Monster Triple: Triumph Speed Triple 955i

Rover-inspired “Monster Triple” from Cus’Tom Motorcycle…   

When Triumph made their Hinckley factory comeback in the early 1990s, they opted for a modular production plan that allowed them to manufacture a wide range of models from a single main design. One of the most successful of these was the Speed Triple, a factory streetfighter with killer looks and a three-cylinder engine derived from Daytona superbike triple. It was an instant hit, and destined to become an icon in the motoring world.

“The Triumph Speed Triple has been inspiring hooliganesque behavior since its introduction in 1994 when Triumph returned to these shores… Mr. Speed continues to proudly wear the black hat as one of the bad boys in motorcycledom.” -MC-USA

In 1999, the Speed Triple received the full-spec 955cc Daytona engine with a very stout 120 bhp on tap — good for a quarter mile time of 11.4 seconds at 121 mph. 

“The genius of the Speed Triple is its ability to deliver 90 per cent of the Daytona’s thrills and performance without the superbike’s inbuilt discomfort.” –Bennetts

The bike’s iconic status was sealed when Tom Cruise tore across the big screen on a ’00 Speed Triple 955i in Mission: Impossible II — a bike currently on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

This “Monster Triple” — based on a ’99 Speed Triple 955i — comes from our buddy Tom Boissel of France’s Cus’Tom Motorcycle.

“I started modifying bikes at 12-years-old with my father for 50cc races, and since then I have never stopped.”

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The client, Adrien, who lives in Paris, already had a custom V-Max 1200 from Tom’s shop, and he’d been wondering what could be done with the Speed Triple he already owned.

“Then an idea came to him: to match it with a Land Rover pickup he was having renovated, while retaining the Speed Triple’s DNA and respecting a specific budget.”

The conversion wouldn’t be as extreme as some of Tom’s previous builds, as the plan here was to keep the build affordable and preserve the Mr. Speed DNA. Highlights include a powder-coated main frame, one-off subframe, redesigned cockpit with NASCAR-style shift light mounted on a modified top triple, modified exhaust, leather and paint to match the Land Rover, and of course those big Continental TKC 80 tires. 

Some readers may scoff at knobby tires on a naked roadster, but the TKC 80 tires have a reputation for surprisingly surefooted performance on the pavement. What’s more, there’s a serious precedent for knobby tires on a Speed Triple: Tom Cruise’s 955i from Mission: Impossible II was outfitted with just such rubber to perform all the off-road stunts in the film.

Below, Tom gives us the story of the build in his own words, along with more photos from his friend @outlaw__v4s.

In the Builder’s Words…

Adrien, the owner of the bike, had already had a black V-Max 1200 prepared in the workshop. Very pleased with this preparation, he had this Speed Triple delivered to me (Adrien lives in the Paris region). He had it in his collection and was wondering what he could do with it, then an idea came to him: to match it with a Land Rover pickup he was having renovated, while retaining the Speed Triple’s DNA and respecting a specific budget.

He provided me with some photos of his pickup, and the aesthetic direction to take was clear: to make a roadster with big lugs, ready to cover 400 meters on any dirt road. The bulk of the work was the design and manufacture of the rear subframe.

Although it may seem simple, it had to accommodate all the bike’s bulky electronics (this was the late 90s, and electronics take up a lot of space), as well as the battery, and allow for easy removal in case of maintenance. To save space in the rear subframe, I made a new stainless steel expansion tank that I moved to the side of the engine.

For the “cross” look, two Continental TKC 80″ tires with large knobs are placed on the motorcycle without modification, and against all expectations, allow you to ride at normal speeds without an issue.

The cockpit has been redesigned, with the large speedometer block replaced by a rev counter with a NASCAR-style shift light (particularly popular at Cus’Tom Motorcycle; it has already been installed on other custom bikes from the workshop).

It’s housed in the fork crown, which has been remachined to allow its installation, along with a few LED indicators (turn signals, oil pressure, neutral, etc.).

To stay within the requested budget, I kept the original fork and modified the muffler and exhaust system that was already on the bike (the muffler runs along the rear seat, a common style in the late 90s).

The original light gray frame was powder-coated matte black by the workshop, which has its own powder-coating line for motorcycle mechanical parts.

 

And for aesthetics, the paint and leather used are the same as the reference pickup. The lettering on the tires adds a similarity to the pickup truck.

The rear single-sided swingarm with its 3-spoke rim, along with the original dual headlights, maintains the Speed Triple’s DNA.

Without reinventing the bike and investing a lot of time and money, this project shows that unique bikes can be built with a killer look.

 

Follow the Builder

Website: www.custommotorcycle.fr
Facebook: Cus’Tom Motorcycle
Instagram: @custom_motorcycle_tom_boissel
Youtube: @custommotorcycle8364
Photos: @outlaw__v4s

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