The latest bike to roll out of the Wrenchmonkees‘ Copenhagen workshop is this deliciously raw, no-frills Triumph Thruxton. It’s owned by Peter from Holland, but was originally a UK bike—delivered in mint condition, and almost original.
‘Peter wanted a no-nonsense bike,’ says Per of the Wrenchmonkees, ‘with better handling, more power, and a matt, naked build.’ After the first mock-ups, the Monkees decided to fit a new tank and lower the bike by several centimeters. ‘The original tank was way too high and lumpy for the lines on the bike.’ The back end was lowered by fitting Bitubo shocks that are almost 50 mm lower than the stock shocks. The front end was lowered by 35 mm. The Thruxton now looks much more balanced, and according to Per, ‘it’s transformed the handling too.’
To match the new lines, the tank from an old Kawasaki Z750B was installed, and left unpainted. A new seat unit was built, along with a new battery box to tidy up the original wiring and relays. The front end was cleaned up with classic Tarozzi clip-ons and a single Motogadget dial. The headlight brackets are one-offs, and support a new 6.5” deep old-school headlight.
The brake system was overhauled with Brembo components and steel braided lines, and the engine was rejetted and fitted with K&N filters and Supertrapp mufflers. This increased the torque by 12 Nm, with the peak arriving at 1000 rpm sooner than standard. On the dyno, the rear wheel recorded a healthy 61 hp at 6700 rpm. ‘The bike is a completely different experience now,’ says Per. ‘It actually pulls when you turn the grip, and turns when you pull the handle!’
I’m quite partial to the stock Triumph Thruxton, and thought it’d be hard to improve upon. But once again, the Wrenchmonkees have elevated a familiar motorcycle to a whole new level.
