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Triumph goes electric in style
Project Triumph TE-1 has just been revealed in completed prototype form.
To get to this stage Triumph Motorcycles set up a collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG at the University of Warwick. The project is funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles through Innovate UK. This fund was set up to create ground-breaking developments in specialist electric motorcycle engineering and innovative integrated technology design.
Well, as far as looks go they are on the right track at least.

Next stage
Marking the official end of the collaboration stage of the TE-1 project, the completed demonstrator is now fully ready for the next Triumph-led stage of the project to begin – the live testing programme – integrating for the first time all of the latest and final innovations from the project partner workstreams.

Energy source
The WAE battery pack incorporates dedicated cell packaging for optimum centre of gravity, vehicle control unit, DCDC converter, integrated cooling, charge port, and styled carbon covers. This all-new WAE-developed powertrain will set new standards for electric bike performance, with class-leading power, efficiency, charging time and range.
Wholly responsible for TE-1’s lightweight, ground-breaking battery system, WAE has employed a holistic approach to development which will allow riders to use more electric power for longer, providing access to outstanding performance regardless of battery charge, alongside rapid charging times.

Proper power
The all-new battery has peak power of 170kW and continuous power of 90kW, with a capacity of 15kWh. This enables the motorbike to deliver 130kW of peak power and 80kW of continuous power. Class leading system cooling combined with the optimum balance of power and energy means TE-1 can give the rider more electric power for longer and deliver outstanding performance regardless of battery charge. The 360-volt system also enables a fast-charging time of under 20mins (0-80%), which is combined with a market leading target range.

Weight balance
WAE has optimised the battery module layout to balance mass and positioning within the prototype chassis taking into consideration centre of gravity, space and relationship with the powertrain and charging approach. A new and bespoke vehicle control unit has been integrated into the battery pack to minimise weight and packaging.
Key project achievements during this phase include test results that exceed current benchmarks and targets set by the UK Automotive Council for 2025, providing a platform with great potential for future development in electric motorcycle performance.

The overall objective of the TE-1 project has been focused on developing electric motorcycle capability, in order to provide an input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle offering, driving innovation, capability, and new intellectual property, and enhancing the credibility and profile of British industry and design.
With the completion of the prototype demonstrator, the full live testing phase of the TE-1 project will now begin. Over the next six months the prototype demonstrator will undertake an extensive live testing programme within Triumph’s state-of-the-art facilities, including rolling road and track testing, designed to provide direction into the final set up and calibration of the prototype demonstrator.

Going live
At the completion of the live testing phase, estimated to be Summer 2022, the prototype demonstrator will be updated with its final body panels in readiness for active track demonstration. At this time, final specifications and testing outcomes will be published, as well as insights and key facts on how the TE-1 delivers on the project targets including final battery and range performance.

If Triumph are looking for volunteers, the BikeBrewers team members are ready to pack their toothbrush in a jiffy.

What the boss says
As we do not take any marketing speak for granted, we gave the Triumph Motorcycles CEO Nick Bloor a call. Here’s what he has to say: “It has been truly exciting to see the progress made during phase 3 of Project Triumph TE 1 with the final prototype motorcycle now going into real life testing. Everyone involved at Triumph is proud to have been part of this innovative British collaboration. Personally, I am thrilled with the results we have already achieved with our partners, and the exciting preview of the potential electric future to come. We look forward to continuing the ambitious and innovative work on the TE-1 demonstrator prototype through the live testing phase and sharing the outcome with Triumph fans across the world.”
The demonstrator bike is now undergoing final battery level validation and calibration to ensure the performance results meet best-in-class power and energy density targets and for the rider, ensuring there is no compromise in performance at low levels of charge.

Our point of view
BikeBrewers are deeply rooted in the custom scene. We are purebred petrolheads by definition.
Still, we do recognize that electric is an important factor in future mobility. We are regularly testing electric bikes and are in general quite enthusiastic about the experiences we have had. There are quite a number of road tests on electric motorcycles scheduled for 2022 and we will continue to report and share our findings.

But truth be told, after each electric adventure our hearts jump with joy each time we get back on our loud, smelly and noisy machines.
That is just us speaking though.

