Bull Ring: A taurine Triumph Bonneville scrambler from Spain

The Spanish workshop Tamarit Motorcycles has been in business for a decade, focusing almost exclusively on Triumph modern classics. So they know the Triumph Bonneville inside out—and they know how to transform it into just about anything.

Tamarit Motorcycles has used this experience to build a stacked catalog of bolt-on Triumph parts and a handful of made-to-order customs. But what they relish most are the opportunities to build one-off specials, like this vivid Triumph Bonneville scrambler.

Numbered 142 and nicknamed ‘Bull Ring,’ the 2006-model carbureted Triumph Bonneville was commissioned by a returning client. Tamarit had previously built a Triumph Thruxton café racer for him, but this time, he wanted a street scrambler.

Some details—like the mono-shock conversion and under-seat exhaust—were carried over from the previous project, but this is no copycat. The idea was to give the bike a taurine stance, an aggressive silhouette, and bold finishes. (Tamarit emphasizes that this Bonneville was built for an individual, not the masses.)

The centerpiece of this machine is its monocoque body. Tamarit used the Bonneville’s stock fuel tank as a starting point, using fiberglass to produce an integrated tail section and side covers. They also added a ridge to the top of the tank, which incorporates a housing for a tiny Motogadget speedo up front.

The solo saddle wears luxurious upholstery with a kinetic stitching pattern. The back of the flat track-inspired tail bump is neatly finished, with a pair of LED taillights Frenched into it. Sitting on a bespoke subframe, the monocoque is begging to be replicated in kit form—but Tamarit is adamant about leaving it as a one-of-a-kind piece.

The crew also designed the body with easy access to the serviceable bits underneath it in mind. Lurking below the seat is a tidy wiring arrangement, built around Motogadget’s uber-popular mo.unit Blue control module.

The only other bodywork is a number board-like headlight nacelle that’s merged with the custom fork covers. Two headlights light the way; a projector mounted below the bottom fork yoke, and a strip LED embedded in the front plate. A Tamarit sump guard adds visual bulk to the bottom of the bike while protecting the polished motor’s underbelly.

Moving to the chassis, Tamarit ditched the Bonneville’s classic twin shock arrangement for their signature single shock setup. The conversion uses the original swingarm as a foundation, adding a braced triangle and a new upper shock mount. The shock, and the upgraded springs inside the stock Triumph forks, are from Hagon.

The Bonneville now rolls on a gorgeous set of Sulby Star wheels, built to spec by Canyon Motorcycles in the UK. Measuring 18 inches up front and 17 inches out back, they’re wrapped in Pirelli MT60RS dual-sport tires. The brakes were upgraded with discs from Braking and new pads.

Up top, you’ll find a set of LSL handlebars fitted with Biltwell Inc. grips, a new throttle, and KustomTech levers. The micro switches, bar-end turn signals, and mirrors are from Motogadget. New foot pegs and a brass shifter nub sit lower down.

Just in front of the Bonneville’s engine, you’ll spot a pair of finned oil cooler tubes that blend with the frame, replacing the unsightly OEM cooler. The bike also wears a custom-made stainless steel twin exhaust system, terminating in a pair of shotgun mufflers under the tail.

It’s a neat set of mods, no doubt. But what really sets this Triumph Bonneville scrambler off is its striking livery.

Resplendent in blue, red, gold, and white metal-flake paint, it was laid down by Tamarit’s in-house painter, Pedro. (He’s 65 years old, and, according to our contact at Tamarit, they won’t let him retire.) The hard parts alternate between brass, chromed, and polished finishes, and the whole design feels as fresh as it does unapologetic.

Tamarit makes no bones about the fact that Bull Ring wasn’t built for comfort. Instead, their mission was to create something truly unique, with no detail left untouched.

They nailed it.

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Loud and Rowdy: STG Tracker scrambles the Yamaha XV920R

Of all the Yamaha XV models released over the years, not one could be accused of being pretty. And yet, custom motorcycle builders have been putting their spin on the maligned Virago (and its variants) for longer than Bike EXIF has been around.

