Teaser - Bol d'Or 2013

DIME CITY CYCLES BONNEVILLE

The 50s and 60s were arguably the best years of British motorcycling. Invariably finished in black and chrome, the bikes repeatedly pushed the envelope of engineering—until the Japanese arrived. It was a golden era, and it’s the inspiration for the latest build fromDime City Cycles—the ‘Distinguished Bonneville.’

“The idea was to take a Hinckley Triumph and build a machine that would be timeless, like a Meriden Triumph,” says Dime City’s Jason Michaels. “Dozens of modern Triumphs have been customized to simply look ‘old’, but I prefer things to be tight and have a certain fit and finish. With the Distinguished Bonneville, Herm and I have aimed to create a bike that looks ‘old’ but also looks new. If that makes any sense!”

The bike is a 2005 model Bonneville with less than 5,000 miles on the clock. But it was a wreck when it rolled into Dime City Cycles’ Florida workshop. The previous owner had parked it outside his beach house for years, leaving the elements to wreak their havoc. After a rebuild was halted part-way through, Michaels collected the bike as a box of bits.

The target was discreet customization: A bike that looks ‘factory.’ Starting at the front, the stock headlight ears were removed and new sheet metal was formed and TIG-welded onto the factory mounts. Given the finish would be chrome, there was zero margin for error—or filler. A simple enough project one might think, but in the end it required almost eight hours of painstaking work.

There’s a sprinkling of DCC parts throughout the bike. The stock gauges have been replaced by a single mini speedo unit, and the headlight bucket was changed in favor of a DCC British style bucket. The front fender remains stock, but like the headlight ears, it earned a bit of massaging and a coat of thick chrome. Under the fender rolls a classic Avon Speedmaster, the only tire that would fit this bill.

The bars are DCC’s new ‘Classic’ bars, made from .083 steel tubing. With a slightly increased pullback and half an inch taken out of the rise, they complete the classic look of the front end. The Posh grips were a gift from Alan Stulberg of Revival Cycles in Texas.

The tank is a stock Bonneville tank re-covered in chrome. The two-up custom seat, with retro square section stitching, mounts just like the factory seat: two bolts, and viola!

The rear fender was removed and completely reshaped, with the side rails shaved and trimmed. They follow the contour of a Coker Diamond Tread tire, mounted on a 17″ Excel wheel. The taillight is a 1960s Honda CL unit given to Jason by a famous vintage racer.

The finished result is stunning, but it wasn’t easy getting there. “It was one of the most challenging projects yet,” says Michaels. “Building a bike from scratch is a whole other story. You make things up as you go, and adjust this piece to fit that one, and just keep on fabricating. In the end, though, it was all worth it. It’s the most comfortable bike we’ve built to date and can be ridden for hours on end—which is always a plus!”

Dime City Cycles will soon be launching a line of ‘Classic’ Triumph accessories, similar to those found on the Distinguished Bonneville. And it looks like there’s a market already.

“I recently spoke with someone at IMS who showed an interest in modern Triumphs and what we were doing with them,” says Michaels. “Well, Mr. Reynolds, this one’s for you.”

Images by Erick Runyon of Choppershotz.

Specification
DCC Factory-fit Retro Square Stitch Seat
DCC Classic Bars
DCC Retro Headlight Bucket w/ Diamond Lens
DCC Fork Gaiters
DCC Ignition Relocation Kit
DCC Steering Damper Kit
DCC Polished Aluminum Velocity Stacks
DCC Factory-fit Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit
Re-worked OE Triumph Headlight Ears
Retro Fuel Cap
Coker Diamond Tread Rear Laced to Excel 17″ Aluminum Rim
Avon Speed Master Front w/ Stock 19″ Wheel
D9 Low-pro Gauge Cluster w/ DCC Speedo
Progressive Suspension Performance Springs and 412 Series Rear Shocks
British Customs Sleeper Exhaust and Airbox Removal Kit
Reworked OE Rear Fender w/ 1960′s Honda CL Taillight
British Customs Regulator Reloc. Kit
Triumph Tank Badges & Knee Pads
Triumph Thruxton Pre-load Fork Caps
Powder coating by Profab Customs, paint by Moe Colors.

from BIKEEXIF

top start

From RM's Don Davis Collection: Speedster, Spider, Roadster

As it's springtime, Classic Driver has taken a look at RM Auctions’ forthcoming (27 April 2013) Texas sale of the Don Davis Collection and chosen some fine, wind-in-your-hair open motor cars...

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1989 Porsche 911 Speedster: USD 90,000 - 120,000 


Porsche reprised its famous ‘Speedster’ name for the final G Series version of the 911. This car was an early version, built in 1989 and featuring the famous ‘double hump’ behind the front seats plus more steeply raked, cut-down windscreen. 

This black car, with red hide, has covered just 15,767 miles since new. 

further details on Lot 150 in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

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1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' Spider: USD 1,200,000 - 1,400,000


Making its debut at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show (as a ‘GTS/4’), the convertible version of Ferrari’s mighty 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ - always referred to as a ‘Spider’ - is the stuff of legend. 

Only a whisker over 120 ‘Daytona’ Spiders were ever built, all but one bodied at Scaglietti and the vast majority were LHD cars. This one was delivered to the USA on July 17 1974 and shows just 21,077 miles on its odometer. Complete with Ferrari Classiche certification, the immaculate red-with-tan car was acquired by Don Davis around 2008. 

further details on Lot 148 in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

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1965 Shelby Cobra 289: USD 650,000 - 850,000


Who doesn’t know the story of 1959 Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby and the creation of the eponymous company that married a dependable British chassis with simple, barchetta styling and an understressed, but massively powerful American V8? 

Original Shelby Cobras, particularly those with the simple, no-frills bodywork and wire wheels you see here, are desirable cars. This Don Davis Collection car is listed in the World Registry of Cobras and GT40s, and comes with its original documentation, including Shelby and dealer invoices. 

further details on Lot 112 in the Classic Driver Marketplace >>

Related Links You can view all entries in the forthcoming RM Auctions, 27 April 2013 Don Davis Collection sale in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: RM Auctions