What we REALLY want to know is how YOU feel about all this!
Please share your uncensored comments on this bike and riding electric with us.
We have some nice give-aways in store for the best comments.

More background on WAE can be found here

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Following last week’s announcement of the production of the millionth Triumph from Hinckley, the iconic British motorcycle brand also proudly presents the first ever Triumph prototype! To be touched only while wearing white gloves.

The prototype from 1901
This is truly nothing short of an amazing historical find. The prototype was discovered and restored by leading vintage Triumph collector Dick Shepherd. The 1901 prototype rewrites the history books and actually adds a whole new chapter to the period leading up to Triumph’s official sale, starting in 1902.

The rumors about the existence of this very first Triumph prototype were persistent, as it was referenced to in advertisements and reviews that appeared in 1901. The prototype was developed on the basis of a standard Triumph pedal bike, with a motor supplied by the Belgian manufacturer Minerva. The brand did this to arouse interest and at the same time to gauge among the public whether there would actually be a demand for a Triumph motorcycle.

Surreal discovery
Dick Shepherd says: “When I was approached by a friend of a collector, who unfortunately had recently passed away, to appraise an old Triumph, I was exuberant. Especially when I found out that this bike possessed unique details that I had never seen on any of the the first production Triumphs. Along with the engine, the collector had also received a letter from Triumph, dated 1937, describing the unique origin of the motorcycle and providing important details.”

Continuing: “With an engine number consistent with references in Minerva’s engine data from a first agreement with Triumph in 1901, the historical importance of this motorcycle became immediately apparent.”

“As a lifelong fan of the history and successes of this incredible British brand, it gives me immense satisfaction to have had the honor to ‘unearth’ this amazing survivor. Added to that feeling is the fact it is incredible to have been allowed to restore it to the glorious state in which it would have been, when it was first exhibited in 1901.”

Unveiling
The 1901 prototype, which was first unveiled at the Motorcycle Live show in the UK, will be on display at a special event at Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience on December 14th. For this special occasion, the machine will be ridden in public for the first time in more than 100 years.

This important historic bike will be on display together with the millionth Hinckley Triumph in a new showcase specially made for the 120th anniversary in Triumph’s visitor centre.

The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience is free to visit and is located at Triumph’s headquarters in Hinckley, England. It is open daily from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:30.

The BikeBrewers team were invited for the opening back in 2017 and have been back a few times since then.
When visiting Birmingham on a road trip, make sure to add it to your stops. It is definitely worth spending some time in.

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ONE MILLIONTH ‘HINCKLEY PRODUCED’ TRIUMPH KICKS OF THE ICONIC BRITISH BRAND’S 120-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PLANS

Hand in hand with the announcement of plans to celebrate next year’s 120th anniversary of the most iconic British motorcycle brand in the world, Triumph unveils the landmark millionth (!) Hinckley Triumph produced.

Just in case you wonder why the particular mentioning of Hinkley;
The original factory, Triumph Engineering Co Ltd was a British motorcycle manufacturing company, based originally in Coventry and then in Meriden. In the 1980’s of the last century the company went bankrupt largely due to the heavy competition of the Japanese manufacturers. Just like most other iconic British motorcycle brands.

The current company, Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, is now based in Hinckley. It gained the name rights after the end of the company in the 1980s and is currently one of the world’s major motorcycle manufacturers.

The Millionth Triumph of The Modern Era
Triumph has reached a historic milestone in its modern era with the reveal of the millionth motorcycle built since the brand’s return in 1990. Unveiled at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley on December 1st 2021 by Nick Bloor, CEO, in front of the UK team, the millionth Triumph is a one-off custom painted model of Triumph’s incredibly successful Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
Launched in 2019 the Tiger 900 Rally Pro provides a perfect demonstration of Triumph’s world leading design, engineering and production capability, courtesy of its class defining character, capability, quality and attention to detail – attributes shared by all of Triumph’s modern line-up

With its sophisticated custom Silver paint scheme and one millionth graphics this very special milestone motorcycle will be displayed on Triumph’s stand at this year’s Motorcycle Live show at the NEC and then on show in Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience.