One workshop that knows how to turn a sow’s ear into a purse; STG Tracker. Run by Marcelo Obarrio and Germán Karp, the Argentinian outfit is versatile and seldom builds the same thing twice. So they didn’t blink when a client asked them to turn his 1981 Yamaha XV920R into a scrambler.

The XV920R was Yamaha’s attempt at turning their awkward cruiser into a standard-type motorcycle with sports touring aspirations. Highlights included a taller stance, rear-mounted foot pegs, and an enclosed chain drive.

This particular XV920R was running great, so Marcelo and Germán didn’t have to crack the engine open. They stripped the bike down to its nuts and bolts, treated the engine’s exterior to fresh finishes, and fabricated an aluminum sump guard to protect it.

The guys retained the XV’s original front suspension, but swapped the rear shock out for a Honda unit. Next, the early 80s alloy wheels were ditched for a set of better-looking spoked items. The front wheel was built using an aftermarket hub and a 19” rim, with a Bybre brake caliper and Brembo disc.

The rear wheel was put together with a 17” rim and the drum brake hub from a Honda CB750, offering more stopping power than the stock drum brake. The front tire is a Continental TKC80, while the rear is a Kenda Big Block. STG also ditched the heavy 630 chain, replacing it with a 530 unit that rolls over custom sprockets.

With the running gear sorted, Marcelo and Germán tackled the XV920R’s clunky bodywork. The stock parts were binned—along with the bike’s stock subframe.

A new rear section was fabricated and welded on, creating a neat line along the base of the bodywork. Designed with a subtle kick in the tail, it carries a custom-made leather saddle, a short rear fender, and an LED taillight. LED turn signals flank the back of the seat.

There was a time when every second custom Yamaha XV wore a Benelli Mojave fuel tank—but STG figured out something better. They borrowed this tank from a new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, which fit the XV’s frame with minimal fuss. But since the Royal Enfield is fuel-injected and the XV isn’t, they also yanked out its fuel pump and installed a petcock.

The XV920R carries its air intake in its left-hand side cover, utilizing the bike’s stamped steel frame to direct air to the carbs. STG got around this by making a slim box, resembling a racing number plate, to house a chunky K&N air filter. There’s a matching box on the other side of the bike, but that one holds the electrical stuff.

The Yamaha’s cockpit was beefed up with tapered bars, fitted with backlit micro switches, new grips, and slim new mirrors. The front end also wears a digital speedo, a new headlight with a protective grill, LED turn signals, and a handmade aluminum fender. Chunky off-road foot pegs do duty lower down.

For the exhaust, Marcelo and Germán put together a two-into-one-into-two system out of stainless steel. Terminating in a pair of upturned reverse cone mufflers, it demands attention every time the XV is fired up.

Finished in a striking black, red, and silver livery, with custom Yamaha badges adorning the tank, STG Tracker’s Yamaha XV920R is a worthy entry into the annals of custom XVs. Then again, we’d expect nothing less from Buenos Aires’ finest.

STG Tracker | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Darío Rodriguez

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Speed Read: Motorcycle news from Ducati, BMW, DAB, and Yamaha

Is your garage looking a little empty? We’ve got four new bikes this week that might help fill that hole. Your options are the limited edition Panigale V4 Lamborghini, the new BMW R 1300 R roadster, DAB’s new electric scrambler, or the race-ready Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR.

Ducati Panigale V4 Lamborghini Ducati and Lamborghini share more than just proximity in the Motor Valley region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. They’re also both owned by the Volkswagen Group—and they both feature prominently on the bedroom walls of petrolhead adolescents.

The two Italian marques have collaborated in the past, so we’re glad to see that they’ve teamed up for yet another limited edition, high-end motorcycle: the Ducati V4 Panigale Lamborghini.

Limited to just 630 units, the V4 Panigale Lamborghini is heavily inspired by the Lamborghini Revuelto—a 1,000-plus horsepower V12 hybrid supercar. Both vehicles feature sharp, angular lines that ooze performance and style, making the V4 Panigale the perfect platform for a Lamborghini edition. And just like the Revuelto, the V4 is dripping with carbon fiber bodywork.

