modern Without a doubt, the Triumph Bonneville is famous for its looks. It’s a beautiful machine, with plenty of room to tweak it further and make it look even better. But what separates a lightly modified Bonnie from a professional custom job?
This year 2011 winning car The T100 holds the answer. Crafted by Marcelo Obarrio and Germán Karp at the STG Tracker in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this is a great example of how experience, good taste and a keen eye can make a custom bike look ‘standard’ ‘.
The brief for this project is pretty straightforward. STG customers asked for a compact, lower-class classic, down to the bare minimum. Bonneville T100 shock absorbers are provided in stock, except for a pair of shorter rear shocks of unknown origin.
STG did just that by tweaking the bike’s stance, modifying some of its OEM parts, and adding some custom items. A carefully selected set of bolting accessories—some from STG’s own archive—completes the build.
With aftermarket shocks that lowered the bike to customer satisfaction, STG turned their attention to the wheel. The original 19F/17R wheels were dropped and the hubs were replaced with 18-inch rims with 4.5-inch wide serrated tires.
At a higher position, the craftsmen reworked the Triumph’s subframe and welded it to a rear loop. A custom-trimmed chair sits at the top, upholstered in sturdy, perforated leather. The modified Royal Enfield fender ends at the rear.
STG kept the Triumph’s stock tank, but replaced the front fender with a custom shorter unit. They then modified the original side covers with deep cuts to show off the replacement K&N filter for the airbox. However, it’s not a simple hack; Take a closer look, and you’ll notice that the crew finished each cut with a lip, to minimize the gap between it and the air filter.
At the front, STG has fitted grill headlights, mounted on shorter brackets. Just above it is a small circular Motogadget tachometer, which is attached to a manual mounting plate. Marcelo and Germán even cleaned up the font further by shifting the Triumph’s unsightly rectifier to the frame’s down-pipes.
The pair of LED turn signals are discreetly bolted to the headlight bracket. The lighting at the rear is even more refined—the STG integrates the rear turn signals with the shock absorber housing and places a pair of LED taillights between the fender and the frame bar.
The wide track steering wheel comes from STG’s own online store. They wear new grips and vintage-style micro-switches, with wiring threaded inside the bars. One of the customer requests was to swap out the foot controller for the rear one from a Triumph Thruxton, so that was done too.
There’s a lot of work hidden under the hood. These guys rewound the bike, installed a Lithium-ion battery, and stuffed everything into a hidden electronics tray. In the meantime, they’ve removed some of the pesky emissions controls and added a Power Commander chip to add more power to the Bonneville’s twin parallel engines.
The swooping exhaust system is also custom, with a chrome finish that we don’t see enough of on builds. The CNC machined crawler cover adds a final touch. Like many parts on this vehicle, it is finished in black—making the Bonneville’s signature polished engine cover stand out even more.
When it came time to paint the bike, the customer asked for British green. But STG felt that was a bit too predictable—so they asked for a moment. Working with their familiar painter, they wrapped the car in a deep turquoise color with a subtle splash effect, offset by white accents.
Perfectly proportioned and neatly finished, STG’s Bonneville is as neat as it appears. If you’re planning on customizing your own Bonneville, we don’t blame you for pasting this car on the wall for inspiration.
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