By the middle of June, one of our clients but indeed, a friend, showed up at our headquarters to take the finest coffee of the area and to tell us a curious episode that he experienced resulting in a haunting doubt. Tamarit Crew are always open to a good chat and obviously to help a former customer, providing our point of view and past experience in order to help him by any chance.
Alfonso had been a client of Tamarit for quite a long time, in fact, he entered on that exclusive club whose members are honoured in our wall when he tasked us the seventh project of Tamarit Motorcycles, Alfa 88, a gorgeous white Triumph Bonneville Café Racer style, equipped with barely all the parts range available from Tamarit. During a pleasant afternoon riding his Bonneville, Alfonso and his girlfriend decided to stop by a coast bar in Torrevieja, one of those bars where you don’t know really in which country you suddenly are, since all the spoken spanish vanishes and you’re the only spaniard around.
Once the snack was finished, much for Alfonso surprise, waiting at the parking lot, next to Alfa 88 were two russian gentlemen. Despite the initial nuisance, the russians, far from looking for trouble, just wanted to purchase the motorcycle right away, such is the power of persuasion of the Tamarit Motorcycles creations.
Alfonso initially declined the gentlemen’s proposal, just by answering politely that the motorcycle was not on sale, but this people were the “can’t say no” type, so one of them went for broke telling Alfonso to set a price and to call the phone number appearing on the business card he gave to him on that moment.
Each motorcycle is one of a kind.
Triumph custom builds according to the client’s tastes.
Alfonso’s doubt lingered around if selling the motorcycle and buying a new one afterwards in order to do a make over from scratch, decline the offer and keep Alfa 88, or invest the money on other means. Without taking into account the sentimental value that the motorcycle would be given (something that only the owner could do) , the sum for the Tamarit crew was clear: If he would sell the motorcycle for that amount he would be gaining a huge percentage in relation to its normal price.
The Russian offer was irresistible frankly speaking, so after a few days, Alfonso showed up again around Tamarit Motorcycles, with the decision already taken and with the magic words ready to be said: “ Guys, let’s begin project #18 “.
The human being hardly ever is happy with the things he has, and always is looking to change something. Talking about our circumstances, if you have a Café Racer you yearn for an Scrambler, but if you have an Scrambler you yearn for a Café Racer. On this project, more than a Scrambler concept, we opted for a Brat Style, entirely designed towards the comfort and daily use.
The bike chosen for this project would be, same as Alfa 88, a Triumph Bonneville, although this one was more recent and slightly more powerful.
The project took off, as always, by listing all the parts that we wanted to install on the motorcycle, and above all, the graphic design to feature. Concerning the first part, the Tamarit Crew enjoyed certain freedom, but on the graphic part , Alfonso asked the white colour to be predominant above the rest, same as Alfa 88.
Once the designs were presented to the client and being chosen the favourite, the motorcycle entered the Tamarit workshop and the works related to the bike subsequently known as “La Virgen” began.
We began by dismantling the bike and step by step installing the previously selected parts, such as the Tarifa seat, completely flat and comfortable being a seat made of polyurethane, the stainless steel chain cover, the oval shaped plate and the set of tyres (which were the Mitas E-07, both front and rear).
At the front we included the metallic springs between the crowns, the New Little Bastard fender, the ¾ headlight, the white Kosso speedometer. As been said, for “La Virgen” motorcycle the driving comfort was a must, so we opted for a wide and plain handlebar in order to achieve that ergonomic and urban driving. At the ending of that handlebar, the grip rear view mirrors would be placed.
To finish the hardware part of the bike project, we installed the Bocanegra exhaust, a well-known part nowadays for its handmade looking, roar and comfort, and the oval shaped plate, on which Alfonso asked to appear a triple seven.
La Virgen would be the first bike to feature the strip-down by saw technique, which provide the steel finish on the fuel tank, technique that would be repeated successfully on further projects as Black Moustache or Brisa. Despite the technique could seem a little bit rudimentary and brusque, this finish after the pertinent lacquer gives a unique and spectacular aspect.
The steel finish, along with most of the fuel tank painted in the desired white, was complemented with a blue and red stripes, which are featured all along the tank and the cowl, sides and engine as well. Other graphics added were the logo specially designed for this bonneville motorcycle featured on the fuel tank, as well as the Tamarit Motorcycles trademark, included on the engine.
All the design as a whole lead to a different bike, fresh and pleasant to the eye, which in case Alfonso keeps on having lunch on the same places, would trigger another purchase situation from well-to-do people!
There are not two equal bikes by TMRT.
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