Modified Triumph Bobber Stays Relatively Close to Stock While Looking a Lot Better

Of course, Tom Gilroy and his accomplices were rather thrilled with the prospect of working their magic on such a pristine specimen. They didn’t think twice about taking the commission and wasted no time digging in once the bike was on their workbench.

Purpose Built Moto (PBM) and their client were fans of the fat-wheel bobbers built by UK-based Thornton Hundred. They have thus decided to borrow some stylistic influences from Thornton’s head-turners on this build, while keeping it unique and in line with PBM’s signature cues. First things first, the Aussies busied themselves with sourcing a pair of wide aftermarket hoops to fit the desired aesthetic.

They found what they needed in Canyon Motorcycles’ inventory – a beefy set of 17-inchers whose widths would make a superbike blush. Sticky Pirelli Angel GT rubber hugs the beefy rims at both ends, and Canyon also supplied new triple clamps that get the OEM forks to play nice with the replacement footwear. The standard Brembo calipers were kept, but they now bite premium aftermarket brake discs fore and aft.

Obviously, the Triumph’s stock fenders would no longer cut it with the Canyon wheels installed, so Purpose Built Moto needed to craft some more suitable alternatives from scratch. They’re just large enough to do the job and secured in place by way of bespoke stainless-steel mounting hardware. Once the replacement fenders had been installed, the fabrication work continued with a fresh exhaust system.

The breathtaking stainless-steel plumbing gives the impression of straight-through pipes, but it actually carries internal baffles to keep noise levels in check. Gracefully snaking its way back while staying close to the engine, the exhaust eventually terminates low down on the right-hand side. Next, the PBM squad moved on to the finishing touches with an array of snazzy little accessories.

Whereas the Bonneville Bobber’s original headlight has been retained, the front turn signals got swapped with much smaller LED units from Motogadget. At the opposite end, we’re greeted by a swingarm-mounted license plate holder manufactured in-house. It comes equipped with multi-function LEDs from the shop’s proprietary catalog of aftermarket goodies, doing both taillight and turn signal duties while keeping clutter at bay.

Finally, the paint job was outsourced to Nathan of Livin’ Loco Garage, and it’s what really makes the whole visual package come together nicely. It is a ravishing mixture of metallic-blue, matte-black, and white highlights, giving this otherwise retro-looking machine a bit of modern styling. All things considered, this build was very straightforward by PBM’s standards, yet it still manages to captivate us with its commanding presence.