Steel Bent Customs T100
By Anthony van Someren - 14 Oct 13
Steel bent Customs are back on the Bike Shed, and having set themselves a firm reputation for bikes with a firm rear end it's interesting to see a bike with a little more seat padding than their usual hard-assed brat style customs, but this T100 still has all the usual SBC touches that make them one of our most popular builders.
The donor is a 2008 Bonneville, and was sent to Michael & Co in Tampa, Florida all the way from the Mediterranean, having been bought unseen and accompanied by a set of pictures and rough ideas of what he wanted. Being a newer bike, she was mechanically sound, but the owner wanted something very special.
First up the wheels needed to be lightened, so Michael got in touch with Doug at the Devon Wheel Company in the UK to get some wider and lighter rims laced-up in satin black with stainless steel spokes. The 4.5 inch rear and 3.5 inch front could then be fitted with a Continental TKC80 150 & 120.
Meanwhile the guys got started on the frame, looping the rear, adding support for the exhaust and a smaller rear fender. The 2:1 Arrow Exhaust was designed for the Scrambler, so they had to modify the right side cover along with the rear master cylinder and fuse box. The stock shocks were removed & replaced with a fresh set of fully adjustable Öhlins from British Customs.
The seat pan was hand made to account for the battery placement & rear fender clearance, while the (unusually comfy) seat foam was upholstered in leather with orange piping & stitching to match the paint scheme. The chrome engine covers were pulled off and powdercoated in satin black and the chain guard and cover were drilled for looks and lightness. Stock instruments were replaced by a mini Motogadget gauge. The Headlight is a MuzaMoto unit, complemented by LED bar end turn signals and a cat-eye rear light.
The paint scheme uses matte silver with a Coast Guard orange accented stripe that flows from the tank down to the brush guard. As a final touch the guys relocated the tank filler hole from the right side to the center and mounted a camera-lens style removable Francis Barker compass, following the design with a custom fabricated headlight guard.
Michael goes on to say; "This was by far one of our most exciting builds. The client spared no expense building one incredibly unique bike that is sure to inspire anyone with a stock Bonneville on the streets today." We agree, it's not your average scrambler and great to see SBC spreading their style onto a modern Triumph.
See more from Michael Mundy and Steel Bent Customs on their Website and on The Bike Shed's Steel Bent Customs pages.
Quality photos from Erick Runyan