Triumph Originals 2026: How Seven Workshops Reimagine the Scrambler

• Teams from Canada, China, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the USA
• Public vote open until 22 September 2026, 1pm UK time
• Five-strong jury including Chase McQueen and German journalist Rolf Henniges

Triumph Motorcycles has opened the public vote for the second edition of its global custom competition, Triumph Originals. For the 2025 debut the teams reworked models from the Bonneville family; this time everything revolves around the Scrambler. Under the theme “Time Capsule”, entrants were asked to pick an era or a defining moment from Scrambler history and translate it into a one-off build. The result is seven motorcycles based on the Scrambler 400 XC, the Scrambler 900, the Scrambler 1200 X and the Scrambler 1200 XE. The range runs from a 1980s-style desert racer through a supermoto to a bike that is meant to look as if it has already been working for decades.

What is Triumph Originals?

Triumph Originals is a global custom motorcycle competition in which Triumph teams from different countries build a one-off machine together with a workshop of their choice. The British manufacturer uses it to showcase the design, engineering and craftsmanship of those teams.

Each country picks its own workshop. In the USA and Canada, Triumph dealers led the builds. In the USA there was even a separate qualifier in which two dealers competed for the place in the global contest.

The first edition was held in 2025. Back then eight teams entered under the theme “Icons of British Originality”. Brazil won with “Gaijin”, a dark café racer based on the Speed Twin 1200. It was built by Teydi Deguchi of Shibuya Garage in São Paulo. According to Triumph, the build convinced the jury in all four judging criteria as well as the public. Several workshops from last year are back in 2026, among them Motos Illimitées from Canada, FCR Original from France, South Garage Motor Co from Italy and Stockwell Design from the United Kingdom.

What does the “Time Capsule” theme mean at Triumph Originals 2026?

The theme requires each team to choose a decade or a defining phase of Scrambler history and capture its style and attitude in a build. The Scrambler suits that brief well, because it grew out of the custom scene in the first place.

In the 1960s, riders converted the powerful road bikes of the day for desert and gravel with knobbly tyres, wide bars and high-level exhausts. Those machines became known as desert sleds. Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins rode bikes like these at the ISDT and in events such as the Big Bear Run and the Baja 1000. Triumph names further possible sources of inspiration, including the 530-mile Greenhorn Enduro and McQueen’s motorcycle jump in the film “The Great Escape”.

Triumph brought the Scrambler back into its line-up in 2006. Today it is offered in five variants. Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer at Triumph, recalled at the launch of the competition that the Scrambler has been ridden by famous names from Steve McQueen to James Bond. On the origins of the model he says: “This motorcycle started out as a model made by riders, built through personal tweaks and ingenuity, and that same spirit of customisation still sits right at its heart today.”

How is the winner of Triumph Originals 2026 decided?

The winner emerges from the combined scores of an international jury and the result of the public vote. The team with the best overall result receives the title “Triumph Original 2026”. The winner is due to be announced in the autumn of 2026.

The jury has five members. It is chaired by Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer at Triumph, whose focus is on the technical creativity of the builds. Sargent points out that the Scrambler is used around the world as a starting point for builds that express the personality and creativity of their owners. With the current range spanning 400 to 1200 cc, he believes customisers have more choice than ever.

Chase McQueen is the grandson of Steve McQueen and the son of Chad McQueen. Together with his sister Madison he looks after his grandfather’s legacy. That includes Boys Republic, the non-profit school and care facility where Steve McQueen spent part of his youth, and the Steve McQueen’s Festival of Speed gathering.

Eric Hendricx is an author and journalist who writes about motorcycles, adventure and travel among other subjects. His current book “Motorcycle Life” profiles more than 100 motorcyclists from around the world. Satoshi is co-founder and lead mechanic of Fonk Motorcycles in Kobe, Japan, and is regarded as an expert on classic Triumph models. Germany is represented on the jury by Rolf Henniges. He founded a magazine devoted to motorcycle culture, custom bikes and their builders. According to Triumph he has covered more than a million kilometres on hundreds of motorcycles.

