" and "Speed Triple" lettering.
This means Triumph gets rid of their traditional logo with the swoopy R in the subtle attempt to approach things in a more modern way and this particular Speed Triple SE shows precisely this. The bike now still looks aggressive and powerful but quite honestly we thing Triumph did just what they thought a customer would ask his tuner to turn his Speed Triple into (visually, of course) and we like it…a lot.
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Triumph is aware of the fact that it just isn’t enough to be part of the world’s motorcycle history so they reinvent themselves creating and then carrying on manufacturing unique motorcycles such as the Speed Triple. If some of those models end up determining the creation of other ones, which is definitely the case here (just check out the
Street Triple), it means there’s great demand in that sector and it is also very likely for that first bike to stick around for more action. The 2010 Triumph Speed Triple does so and with not many changes to set it apart from the previous model year. So let’s see what Triumph is betting it will sell their bike.
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While this Triumph Speed Triple SE might look like a standard model with a racy look achieved with the use of a flyscreen, seat cowl and a red/white stripe or red/black stripe color scheme, we would have to say that this show bike is actually meant to promote Triumph’s partnership with Ohlins.
The British Speed Triples will come with Swedish suspension components in 2010. The modified internals in the forks and shocks offer greater damping capabilities while the rear shock gains a five percent softer rear spring. The changes will reduce fork dive, offer greater suspension control and also stand for more comfortable rides.
Hmm, this is a rather facile way of upgrading an already great roadster and it doesn’t all fall in the hands of Triumph.
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