The front wing, seat, and rear cowl designs have been updated over the standard V4 Panigale, as have the forged wheels. Machined billet aluminum fork yokes are another upgrade, with the top clamp bearing the model name and example number.

The adjustable foot pegs are billet aluminum, as is the key. A dry clutch kit and Akrapovič exhaust system help release a few more ponies (if 218 hp isn’t enough for you), along with a raucous soundtrack.

The bike bears the number 63, which is Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP number, and the number of ‘Speciale Clienti’ versions of the Ducati V4 Panigale Lamborghini that will be available exclusively to Lamborghini customers. If that’s you, you can work with Lamborghini Centro Stile to match your V4 Panigale to your own Lamborghini, because why not? [Source]

BMW R 1300 R The second BMW Motorrad debuted their monstrous new 1,300 cc boxer motor in the BMW R 1300 GS, we wondered how long it would take the Bavarian powerhouse to roll it out to the rest of their R-series bikes—and what each model would look like. The wait is over; the BMW R 1300 R is here (in digital form at least).

A quick lesson in BMW nomenclature: the model’s first letter refers to its motor, the numbers denote the engine capacity, and the last letter refers to the style of the bike. In this case, the first R points to BMW’s liquid-cooled boxer motor, while the last R stands for ‘Roadster.’

BMW’s naked roadsters seldom get the same love from the public that their adventure bikes do, and more’s the pity. If you’ve ever swung a leg over a BMW R 1250 R (the outgoing ‘R’), you’d know how capable, versatile, and outright rowdy it is.

The new 1,300 cc engine makes a stonking 145 hp at 7,750 rpm and 149 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm (9 hp and 6 Nm than before), and still uses BMW’s ShiftCam technology (it’s like variable valve timing, but different). It’s packaged in a new steel main frame and die-cast aluminum subframe, with design cues from the new R 1300 GS.

The whole thing is more compact and muscular than its predecessor. The final drive is more compact, the chassis design centralizes the bike’s mass better than before, and the rider triangle is more aggressive. That might disappoint riders who love the R’s surprising comfort on the long road, but it’s a boon for riders who buy the R purely for shenanigans.

Other improvements include 47 mm upside-down forks and lightweight cast-aluminum wheels with a hollow-spoke design. According to BMW, all of these improvements have made the bike sharper on the street.

As you’d expect from BMW, the R 1300 R also comes with a smorgasbord of built-in and optional accouterments. Depending on what you spring for (or what your local dealer specs the bike with), you get either five or seven switchable riding modes, engine drag torque control, ABS, radar-enabled cruise control, LED lighting, and a whole lot more. BMW’s automatic shift assist system is on the table too.

If you really want to cut loose, you can snag the Performance variant of the R 1300 R, which comes with sport suspension, shorter levers, and adjustable milled foot pegs. If comfort is your thing, BMW has a range of seat and luggage options on hand.

Fans of the outgoing R 1250 R might not gel with the 1300’s radical new aesthetic. The elegant trellised main frame is gone, and the whole bike feels decidedly more angular. The cruise control’s radar dominates the front end, and the angle of the headlight is fast approaching KTM proportions.

It’s worth noting that the images supplied by BMW are clearly high-end digital renders of the bike, some of which are superimposed onto scenic backgrounds using AI tools; a strategy that BMW seems to have adopted of late. We’ll reserve judgment until we see the BMW R 1300 R in the clear light of day. [Source]

DAB Motors 1αX Fresh from Milan Design Week comes DAB Motors’ dirtiest and best-looking bike yet—the DAB 1αX electric scrambler. Joining the DAB 1α in the French electric manufacturer’s lineup, the new scrambler appears blocky, solid, and perfectly proportioned, at least for a street scrambler.