How long is the Triumph Originals 2026 vote open?

The vote runs until 22 September 2026 at 1pm UK time, which is 2pm in Germany. Voting takes place on a dedicated Triumph Originals page on the Triumph website, which is also available in a German version.

The page carries photos, descriptions and interviews with the workshops for all seven builds. The result of the vote is then combined with the jury score to reach the final decision.

Which builds are competing at Triumph Originals 2026?

Seven teams have entered: two with the Scrambler 400 XC, two with the Scrambler 900, two with the Scrambler 1200 XE and one with the Scrambler 1200 X. The concepts differ sharply, not least in which period they draw on.

Canada: Scrambler 1200 XE as a supermoto by Motos Illimitées

Pascal Lauzon of Motos Illimitées, based in a suburb of Montreal, reimagined the Scrambler 1200 XE not as a tourer but as a big-bore supermoto. The template was the TF 250-E, Triumph’s competition enduro machine. Lauzon thereby picks up on Triumph’s current return to off-road sport. At the same time the build recalls the era when supermotos were especially popular, when many riders turned dual-sport machines — bikes for road and trail — into light, agile street bikes.

Technically the build runs 17-inch wheels from the Thruxton RS, wave brake discs by Moto-Master and a bespoke Zard exhaust system with twin silencers. The front indicators sit in the radiator shrouds, while the instruments and ignition switch have been relocated. The tail light disappears under the rear mudguard together with the number plate holder. Added to that are MX footpegs, parts from Acerbis, Dunlop, Renthal and ProX Racing Parts, plus a lace-pattern graphic.

Lauzon comes from motocross and has been building custom bikes for more than 15 years. He describes his aim like this: “The goal was to take this icon to another level where no one expected it to go.”

China: BVL-VMX-900 in early 1980s style

BVL Garage from Taizhou in Zhejiang province has turned the new Scrambler 900 into the BVL-VMX-900. The reference point is the Triumph TR7T Tiger Trail from 1981. The VMX in the name nods to the competition machines of that era, whose shapes the build follows.

The standout details are the yellow tank with silver leaf, a large front mudguard, a hand-made rear mudguard and a white-painted frame. Revised suspension and wheels raise the bike and are intended to improve its off-road ability. Individual parts were produced by metal 3D printing.

The team around team leader JOMO has been building custom motorcycles for ten years and has a background in industrial design. BVL plans its builds with a possible small production run in mind and so that customers can fit parts themselves. With its entry, the workshop hopes to raise the international profile of the Chinese custom scene.

France: Scrambler 1200 XE “Red Dust” by FCR Original

FCR Original from Chauvigny has turned the Scrambler 1200 XE into the “Red Dust”, taking its cue from the functional desert machines of the 1960s and 1970s. The bike is not meant to be a show piece but to work off-road exactly as it looks.

Sébastien Guillemot founded FCR Original in 2012. The workshop brings racing experience to the table and follows one firm rule: every modification needs a purpose. If it does not improve ergonomics, handling or balance, it does not happen. On the “Red Dust” that shows in the pared-back bodywork, new mudguards and sturdy protection against stone chips. The bolt-on parts were created through a mix of traditional handwork, 3D scans and CAD design. The bike is finished in metallic red.

Italy: Dune 400 by South Garage Motor Co

Giuseppe Carucci of South Garage Motor Co in Milan has turned the Scrambler 400 XC into the Dune 400. The build combines the style of early Scramblers with the desert rally machines of the 1980s and 1990s.

That includes rally-inspired side panels, a larger screen, a tubular crash bar, a high-level exhaust, knobbly tyres and a sand-coloured paint scheme the name alludes to. Carucci sees the Dune 400 not as an extreme show bike but as a rideable machine that can be replicated and works day to day.

Carucci has been building motorcycles since 2012. His firm principle, he says, is to respect the identity of the brand and the bike. One other rule he is happy to break: the idea that the frame and chassis are untouchable.