Says Bloor: ‘’Everyone at Triumph is incredibly proud to have played a part in achieving such a momentous moment in the modern history of this iconic brand. Over the 31 years since we re-launched Triumph with a new line of British designed motorcycles in Cologne in 1990, we have shared so many great moments with our fans across the world. Triumph’s success has always stemmed from the passion and commitment we share with our riders.’’

‘’Whilst the last year has been challenging for all of us, this passion and commitment has driven Triumph to even greater heights, including the successful entry into new categories with the Trident 660 and Tiger Sport 660.”

“Over the last three decades Triumph has maintained sustained and significant investment in our people, our partners and our in-house design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, in order to grow the reach and reputation of this iconic British brand. This investment in home grown talent, both in the UK and around the world, matched by the passion we share with our riders for delivering the complete and perfect motorcycle, has seen the brand go from strength to strength, achieving the most successful year in the brand’s entire 120-year history.’’

‘’Furthermore, we are committed to taking the brand to even greater heights, and with the forthcoming launch of our brand new Tiger 1200, new competition MX and Enduro motorcycles, plus our strategic partnership with Bajaj to create smaller capacity bikes, I am delighted to say that the future for Triumph and its fans across the world will be just as exciting and rich as the last 30 years has been.’’

Celebrating 120 Years of the Most Successful British Motorcycle Brand
Encompassing millions of passionate fans who share the same obsession for motorcycling Triumph announce their plans to celebrate in 2022 the landmark 120-year anniversary of this iconic British motorcycle brand.

The very first production Triumph motorcycle went on sale to the public in April 1902, starting one of the world’s richest and most exciting brand stories; a story that has gone on to encompass countless legendary motorcycles, and playing a significant role in shaping the motorcycle world we enjoy today.

Triumph’s modern era began in 1990 with a completely original range of motorcycles designed and built in a brand new, state-of-the-art factory at Hinckley. In the three decades since, Triumph has built and sold more motorcycles than at any previous time in its history through an international network of more than 700 dealers in 57 countries.

And despite recent challenges, the passion for Triumph shared around the world by owners, riders, fans and dealers has made the last 12 months the most successful ever, with more than 75,000 bikes registered globally and a turnover of £650 million.
Triumph represents the very pinnacle of Great British design and engineering, with a line-up of world-beating bikes spanning multiple genres from adventure to roadsters to modern classics, each delivering Triumph’s renowned reputation for class-leading handling, finish and detailing and original, authentic design.

Today Triumph operates across five manufacturing facilities, all managed and led by the global headquarters in Hinckley, Leicestershire, where every Triumph is conceived, prototyped and tested in Triumph’s centre of design excellence by our in-house team. The most recent addition to Hinckley’s impressive infrastructure is an all-new UK assembly plant, built to enhance Triumph’s global manufacturing flexibility and complement the existing multi-million-pound paint shop and rapid prototyping facilities.

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This time Grzegorz Korczak, the man behind Unikat, got his hands on a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber. I know, I know, this looks like a different kind of bobber. Truth be told, there are different definitions of what makes a bobber, a bobber. There are European and American style bobber, there are also Japanese style bobbers. Regardless of the different styling exercises, one thing that they all have in common is the fact that they appear to be minimalistic. In a way, you could look at this like this: what a café racer is to a road bike, a bobber is to a cruiser. Same rules apply: get rid of all unnecessary parts to reduce the weight, and make the bike look as simple as possible.

Coming back to Unikat’s Triumph Bonneville Bobber, which has been name “K18”, we see that a number of stylish mods have been made to the original. No doubt did the original Bobber look great, but what Unikat did here takes the stock bike to a whole other level.

The original bobber wheels have been replaced with a pair of lightweight, black Takasago Excel 17” rims with stainless steel spokes. What’s interesting about the wheels is that they have adopted the BARTubeless system; transforming them into tubeless wheels. The rims have been wrapped by a pair of sticky Pirelli Dunlop Mutant tires.

The rear fender had been completely removed, while the front fender got a nice trim job and received a distinguished Unikat 1-of1 logo, kind of like an easter-egg, waiting to be discovered. Staying at the front, we can also see that the speedo and the headlamp have both been lowered for a sportier stance. There’s a set of Motogadget bar-end indicators, which have been combined with a set of bar-end mirrors. The handlebar grips have received a nice leather wrap treatment. Womet Tech supplied the sporty clutch and brake levers. A pair of fork gaiters keep the front fork clean and mean.

