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Triumph’s High-Performance Retro-Styled Café Racer Gets the Rarest of Upgrades

This unicorn’s nattily attired saddle makes total sense in the context of the very worthy cause behind it.

Quilted tweed motorcycle seat with a small fabric tag, mounted on a green bike frame with visible suspension.Triumph Motorcycles
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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A couple of months ago, Triumph launched a limited-edition Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition that positively dripped with classic cool. 

Building off the base of the already excellent Speed Twin 1200 RS, this big-bore bike is such a throwback head turner that one wonders how they could possibly top it.

Green and silver Triumph motorcycle with gold front forks and a patterned seat on a gray floor.
The exclusive DGR treatment of the Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition is just a bit more … dapper.
Triumph Motorcycles

I could give you a thousand tries, and you probably wouldn’t guess what Triumph did next.

If I mentioned the new one-off treatment tied in with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, however, you at least would not be surprised.

Tangled up in Tweed

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, or DGR, is the coolest motorcycle-driven cause around, with riders everywhere donning their most dapper attire and saddling up classic and vintage-style bikes to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.

Founded in Sydney, Australia, by a Don Draper-inspired Mark Hawwa in 2012, the event has recruited over 500,000 riders in 121 countries to raise more than $60 million for men’s health, so far. 

Left: Man wearing a brown flat cap, mustard shirt, black patterned vest, tan corduroy pants, and holding brown gloves standing next to a motorcycle. Right: Woman wearing a white helmet, sunglasses, gray pinstripe blazer, and black pants sitting on a green motorcycle smiling.
International Triumph ambassadors João Terra (Brazil) and Grace Webb (UK) suit up in style for the DGR.
Triumph Motorcycles

Triumph has been the official motorcycle partner since 2014, and the brand has accordingly rolled out a series of unique motos to help promote the event, including various one-off Thruxtons and Bonnevilles.

This year, the brand has announced as the Gentlefolk Prize a Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition with the most fitting tweak imaginable: a bespoke Harris Tweed seat.

Quilted tweed motorcycle seat with black leather trim on a green bike with gold number 15 decal.
The distinctive updates are the 15 number plate and the real coup de grâce, the Harris Tweed-topped saddle.
Triumph Motorcycles

Made from authenticated, handwoven fabric from the Outer Hebrides, it’s pretty much the most gentlemanly touch imaginable. 

The motorcycle also gets a unique number board celebrating 15 years of the DGR.

Other than that, the bike boasts all the other retro touches that make the January release such a banger (read all about them here), plus its excellent performance features. 

Close-up of a green and silver Triumph Speed Twin 1200 motorcycle engine and seat with gold "15" decal.
Don’t worry, the thumping 1,200cc engine and its 100-plus ponies aren’t going anywhere.
Triumph Motorcycles

That means a 1,200cc engine making 103.5 horsepower and peak torque of 83 ft-lbs, plus Brembo Stylema front brakes (Nissin rear), fully adjustable Marzocchi forks (4.72 inches of travel) and Öhlins rear suspension, to name a few.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance

Now, you can’t buy this bike, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win it. 

Triumph awards brand-new modern classic bikes to the top three fundraisers worldwide, but you can qualify for the Gentlefolk prize by doing four things:

  1. Making a rider profile on gentlemansride.com
  2. Making a personal donation 
  3. Donating to another rider to earn the “Pay It Forward” badge 
  4. Raising at least $250

You’ll want to join the accompanying worldwide ride on Sunday, May 17th, too, of course. 

You know, as a warm-up to doing it next year atop a Harris Tweed seat.

Motorcycle seat with black leather and multicolored tweed fabric, labeled "Speed Twin 1200" on a dark green panel.
Ever hear of BYOMHTJ? Bring your own matching Harris Tweed jacket, that is.
Triumph Motorcycles
About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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