Matt Helder’s Triumph Bonneville T100

This Triumph Bonneville T100 custom was built for Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helder.
Richard Pollock is having good problems. Demand for his Mule street-trackers is running ahead of supply, so much so that customers are now buying his personal motorcycles out from underneath him!

Actually, even Pollock’s own bikes are work-related. This 2007 Triumph Bonneville T100 that he was keeping for himself also served as testbed for products being developed by Streetmaster, the small Southern California speed house Pollock does work for. That explains the seat cowl, prototype for a kit in development. Likewise, the 2-into-1 exhaust pipe. The motor benefits from a 904cc big-bore kit, cams, rejetted carbs and K&N air filters.

This Triumph Bonneville T100 custom was built for Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helder.
To get straighter exits from the exhaust ports, Pollock jettisoned the stock Triumph Bonneville T100 oil cooler and installed a set of Streetmaster replacement frame downtubes. These bolt-on pieces are reworked with fittings so that oil now circulates through them, cleaning up the front half of the frame structure, increasing oil capacity and allowing the engine to run cooler than stock.

This Triumph Bonneville T100 custom was built for Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helder.
While that’s a subtle visual improvement, it’s hard to miss the upgraded front end, running a Streetmaster/Mule hub, stainless-steel spokes and a Red Devil four-piston caliper gripping a Brembo rotor on a Kosman center. Mule billet triple-clamps hold Honda CBR954RR inverted forks and a Harley Sportster headlight. The bars are aluminum Vortex flat-track style wearing a Brembo master cylinder and a Ducati Hypermotard throttle. In the rear, another Streetmaster/Mule hub, Brembo rotor and caliper, and an RK Gold chain. The chainguard received a series of large flared holes prior to powdercoat. Rims front and rear are 19-inch Suns with Dunlop dirt-track tires. Shocks are adjustable Race Techs.

This Triumph Bonneville T100 custom was built for Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helder.
Pollock was happy with the way the Triumph Bonneville T100 turned out. “Looks kinda stock with a better ride and way more Go,” he said. Unfortunately, the Mule-modded T100 caught the eye of Matt Helder, drummer for the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, who refused to take no for an answer. Sold!

Maybe Richard can catch his Bonneville in the group’s next music video?

This Triumph Bonneville T100 custom was built for Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helder.

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