Written by Tim Huber.

Triumph’s torquey Street Triple offers a ridiculously fun riding experience with gobs of tractable low and mid-range power and character for days. While you’d be hard-pressed to argue the merit of its performance, the model’s appearance is markedly more decisive. So, Carlos “Xarly” Guzman’s Vintage Addiction Crew set out to revamp the mid-size three-banger under the directive of building something lightweight, compact, fast, stylish, minimalistic, and ridable on a daily basis.

Built for a French footwear designer, the project started as a 2010 Triumph Street Triple R, though it’s undergone an extensive transformation. Starting with the engine, the already potent 675cc triple has been treated to a Bazzaz Z-fi piggyback ECU paired with a full stainless steel race exhaust system from Arrow, terminating in a chopped muffler. The build also gets a Lithium polymer battery, air-box delete, and a custom foam filter.

The Street Triple R’s adjustable Kayaba suspension were deemed plenty competent, however the braking system, not so much. So it was overhauled via a Brembo RCS master cylinder and folding levers, and steel braided lines. The R-spec’s radial four-pot Nissin calipers were kept in the mix, though they now bite down on a pair of lightweight Sunstar pedal rotors.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the build is undoubtedly its gas tank; a Yamaha XSR900 fuel-cell, sans covers. The modified naked tank fits the contours of the frame perfectly and has been finished off with grippy tank pads and a quick-release CNC’d fuel-cap. Furthering the bike’s stout, muscular appearance is a modified lower fairing borrowed from the Street Triple’s fully-faired counterpart, and jetting up from the Daytona belly-pan is a subtle set of custom radiator guards.

The Triumph’s stock tail was binned and replaced with a stubby, one-off tubular aluminum subframe complete with an under-seat electronics bay and a custom leather saddle that rides up onto the tank. A six LED square nestled in one-off housing acts as the brake/tail light, and a custom plate-holder stems from the swing-arm, wrapping around the back of the wheel and supporting a pair of rear signals. Upfront a set of micro LED indicators poke out from in-between the top of the inline-three and aluminum beam frame.

The Street Triple’s controversial dual headlight setup was swapped out for an adapted Husqvarna unit that’s been capped off with a custom cowl. The cockpit has also been thoroughly uncluttered. The bike retains its stock instrumentation, though it’s been relocated to in front of the top-triple. There’s also MotoGP-style switchgear from Bike Sport Developments, billet clip-ons from Apex Manufacturing, and CNC’d KPS rear-sets. With everything else in place, the Triumph was hit with a blacked-out paint scheme from head to toe.

Unsprung weight has been lessened through the addition of five-arm BST carbon fiber rims shod in super sticky Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa rubber. Carlos and the guys have also tacked on a carbon rear hugger for good measure. Tipping the scales at under 365lbs wet, the Vintage Addiction Crew managed to shave more than 50lbs of the bike’s stock weight. On top of adding a bit of lightness, the build’s also been granted a few extra horses, with the remapped mill now putting down an even 110hp.

The end result is incredibly cohesive. The brutish build sports a stripped-back aesthetic while still retaining a thoroughly finished appearance, with a mean stance and a brawny silhouette. This one definitely required the Barcelona-based shop to step well outside its comfort zone, though if this build is anything to go by, we certainly hope it’s somewhere they venture more often.

 

[ Vintage Addiction Crew | Photography by Alex Gerlach ]