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

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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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