Moving a bit more backwards to the fuel tank, we spot a beautifully milled, gold anodized fuel filler cap. Underneath the fuel tank, the original factory airbox has been removed and a pair of free flow air filet, curtousy of K&N have been placed to take care of the breathing. The ‘faux-carburetor’ injection covers have been treated to the 1-of-1 logo treatment too. Underneath the engine, a stainless-steel exhaust system, in combination with Unikat’s very own in-house built exhaust pipes, ensure that the combustion gases leave the engine in an effective and dramatic manner.

A lot of work has been put in cleaning up this bike by hiding as much of the wiring as possible. Part of that is the Hi-sider 3-in-1 taillight, that have built in indicators and license plate holder, and is in fact completely road-legal. The special thing about is, is that it is integrated into the single-seat. The finish of this Triumph in a gorgeous dark green color in combination with glossy black, with all the little gold-colored details really distinguishes this build from any other Bobber we have seen so far.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
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The bike is so nice, they made it more than twice!

Polish Powerhouse
If you have just tuned in to BikeBrewers, here’s short summary of who we are dealing with. UNIKAT is a motorcycle customizing workshop in Wrocław, Poland and is specialized mainly in café racer and scrambler style motorcycles. It was established to combine the passions for speed and visual arts. As you may find in some of our earlier posts, the founder of UNIKAT, Grzegorz Korczak, is actually a cinematographer, OSCAR nominated (you know, Hollywood!) special effects director, and visual artist whose work has been exhibited in some of Poland’s most prestigious museums. Since 2013 he’s been using his skills to create some of the most visually and aesthetically pleasing motorcycles we have ever seen.

Good start!
The base bikes for these builds are the most powerful Triumph modern classics to date. In 2020 Thruxton RS is an adrenaline factory disguised as a classic motorcycle. Each piece of the bike is of superior quality. The engine is powerful, it has great stopping power, and the suspension is top notch. The first three Thruxton RS’s delivered to Poland went straight to UNIKAT! The new respective owners wanted a personalized motorcycle; they came to the right spot.

But not good enough!
Although Triumph did an incredible job manufacturing the new Thruxton, there are still some things that could be better. This is inherent to anything that is mass produced – fact. Then there are the things that make your head itch. For instance: an excess of silver painted plasti…ahum parts. That was the first point of order for Grzegorz. The second point were the large indicators. Too bulky. Third, the massive factory fitted tail light. Good to illuminate in dark rainy weather. An eye-sore for the enthusiast. Despite these points, the most important thing that needed to be addressed was the sound; too soft for a machine with this level of riding characteristics.

Uncorking the Triumphs
Modern exhaust emission and noise standards are so strict that all factory motorcycles sound like a moped. Don’t get us wrong, we are not preaching for superloud exhausts that wake up the neighbors and make kids cry. However, part of the riding experience has always been sound for us, and these Thruxtons deserve to be heard. It is probably the only thing these three bikes have in common, that’s it.

3 Flavours
Different owners have different tastes. One owner was convinced that he wanted his bike to look aggressive and cheeky; “The motorcycle must be matte black with red accents.” The second owned wanted something rather sporty but elegant – “glossy metallic deep black combined with golden elements!” To Grzegorz’s delight, both of them also opted for the tubeless Kineo wire-spoke wheels. Fitted with a set of Heidenau sticky rain tires, that also happen to perform excellent in dry condition, and in combination with the lower rotating mass, the handling has been seriously improved. Owner number three on the other hand, wanted his motorcycle to look “as vintage as possible”. Starting with old-school tires, and finishing with a top-fairing as a nod to the classic racers of yesteryear. Golden pinstripes, leather grips and classic diamonds on the upholstery are another retro details.

Perfecting imperfections
Building these bikes took more work than meets the eye. For instance, in order to remove the entire exhaust of the RS, you have to dismantle the lower sway of the frame. Sandblasting of the each part and getting the paint job just right proved to be a tedious and time-consuming job. Not that Grzegorz complained, it’s just that there is no room for error. Especially since any imperfections will pop out in matte black. More than a few times parts have been sent back for sandblasting and painting. Details make the difference!

