Harris Tweed and Triumph Motorcycles have made a customised T100 Bonneville to support The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) charity Movember. The bike features sports burnt orange custom paintwork – and even a Harris Tweed Hebrides seat.
It is currently being toured 574 miles from Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, to Hinckley, in Leicestershire, the respective birth places of the two famous brands. The bike arrived at Triumph Glasgow on 21 August, met by a number of DGR supporters, classic bike and car enthusiasts as well as Harris Tweed fans.
The bike will be ridden in the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride – which raises awareness of men’s health issues – by cancer survivor Phil Green.
Triumph’s Dapper Bonnie is Harris Tweed’s first venture into motorcycle culture. Crofting families who created the woollen twills that kept Scotland’s Outer Hebrides’ cold at bay for generations could have had little idea their product would one day command a unique place in motorcycle history. Their innate skill at hand-weaving pure virgin wool into Harris Tweed, a name synonymous with unmatched quality and unquestionable provenance, was first honed in the 18th century.
“The parallels between the two companies are plain,” Triumph Glasgow observes. “Both are widely regarded as the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality and design in their respective fields. For Triumph, read Steve McQueen, Ryan Reynolds and English royalty. For Harris, think David Beckham, 007 and, again, English royalty.
“This quality and craftsmanship is why the one-off Dapper Bonnie works so well. The copper-colour tank, blacked-out engine and copper decals are perfectly complemented by the traditional woven fabric.”
Triumph Glasgow is exhorting fans to join Phil Green on The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and has arranged an after-event party for 30 September.