In the classic 1963 war movie “The Great Escape,” famed stuntman Bud Ekins makes a historic jump over a barbed wire fence on a Triumph TR6R Trophy. Since then, motorcyclists have been turning Triumphs—like this 2015 Triumph Bonneville T100 recently offered on eBay—into capable scramblers.
The 650cc TT Special used in the movie was painted olive drab and modified with an old seat and a luggage rack to look like a Wehrmacht BMW. But the old BMW had a rigid frame and couldn’t take the abuse of giant leaps. So the movie-makers used the Triumph instead.
Many believe Steve McQueen, who starred in the movie, made the iconic jump. But it was his buddy Ekins who launched the TR6R over the fence. However, McQueen and Australian motocross champion Tim Gibbes did take turns chasing each other on the set. McQueen was a desert racer and a more than capable rider in his own right.
Performance Parts from BC
The classic flick showed that a few modifications could turn a street-going Triumph into a fun dual-purpose motorcycle. The owner of this T100 proves the trend is still alive and well.
Many Triumph owners look to British Customs (BC) when they want to customize their motorcycles. For over 20 years, BC has built custom bikes and used them to test and develop aftermarket performance parts.
This customized Triumph has a British Customs Slammer Seat, an excellent bolt-on addition that gives the bike a scrambler look by opening up the tail. It also gives riders more seat space to slide back and forth, a helpful feature when riding off-road.
Add Power and a Cool Factor
The owner outfitted this custom Triumph scrambler with a British Customs Hi-Pipe stainless steel shotgun exhaust and carbon fiber heat shields. Repositioning the pipe keeps the exhaust from getting banged up as quickly as its stock positioning. The new exhaust also adds power and a cool factor.
Upgrading a motorcycle’s suspension is also mandatory for a scrambler. This bike is much more fire-road-ready thanks to heavy-duty Hagon 360mm scrambler rear shocks and fresh Progressive Suspension springs in the fork.
New tires are also high on the priority list because road tires don’t cut it in the dirt. Shod in fresh Shinko All-Terrain rubber, this scrambled black T100 is much better prepared for the slide.
The Pride of Building Your Own Triumph Scrambler
Swapping out the stock bars for a Biltwell moto handlebar was also smart. So was adding the shorty levers. The new setup provides better leverage for turns.
The owner mounted a factory skid plate to protect the lower frame rails, but we’re surprised that crash bars and hand guards weren’t added for more protection. That oversight is more than made up for by notable additions, including an EBC front brake, turn signals, brake lights, a Duralast Gold battery, and a shorty front fender.
Shop now for scramblersTriumph launched its scrambler in 2006, but it was made for the street. In 2019, Triumph unveiled the Scrambler 1200 XC, a legitimate dual-purpose motorcycle with a bigger, more powerful engine.
Even though the new Triumph Scrambler is quite the ripper, there’s a McQueen-like nostalgia that comes from building one yourself. And, of course, there’s an irreplaceable sense of pride that comes from doing the work with your own hands.