“Dirt bikes taught me purity—lightness, purpose, nothing extra,” says Simon Dabadie, DAB CEO and Chief Design Officer. “That mindset shaped every DAB project. The 1αX brings it to the surface. Built for the street, born from dirt bike memories. It’s the 1α unfiltered, and it hits just right.”

There’s not much separating the 1αX from the established 1α, visually. It uses the same double-cradle steel frame, trellis subframe, and cast aluminum swingarm. The shape of the monocoque body is identical too—as is the neo-futuristic Husqvarna Svartpilen-esque vibe.

The ‘X’ gets dual-sport rubber from Pirelli, a high-mounted carbon fiber front fender, and fork protectors. The seat is finished in Alcantara, and the bodywork is made from upcycled Airbus carbon fiber. All-black finishes give it a slightly more aggressive aesthetic than its sibling.

Being electric, the DAB 1αX features loads of tech, like regenerative braking, LED lighting, and an LCD dashboard. The 72V battery is both repairable and recyclable, which is a nice, responsible touch from DAB.

Each DAB electric motorcycle is hand-built in France with premium components, like the adjustable Paioli suspension and Brembo brakes found on the 1αX.

The 25.5 kW (35 hp) motor has a claimed urban range of just 150 kilometers [93 miles], but it can be charged from flat to 80% in just 2.5 hours. (A full charge only takes 3.5 hours with a Type 2 or standard house socket.)

Considering the DAB 1αX’s astonishingly light 125-kilo [275-pound] weight, it should make for a hell of a fun ride through city streets and beyond. [Source]

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR Following Alessandro Botturi’s second-place finish in the 2025 Africa Eco Race, the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team is gearing up to take on the Carta Rallye in Morocco. Accomplished motocross racer Gautier Paulin will be joining Botturi for the 2000 km race across Morocco, and the pair will be riding brand-new Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR race bikes.

The Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR takes the brilliant Yamaha Ténéré 700 adventure bike, adding 43 mm fully-adjustable KYB suspension up front and an upgraded GYTR (Yamaha’s in-house performance parts division) rear shock. Since these are out-and-out rally bikes, the suspension sports longer travel, while the GYTR headlight tower kit and screen give serious Dakar vibes.

The factory rally fuel tank is paired with two auxiliary tanks that flank the GYTR Rally seat, boosting fuel capacity for long liaison stages (and because it’s a 700 cc twin being ridden at full chat for thousands of miles). A high-mount front fender and GYTR fork guards keep the muck at bay. The hand guards are from Acerbis, and a carbon-kevlar skid plate protects the front and bottom of the bike.

The brake discs are from Braking, the calipers are from Brembo, and a GYTR quick-action throttle is installed on the GYTR handlebars. The exhaust is supplied by Akrapovič, and there is an array of other GYTR parts dotted all over the bike.

Yamaha already offers a GYTR Rally kit for the Ténéré 700, but this bike is slightly different in that it uses a one-piece front tank rather than the kit’s split tank design. The standard bike weighs about 210 kg [462 lbs] fully loaded, so even with carbon fiber bodywork, it’s still going to be a handful in the dirt.

This bike was built for actual professional desert racers though, not your crazy uncle Bob who recently discovered a Pol Tarres video on ‘The YouTubes.’ Our own skill levels notwithstanding, we’d still love to take one of these out for a blast. [Source]

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Sharing the Road with Trucks: A Safety Guide for Drivers

Special licenses are mandatory for large trucks and commercial vehicles primarily because these vehicles possess three significant operational restrictions, such as extensive blind spots and long braking distances, together with limited maneuverability capabilities. Always be mindful of your safety since driving close to these vehicles demands additional alertness. This article gives essential driving recommendations with safety leading the way.

Table of Contents

1. Avoid all distractions
2. Maintain safe following practices
3. Pass only when it’s safe to do so
4. Be prepared to stop at any time
5. Use the appropriate level of headlights
6. The Bottom Line

Avoid all distractions

As a rule: Everyone should avoid driving while distracted at all times since truck safety risks are not a requirement to maintain focus on driving. Your attention will be diverted from the road while reaching for an item inside your car or your phone to quickly read a text message, thus making you unable to respond in time to avoid collisions. In fact, distracted drivers caused more than 3,000 fatal accidents in 2022.

