You could call this Triumph Tiger a ‘retro streetfighter’, and that’s the signature look of Tempe, Arizona based Helrich Custom Cycles. The shop is run by Dave Helrich and Jennifer Maa, and according to Maa, “We aim to keep things as simple and clean as possible. Our aesthetic is a blend of classic styling and race performance. Dave and I work as a team, he on the big picture and mechanical side, I on the smaller details—like CAD, cleaning and polishing.”
Helrich’s latest bike is this 1973 750 TR7/Tiger. The motor has been rebuilt from the sludge trap up, with new bearings and pistons, a Morgo oil pump, and a modified Bob Newby Racing belt drive. Hidden under the tank is a Boyer Bransden electronic ignition and powerbox, with a high-output stator/rotor.
The stretched frame has a dropped hardtail—built in-house—and custom motor mounts. The battery box is hidden under the remote oil filter, which is connected with brass fittings and copper oil lines. The front end is from a 1972 bike, and has been fitted with Woodcraft clip-ons and Magura levers. The wheels are 19” at the front and 18” at the back, shod with Bridgestone Spitfire tires. The Koso digital speedometer (with an analog face) is hooked up to an active speed sensor located on front wheel.
The remarkably minimalist seat is made from ¼” stainless steel, with a leather pad and copper rivets. The bike fortunately comes with a second, more padded seat for longer rides.
The rear fender is custom-made by 7 Metal West, and the paint job is in classic Triumph style, “with a rally stripe thrown in to give a bit of a race feel”. And the result, to my eyes, is simply gorgeous.
“We love what we do,” says Maa—and on this Tiger, every inch of it shows.
Images by Dean Farrell of Orcatek Photography.
