PHASE 1:
We were originally contacted by CAFE RACER in 2015 as they were building a promotional custom Thruxton for the Distinguished Gentleman's ride and initially wanted us to build a really set of trick wheels to match the artist rendering, After a consultation it was clear they wanted 18's front and rear, they were locked on the idea and needed the whole bike done in 2 weeks for the DGR ride!!!
After laughing heartily on the floor at them, I picked myself up and said we would do our best and thats where we got involved.
We came up with one of the finest sets of our classic spoke TT wheels ever to be fitted to a Thruxton in a 18x5.5 and 18x3.5. Elliot and the guys worked solid on them and in record time produced the goods in a stunning denim black and satin bronze finished with hand painted pinstripe! Stage 1 Galfer brake kit and a huge set of Metzler ME880's were fitted to give it a look like no other Thruxton out there!
The rest of the bike had the full treatment up at the shop by myself while it was here with a few more Canyon parts including: Leather Strap-On kit, Custom 'Great Escape' headlight, Thirst Eliminator and a wheelbarrow full of trick parts rapidly supplied by some of the best custom shops and parts suppliers in the business.
PHASE 2:
After the success of the DGR and raising over 2 million for charity its going bigger and better that ever before and it was time to improve the bike again!
This time around we worked with Nick on the colour, he wanted a very specific copper finish on a few key components to give it a modern cuttin edge to tie in with the DGR.
We built a set of our Billet 'Sulby' wide wheels in a 18x5.5 and 18.3.5 which allow tubeless tires and look MEGA!
For performance we fitted a Iron Cobra low profile battery box and belly pan and did all of the tuning to get the bike running like a champ!
Cognitio triple tree, lots of Motone parts including the lovely lightweight alloy tank, fork brace, turn sigs etc. The Motodemic headlight lights the road incredibly at night!
At this point its one of the most unique Thruxtons out there and will help hit the 5 Million target we are all aiming for this year!
We really enjoyed being involved in this project, to get it completed for the DGR ride is a testament to the skill and enthusiasm of everybody along with the great camaraderie of the local So Cal shops!
Cheers from the Canyon Motorcycles crew!
Adrian, Elliot ,Brian, Jarrod, Nick and Jason
Canyon Motorcycles played a key roll in helping us achieve the look we were going for with the bike. Not only did they fabricate custom wheels specifically for the project, they also worked closely with us to make sure we were involved and on the same page as far as the precise color tone of the wheels. They also offered technical advice and assisted getting last minute parts on the bike in time for us to take part in this year's The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.
The wheels were so transformative as far as the overall look of the bike, we decided to add "TT" to the original "Blackbird" project name out of respect for Canyon's going above and beyond to assure our vision came to fruition.
Adrian and his team at Canyon put the "Special" in Specialist as far as anything Triumph in the LA area goes, they are the guys you want to go to. Such a great experience!
Nick Dee-- Canyon 'Blackbird TT' Thruxton
Phase II of Blackbird TT by CAFE RACER & Canyon Motorcycles in partnership with Motone Customs, in prep for this year's @The The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride | 'Sulby' TT Wheels by Canyon Motorcycles | Brakes by Galfer USA | Head Light by Motodemic | Triple Top Clamp byCognito Moto | Motone Fuel Tank lined and painted by GTL Advantage - gas tank lining and restoration | Bar End Mirrors by Dime City Cycles | Battery Relocation Kit by Iron Cobras Fabrication | Velocity Stacks bypjmotorsports.com | Shocks by FOX | Stator & Clutch Covers by The Speed Merchant | Saddle by Tuffside | Custom Brake Levers from Outpost Cycle