Be vigilant during your drive while maintaining special observation of the trucks present on the road with you. Being prepared for possible faults allows you to respond more efficiently to situations.

Maintain safe following practices

The distance you should follow behind the vehicle matters regardless of conditions, yet it becomes crucial when driving behind semi-trucks or other enormous vehicles.

Drivers of trucks remain unable to predict numerous events that can occur, even though they have visibility of approaching vehicles. Vehicle damage through debris becomes a risk when you drive close behind a vehicle, while the trailer of a tractor-trailer poses a risk of insufficient braking time when drivers need to brake unexpectedly.

Pass only when it’s safe to do so

Due to their large proportions, commercial trucks maintain significantly bigger blind spot areas than cars do. A truck driver stands an increased likelihood of missing your presence adjacent to their vehicle when they need to switch lanes.

When passing trucks on interstate roads, avoid waiting at the back of their cargo area unless necessary.

Make quick, safe passes from the driver’s side. Maintain a safe distance from the back of its cargo while driving behind the truck when you encounter rainy or snowy conditions with slippery roads.

Be prepared to stop at any time

The space between you and a large truck should remain adequate since drivers must occasionally brake suddenly. When a truck trails behind you, there is a dangerous situation.

Safety allows you to stop your vehicle on the shoulder when you have no other option except for emergencies. The desire to proceed needs early braking applications while you consider the vehicles in your path.

Truck motorists need significantly longer distances to halt their vehicles when compared to most cars.

Use the appropriate level of headlights

Nighttime drivers must activate their headlights for visibility, but should never use high-beam headlights when either behind or passing a large commercial semi-truck. Heavy vehicle illumination produces a temporary blindness to drivers while the vehicle covers the distance of a football field in seconds, therefore creating dangerous situations that could lead to fatal collisions. Using high beams should only take place when your path ahead remains completely empty.

The Bottom Line

The economy depends upon big rigs to transport goods from place to place across the country. Truck drivers encounter vehicles of numerous sizes, but large trucks are certain to enter your path when driving on roads. The size and heavy weight of these vehicles create a fatal potential for accidents. One dangerous stretch of highway in California, Highway 101 in Los Angeles County saw 65 serious truck accidents in 2023.

Driving safety for yourself requires learning proper methods of road-sharing with large trucks, since this prevents dangerous accidents.

Massive Highway Accident 193-vehicle pileup on I-94, Michigan USA

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Built For Dirt: Jon Rood’s Rally-Prepped RA64 Toyota Celica

Toyota isn’t usually the first marque that comes to mind when discussing the cars of Group B rally fame. Though Toyota saw several wins in its career, it’s been vastly overshadowed by the likes of the infamous giants: the Audi S1, the Ford RS200, the Lancia Delta, and the Peugeot 205, among others.

But with all that success, even the base model road versions of those cars have skyrocketed in value, leaving little in the way of enjoyment for those of us with an appetite for the rally legends but with smaller bankrolls. So Jon Rood took the road less traveled, passing up the icons in favor of an underdog: the RA64 Celica.

John’s beginnings with predominantly off-road motorsports were rather humble. A fellow enthusiast and friend asked if Jon had interest in helping the crew at the Prescott Rally, the next-to-last stage in the NASA National Rally Championship in Prescott, AZ. Jon’s curiosity was piqued.

Despite his talents with a wrench and his passion for cars, he was unaware that the sport of rallying had a presence in the United States. That was 15 years ago. Today, Jon is quite the Rally enthusiast. He now stands as Chairman and co-organizer of the Prescott Rally, suggesting that his passion for the sport is among the most emphatic.

