WIN a Beckham replica Bonnie
Motolegends, the Guildford based retro clothing specialist, has recently created a replica of the customised Triumph Bonnevilles that David Beckham and his pals rode up the Amazon last year.
The bike is going to be given away at the NEC later this year, in a free prize draw.
Many people assumed that the bikes they rode were Triumph’s latest Scrambler model; and that was because, like the Scrambler, those bikes wore a high-level, off road, Arrow exhaust – but the starting point was actually a humble Bonneville.
Motolegends acquired the donor bike, a 2001 model, from a local ex- policeman. Even though it was over 10 years old, it had been meticulously looked after, and so presented an excellent starting point for the project.
The build was incredibly simple, and although the end result is quite dramatic, the work is well within the scope of any budding ‘bike-shed’ mechanic.
Part one was the strip-down. Off came the mudguards, the indicators, the rear grab rail, the exhaust, and so on. What was left was treated to a matt black paint job that included the wheels, fuel tank, engine casing, cylinder head and handlebars.
The wheels were re-shod with Metzler Karoo 3s as per the original bike; rubber fork gaiters were added, the seat was retrimmed, and a new rear mudguard and number plate holder was fabricated.
The pièce de résistance, and the most expensive single part on the bike, was the Arrow exhaust. But it only comes in a metal finish, so it was sent off for a black ceramic coating. A bracket was fabricated, to allow it to hang correctly off the side of the bike.
Final touches involved moving the rear brake master cylinder to a new location, as the rear brake positioning couldn’t have been at all convenient on the original bikes.
The bike was built by Phil and Graham at FCL in Cranleigh. Including the original bike, parts, paint labour and so on, the build came in at around £10k.
And all it takes, if you want the chance to lock it away in your shed, is for you to give your name and address to Motolegends. To enter the competition, just click go to: www.motolegends.com/Info/davidbeckham-bike.html. The bike will be given away at the end of the NEC show this November.