Under the hood, there’s not much difference between the Triumph Bonneville and Scrambler. Other than their firing intervals (the Scrambler has a 270-degree crank for extra ‘thump’), the bikes are mainly separated by styling cues.
Which means that, with a few well-placed mods, a stock Bonnie can be made as dirt-worthy as a Scrambler. Or more so—as is the case with this fire-road-blitzing number from our favorite Swedish surf-moto crew, 6/5/4 Motors.
The Stockholm shop’s client was bored with his stock 2007 Triumph, and wanted something more suitable to off-road excursions. So he brought it in for an overhaul.
“He works as a sailor on a tugboat in the North Sea,” the guys tell us. “He spends four weeks at sea, and four weeks on land, riding his new Bonnie Scrambler in the woods outside of Stockholm.”
6/5/4’s Swedish pride led them to the Öhlins catalogue for a suspension boost at both ends, complete with new triple clamps to hold the beefy, upside-down forks. Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires were chosen to help fling mud.
The guys then tweaked the Triumph’s lines, by raising the rear of the fuel tank slightly to straighten it out. They also built a new seat on a plastic molded base, covering it in black leather.
Out back, the frame rails were trimmed down slightly and mounts added for the turn signals. The rear fender—and the slimmer side covers—are JVB Moto parts.
The most obvious visual cue is the Arrow two-into-one exhaust system—an aftermarket part specific to the Scrambler. Fitting it meant relocating the Bonneville’s rear brake fluid reservoir, and fabricating a hanger to mount the silencer to.
The bike’s kitted with a smorgasbord of delectable parts: Biltwell Inc. Mushman foot pegs, Grimeca controls, MX-style ‘fatbars’ mounted on new clamps, a new headlight and a tiny MMB speedo. The front brake has been upgraded with a braided steel hose, and a new disc.
A full complement of Motogadget componentry has been installed too, including m-Switches, an m-Lock keyless ignition and m-Relay+ flasher relays.
6/5/4 had a few pieces in mind that couldn’t be sourced, so they turned to CAD and waterjet cutting to produce them. These included the skid plate, license plate bracket and fork protectors—as well as a set of super-short headlight brackets. (A set of headlight brackets had already been bought, but they “made the bike look a bit piggy-like with a big snout.”)
While some Triumph customs can look disjointed, the mods on this Bonnie hang together well—a sure sign of the 6/5/4 team’s obsession with details. The front fender, for example, became a debate that nearly pushed the bike over deadline.
“We just could not decide whether to mount it low or high towards the triple tree. Finally we got a silly idea to lower it just a notch from the triple tree to find balance. We fabricated a custom front fender bracket and voilà—happy times!”
Finishing everything off is a final color scheme that screams (or whispers) ‘Swedish design.’ The tank’s been painted in a dark grey-green hue, while the frame and wheels have been redone in black to match the Bonneville’s already black engine.
Moody and cool at the same time, this Bonneville Scrambler is another 6/5/4 build we wouldn’t mind in our garage.
6/5/4 Motors | Instagram | Facebook | Images: Johannes Helje (studio) and David Gonzalez (ext.)
