Motorcycles

Triumph Announces Bonneville Custom Competition

Triumph Originals pits eight international builders against each other.

May 2, 2025

Triumph Originals challenges eight builders to build the ultimate custom Bonneville, with the bikes to be revealed this June.Triumph

Moto manufacturers from BMW to Honda to—of course—Harley and Indian have long used in-house custom contests to promote certain models within the brand portfolio, and now Triumph is looking to use that same strategy on its Bonneville series, with a build-off it’s calling Triumph Originals. You could almost wonder why it took this long.

The Bonneville has been, even from cafe racer days in the 1960s (and earlier), one of the most customized (or perhaps we should say, readily customized) production models around, inspiring generations of riders and builders to fab up their own unique two-wheel visions. In the ensuing decades, a robust aftermarket has sprung up, with a thriving community of parts makers, builders, and cultural collaborators growing to support the marque. With the reintroduction of the Bonnie in 2000, the story continued apace, with the modern range ushering the legacy (as well as the iconic design cues) into the 21st century, and the bike remains a great canvas for self-expression, which is likely why Triumph decided to pull the trigger and sponsor a custom motorcycle competition.

The Scrambler 900 is one of the 11 models in the Modern Classics range builders can use as a platform.Triumph

Triumph Originals is being billed as “a new challenge to teams around the world to create the most original…custom build inspired by the theme: Icons of British Originality.” As it now stands, teams from eight countries have been chosen to participate, each collaborating with a locally chosen custom house to build a one-off Bonneville to showcase design, build technique, and craftsmanship.

The teams, from Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil, France, Italy, the UK, and the US, can choose any model from the Bonneville family as their donor bike, which currently includes 11 models: the Bonneville Bobber, T100, and T120; the Scrambler 400, 900, and 1200; the Speed Twin 900 and 1200, the Speed 400; the Speedmaster and the Thruxton RS.

The custom Bonnevilles will be revealed in June 2025 and judged by a panel of design and cultural experts, with each build assessed against five key qualities:

Iconic Style: Does the build stand out for its overall visual impact and originality?

British Originality: How well does it interpret the theme through a cultural or creative lens?

Creativity and Innovation: Is the concept fresh, and does it push design or engineering boundaries?

Craftsmanship: How well is the bike built? Consideration to materials, finish, and detail.

The Ride: How does the build perform and how does it make you feel on the road?

Five finalists will then go to a public vote, with both scores combined to decide the ultimate winner with the title of Triumph Original 2025.

Head over to triumphmotorcycles.com for more info.