MARIA TRIUMPH THRUXTON

It’s always good to hear about a new builder starting out, and even better when that builder is from a country that doesn’t have an obvious custom scene. This is one of the first creations from Maria Motorcycles of Lisbon, Portugal, and it’s a great start. Maria’s philosophy is to get to the essence of a bike and “keep it simple”, and that’s what they’ve done with this super-clean custom based on a 2010 Triumph Thruxton. The owner was tired of the crouched riding position, and wanted a bike with a more open cockpit. So the first job was to install new bars—painted white—and create a smaller, custom-made seat.

The frame was trimmed at the back to clean up the look, and the fork lowers were also trimmed of extraneous plastic. The engine internals were left alone, but the exhaust gas recirculation system was removed and the injection system retuned to match. The bike was then dechromed and the bodywork given a paint scheme inspired by old-school NASCAR racers. The finishing touch was Heidenau K60 tires—a highly rated dual sport pattern that works well both on- and off-road.

All relatively simple modifications, but with this one, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Keep an eye out for future Maria Motorcycles builds on their Facebook page—the website is coming soon.