Spain: MIURA by Tamarit Motorcycles

Tamarit Motorcycles from Alicante is entering the MIURA, based on the Scrambler 400 XC, with a strong focus on saving weight. According to the workshop, the MIURA weighs 155 kg (approximately 342 lbs), some 25 kg (approximately 55 lbs) less than the standard model.

The build features bespoke WP suspension, Excel Takasago wheels in 21 and 18 inches, Mitas tyres, brakes by Brembo and Nissin, plus hand-made parts in aluminium and 3D-printed carbon. There is also a raised tank, an enduro seat and hand-made protective components. Tamarit calls the MIURA the most radical Scrambler 400 XC build to come out of its own workshop so far.

In terms of content, the team describes the MIURA as a link between past and present. Tamarit names the Scramblers of the 1970s, major off-road races and Steve McQueen as influences. In its interview the team also talks about the 1980s and the 1960s. Colours, trim details and two stars are meant to evoke Spain. There is an ambition behind that as well: Tamarit wants to claim its first star at Triumph Originals.

Quique Berna and Matías Canales founded Tamarit in 2010. The workshop works exclusively with Triumph, says it has delivered more than 210 one-offs and builds around 30 motorcycles a year, each with its own name and serial number. Berna sat on the jury himself for the 2025 competition. That experience shaped his standard: “True perfection lies not only in looks, but in impeccable technical execution.”

United Kingdom: Scrambler 900 by Stockwell Design

Stockwell Design from London has reworked the new Scrambler 900 so that it looks as though it has already lived a long life. The bike is not meant to appear worn out or neglected, but like a workhorse that has spent decades on back roads and farm tracks.

The concept was developed together with musician and designer Dougie Poynter. Charlie Stockwell realised it in metal, while Max Howard documented the project in photos and film. The build is inspired by the Scrambler identity of the 1960s and 1970s — plain, functional and pared back to the essentials. No specific historic motorcycle served as a template.

Stockwell Design has been building custom motorcycles for three decades and works with the LIND Group and Triumph London. Charlie Stockwell argues that every motorcycle needs a clear concept, because it is meant to be ridden rather than merely looked at. His most important tool in the workshop, by his own account, is the lathe.

USA: A Tribute to PNW Adventure by Triumph Columbia River

Liz Rubin and the team at dealer Triumph Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, have rebuilt the Scrambler 1200 X as a tribute to the Pacific Northwest. The build is called “A Tribute to PNW Adventure”, with PNW standing for Pacific Northwest.

The references were US Forest Service vehicles and Rubin’s childhood memories of Smokey Bear from her time in the Rocky Mountains. Bespoke components and parts from the CROOKED brand complete the bike. The paintwork and logos were created with support from the Portland motorcycle community. Rubin says the schedule was tight and suitable black bolt-on parts were hard to source. According to the team, the machine is built for everyday use.

Rubin has worked for Triumph dealers since 2001 and does not describe herself as a fabricator. Her first build was a Legend from the year 2000, which she turned into a bobber. On the Scrambler she says: “The Scrambler doesn’t pretend. It’s built to get dirty, take a wrong turn, and keep exploring.”

Which Scrambler models are the builds based on?

The teams use four of Triumph’s five current Scrambler models; only the Scrambler 400 X is missing. The builds therefore cover the range from the single-cylinder to the 1200 twin, part of Triumph’s Modern Classics family.

The Scrambler 400 X, with its 400 cc single, is the entry point to the range. The Scrambler 400 XC builds on it and is geared more towards off-road use. It forms the basis of the builds from Italy and Spain.

The Scrambler 900 uses the 900 cc Bonneville twin with ride-by-wire throttle and runs a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear spoked wheel. The builds from China and the United Kingdom are based on it.

Triumph quotes a seat height of 820 mm for the Scrambler 1200 X, or 795 mm with the lower accessory seat. It is the basis of the American build. The Scrambler 1200 XE is set up for tough terrain with a 21-inch front wheel, and its 1200 cc Bonneville engine has a dedicated Scrambler tune. It underpins the builds from Canada and France.

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