Ah, ’twas but a few days before evidence of last week’s post critiquing a new generation of cafe racer builders who favor designing rides that are basically intended to wow in custom shows instead of zoom along the roads began to roll in from readers. This is a prime example of the movement getting dangerously close to a Jumping The Shark moment as British custom shop Death machines recently posted images of their newly-completed 2007 Triumph Thruxton 900 that’s been fitted, inexplicably, with a seat crafted from polished American Walnut. No notice of the twin’s performance, handling or roadworthiness could be found, though precious, dainty details abound from the matching wooden fuel tank panel to the original 1940s magneto culled from a WWII Spitfire fighter plane. ‘Tis enough to make one wonder when a genre of streetbike built by riders craving improved go, with just a tasty bit of show, started to become precisely the opposite. Maybe there’s a new line of matching Walnut riding jeans on the way for anyone gullible enough to try and ride something this…silly.