Bling Bling
The easiest task was probably the assembly of the fairing, which is a one piece uni. The LED indicators and brushed steel bar-end mirrors are just a few of the fine details we like on these builds. Another detail are the handcrafted leather grips with threads in the color of the upholstery, which has become something of a UNIKAT trademark. The rear of the bike looks scary thanks to two LED tail lights. They are, allegedly, the smallest tail lights in the world, and they are EU approved (DOT in the US). The black and gold RS received a gold-colored DID chain. The red RS is equipped with a Bitubo suspension set; custom made to the riders’ specs. A great piece of accessory are the quality levers, provided by Poland’s own Womettech.

All three Thruxton are full of hidden Easter-eggs; little details that you may not notice at first, but the more you look at the bikes, the more you find. UNIKAT has done an exceptional job creating these three seemingly identical Thruxton RS’s. Although they look the same, they really are individually unique in many ways.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
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Icon Motorcycles
You may have never heard of them, Icon Motorcycles. The Netherlands-based outfit has dedicated itself completely to building classic British café racers. At Icon they don’t just produce motorcycles; they go back deep into history. They let their hands do the work and put their soul in every model, with the greatest care for the smallest details for the sole purpose of creating the perfect harmony between man and machine. That’s the sales pitch at least.

Merger
They do that by combining the best of two motorcycles into one. First, there is the famous Norton featherbed frame, which bears an unparalleled reputation for both rigidity and comfort. It is a double cradle frame with a wasp’s waist. It has a “roadholder” fork and swing rear suspension, and was built by the Irish McCandless brothers. An absolute legend of the British motorcycle industry. At the time, the amazing features of this frame were applauded by many, especially those that loved to race because of the dramatically improved handling. It is this type of frame that is used by Icon Motorcycles. Mated to the famous Triumph Bonneville 360-degree parallel twin engine, which churns out a healthy 69hp and 69Nm of torque from its 900cc lung capacity, one could say that this would be the birth of the new Triton!

Classic Café Racer
Icon Motorcycles really goes all-in with their build. The longing for the good old days is so strong, that it can be felt in every part that passed the hands of these craftsmen. Their philosophy is that a café racer is more than just a machine. There is a human aspect to it as well, which is just as important as the machine. You see, the riders of café racers were young men and women, that had a need for speed. There were basically 2 ways to achieve that goal: lose weight and more power. This started out with very basic stuff like ditching fenders, and removing indicators. Later on, it started to get more serious, with the most well-known modification being a combination of a Triumph engine with a Norton frame. Hence the name Triton. With its spartan look and aggressive feel, the “Triton” is one of the most distinctive and respected motorcycles in the world. Some purists believe that without the emergence of the “Triton”, manufacturers might never had developed modern sports motorcycle.

Tuned for performance
Besides the café racer scene, there was also a movement that demanded that their machines be driven even faster and that the appearance of their bikes needed to be similar to the machines of British racing heroes such as Mike Hailwood and Geoff Duke. Reaching a 100 miles per hour, or the “Ton” as it was called, became the ultimate goal. This meant a sleeker fuel tank, stiffer suspension, lowered frames, clip-ons, and fibreglass fairings. Engines got blueprinted and received performance upgrades such as forged pistons, bigger valves, race cams, open exhaust, larger jets, and lighter flywheels. This is the look and feel that Icon Motorcycles is aiming for.

British to the bone
The motorcycles that leave their workshop are all made with British parts. There is the Triumph engine, Norton frame, Hagon shocks, Lucas’ electrics, and Dunstall exhaust system. All parts are made of British entertaining, a Triumph engine, Norton frame, Hagon shocks, Lucas electrics and Dunstall exhaust. The parts are painted in “British racing green”, in a two-tone color scheme. The short aluminum racing tank and the swept back exhaust curves are a real nod to the old café racers. In each section you feel the British industry is represented. They do that because they are convinced that the urge for quality is what makes it so special.

Builder details:
Icon Motorcycles
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Builder details:
Stan van Ijzerdoorn
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