The Triumph Speed Triple rocked the motorcycling world when it came in to production in 1994. Powered by Triumph’s triple series of engines and sporting hydraulic front forks, mono shock rear suspension and disc brakes front and rear, it was a true wolf in sheep’s clothing. It’s stripped down, naked styling and Superbike performance influenced a new generation of custom builders and pioneered the Street Fighter movement. So to see one stripped down even further and labeled as a Cafe Racer is somewhat out of the ordinary.
The 1995 T300 Speed Triple has been modified by French custom workshop Garnier Motorcycles who have managed to modernise the bikes now dated styling (see above). The very little fairing that existed on the original bike has been removed leaving only the bright orange tank, however it’s now far from original. The new tail section no longer has room for the electrics or a battery with the custom exhausts fitting snuggly beneath it so the tank has been chopped and the rear third now houses them all.
Most of the bikes front end remains the same with some minor aesthetic upgrades. The twin mufflers from Mecatwin are fed by the 3 cylinders using elbow sections and lengths from the original pipes. Performance has only received minor tweaks with some carb adjustments and a set of K&N filters but also now benefits from the loss of some weight.
It’s Street Fighter meets Cafe Racer and the result is outstanding. This 16 year old Speed Triple would be our pick from the entire lineup right through to the current 2011 model.
“influenced a new generation of custom builders and pioneered the Street Fighter movement.”
To say this bike pioneered the Streetfighter movement is incorrect. Custom Motorcycle builders and Bike club members in the UK have been building Streetfighters since the mid 80’s… our Streetfighters didn’t look like the ‘bum in the Air’ stance of Japanese performance Bikes like this bike, British Streetfighters were powerful chopped bikes that featured in Magasines of the Era such as AWOL and 100% Biker. Streetfightered Bikes that took the Mid and high range Japanese bikes of the 80’s and 90’s the CB750’s, the VMax, the Kawasaki K’s and the GPz’s, Fireblades and shortened their frames, fitted monoshocks, Straightbars and dropped saddles so that you sat in the bike and became part of it.