Barbour International A225
By Ian Heartfield - 07 Jun 14
When Triumph and Barbour came on board as sponsors of BSMC III, the idea for a bike born of the two iconic brands was formed. And who better to do justice to that idea than Tim & Kev at Spirit of the 70's.
The Barbour International A225 (named after the original Barbour International one piece racing suit) is of course a 2013 Triumph Scrambler. A bike so damn near perfect as standard, that there really was no need to go crazy and make changes for changes sake. Plus timings were tight, this build needed to be done and dusted in 12 weeks, while the guys completed 6 other client builds at the same time. Things are pretty full on down there in Kent right now.
Obviously doing justice to the look, feel and heritage of the Barbour brand was the main aim of this build, something Spirit wanted to achieve with more than just a green paint job. So the guys went for bespoke details like the seat which was upholstered in quilted Barbour International fabric by Glenn Moger, and even features a Barbour stash pocket on the rear. Tim says the fabric was matched to his trusty old Barbour jacket that he's owned for years - hopefully they didn't match the dirt and sweat stains too. The bike also has a side pannier which is a standard Barbour International Stainton Map Print Retriever Bag, fitted on a bespoke Spirit frame.
The bike may be pretty standard, but as ever it's the attention to detail that Spirit are renowned for that makes this bike special. And not just aesthetic details either. This bike features Fox Podium RC shocks which were supplied by Mojo Suspension. Kev designed the Enduro style exhaust himself and says that if they get more than 10 orders, they'll sell it as a Spirit accessory. The paint job was Kev's too, executed immaculately by D-Luck's in Brighton.
The motocross style handlebars are graced with Oury grips. The headlamp, petrol tank cap, shorty seat unit and carbon fibre front and rear mudguards are all Spirit's own. The Brembo front disc and calliper, and many other parts came courtesy of Norman Hyde. Spirit used their own front indicator bracket to mount the Oberon indicators, and mounted the rear indicators in the frame rails which were shortened. The ignition was relocated, and various official Triumph accessories like the front brake reservoir, skid plate and EFI carb caps were bolted on.
The bike was launched to a great reception at BSMC III and has now started its summer tour. You can see it next if you're lucky enough to be at Wheels and Waves. After that it will be in Berlin at a trade show. Then it will be coming back to Blighty for a Barbour International shop fit in Harrods. Being as pretty as she is, she will no doubt be used in countless photoshoots too. It's another classy Triumph special that's up to the usual high standards we've come to expect from Tim & Kev. Thanks for making this one happen guys. And obviously a huge thank you to Triumph and Barbour for having the vision for this bike, and for all their support of The Bike Shed.