In the 60s, a Rickman Metisse Triumph is the bike to own if you want to go scramble. But technology has evolved and modern off-road motorcycles are faster, lighter and sharper than the legendary Metisse. That said, they are also a lot less pretty.
Like many other race bikes of the era, the Metisse became iconic—not only for its exclusive frame and off-road ability, but also for its unmistakable body. That’s why Thomas Vinçon, founder of Thomis Motorcycles in Paris, took it as inspiration for this custom Triumph Bonneville T120 race bike.
The Thomas’ T120 is by no means an honest recreation of Metisse, nor is it a competitive off-road vehicle. Instead, it’s an homage to the original aesthetic; a way to give contemporary Bonnie an extra vintage touch. He told us: “This is my favorite classic purist bike and I wanted to make a modern version of it.
The Triumph Bonneville T120 is pretty much an affordable bike you’ll get. It’s a well-functioning device (and a beautiful machine) that comes out of the box, gets better and better as you modify it. Thomas designed this as an everyday vehicle that will spend most of its time on public roads, so everything you see here is fastened to the OEM chassis, with just a little tweaking of the subframe. reasonable.
The focus of the custom is the new aluminum body. Hand-sculpted by an outside builder, the fuel tank and monocoque rear end mimic the styling of the Metisse, but with proportions to match the larger Bonneville T120. Those two parts alone took 140 hours of work to build.
The beautifully upholstered single seat might look like a bit of an afterthought, but it’s a deadly hit to those found on older Metisse builds. Also, in the mix there is a number plate with a small headlight protruding from it and a front fender.
The rest of the Bonneville is equipped with high-end components from some of the renowned specialists of the French Triumph. FCR Original offers a sump guard, while BAAK Motocyclettes offers a sturdy underbody exhaust system. The pin controller uses a combination of SW Motech and FCR bits.
A set of Moto handlebars from Biltwell Inc. dominate the cockpit, their crossbar design reinforces the classic MX styling. The levers and switches are from BAAK, as is the side-mounted license plate holder on the opposite end of the bike. The LED speedometer and turn signals are a product of Motogadget, with the rear LEDs doubling as taillights.
Thomas chose to keep the Bonneville T120’s 19F/17R suspension, brakes and wheels, but wrap the rear wheels in Continental TKC80 rubber. The machine is completely original, the wind box has not been replaced. So this Bonnie will run just as well and reliably as before.
“When I created this bike in Photoshop, the idea was to draw my perfect bike,” says Thomas. We think he succeeded. We’re huge fans of Triumph’s modern classics, so the idea of a classic off-road racing car appeals to us, even if it’s going to spend the majority of the time. time on the asphalt.
Resplendent in British racing green with subtle gold details, this particular T120 is also just one of a series of 10 that Thomas plans to build. Each bike will be painted a different color, which will give you peace of mind if you’re thinking of ordering one but worried that it might look a bit similar.
However, if you want to get your hands dirty yourself, you’re out of luck. Although these parts are plug-and-play, Thomas has no plans to offer them as a set. So the only way for you to get one of these is to order it directly from him.
You better hurry, though—this one is already on sale.
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