Witnessing the perils of rallying firsthand is what cemented the passion for Jon. Watching an opponent’s VW Golf pull in for service missing its left-rear wheel, spindle, and carri- er, only to return to the next stage in just 30 minutes after a trackside repair, pushed his excitement as a crewman, and it’s been downhill ever since. Shortly after his first race, Jon found himself crewing for a friend’s Mazda 323 GTX. His hard work and efforts there earned him a reputation as a competent crewman, moving him up in the ranks to help crew for a Toyota FX-16, VW Golf, Subaru Impreza, and Subaru Legacy over the following couple of years.

“I loved the challenge of fixing a broken car in under an hour, or performing major work overnight for the next day of racing. I’m good at thinking quick and coming up with innovative solutions quickly to keep cars going,” he says.

Three years after that first race, crewing for a regular team began to fade out, and the itch to build a car of his own grabbed hold. Jon’s first build came in the form of the light yet strong, budget-conscious Ford Festiva. His next build took things a serious step further – a Ford Escort GT with a punched out race motor, built transmission, and proper suspension. The change was enough to take Jon from finishing rallies – an accomplishment of its own – to podium placement at most races he entered.

Jon moved on once more, this time landing at the RA64 Toyota Celica. It began as Jon dreaming up a project to kill off some newfound spare time. Jon wanted something “atypical.” At the top of the list was the RA64, which had captured Jon’s interest thanks to its Group B Safari configuration, which had raced in the early ‘80s. With the Celica so high on the list, and fairly easy to find in 2009, Jon searched far and wide for the right car, eventually landing on a $400 rust-free example that “only needed a fuel pump.”

The Celica needed more than just a fuel pump; a full 1/4″ of crankshaft play was reason enough for a fresh engine. Jon built a replacement 22RE to stock spec, with the only change being an OEM-style K&N air filter. Reliability is paramount in the sport of rallying, and while power plays a crucial role, Jon focused on other aspects of the car to maximize performance, namely the suspension.

“Where to start?..,” Jon jests, hinting that little remains in the way of factory components.

Among many other things, fifteen-inch race springs perch the rear of the hatchback high above the 27″ tires, giving the car ample ability to clear most obstacles rallying may throw its way. Up front are Bilstein mono-tube struts. The front subframe was dropped 3″ on each side. The tie rods were relocated to above the steering arms. The chassis has been modified as well, slotting into the floor where the rear seats used to be.

The exterior oozes style from every angle while embracing the entirely functional aspect of the build. The most obvious change to the car is the lack of pop-up headlamps that came with the 3rd-generation Celica.

The front-end conversion was an important factor for Jon in making the car unique. The swap took several years of research, skill, and a bit of luck. A Mazda truck grille was chopped up and fitted to replace the factory front. Custom corner-light caps blend the grille into the fenders, and a custom-made valence was fabricated from scratch to polish out the front end, giving the Celica a one-of-a-kind face that brings the rally aesthetic into full force. The tubular bumpers were pulled from Safari Group B at the nose, and off-road double-tube style out back.

The car is primarily used as a Lead Car or Course Closing Car, both of which are vital in operating successful events. Compared to most club-level racers, Jon says the car runs mid-pack: fast enough to open a stage, and fast enough to chase down the back car and ensure everyone gets through the stage safely.

“It can be important to get someone to the scene of an accident,” he says, “or give a car a quick tug out of a soft spot they’ve gotten stuck in.” It’s with that mindset that the car has been built, following Jon’s roots as a crewman and his inherent desire to help others race.

When Jon was introduced to the sport 15 years ago, it took little time for his reputation to take hold. Since then, he’s established himself as someone involved not only for the love of the sport, but for his fellow racer. With his talents and imagination, he’s built a car that is unique in all respects–from engineering and design focused on making a road car handle the trials of mud and dirt, to sinking time and effort into creating an aesthetic that follows his dream. “Carlos,” the Celica, covers it all. If Jon’s efforts in crewing for teams, managing events, and closing courses weren’t enough for the sport, such a build is sure to bring others into the incredible world of rally racing.

This article first appeared in issue 20 of Iron & Air Magazine, and is reproduced here under license

Words by Mike Burroughs | Images by Patrick Ernzen

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