The Dragoon Is a Modded Triumph Bonneville Bobber You’ll Probably Love to Bits

Jeremy Tagand and his crew looked to vintage bobbers for inspiration, specifically those built right after the Second World War. As for the project’s donor, the Aussies saw a Triumph Bonneville Bobber as the logical way to go, and the motorcycle was quickly dragged back to their shop for a snazzy custom treatment. What’s more, the Bobber was almost brand-new when it made its way to Deus.

This meant the boys didn’t have to worry about refurbishing any of its bits and pieces, so their focus was mostly centered on the cosmetic changes. Dubbed The Dragoon, the outcome is a striking mixture of retro looks and modern paraphernalia, easily identifiable as a Bonneville Bobber but looking a lot more enticing from every angle. First things first, the Deus squad got the ball rolling with a customary teardown.

While they were at it, many of the Triumph’s OEM components have been taken out of the equation altogether. Among the deleted items were the bike’s wheels, fenders, and exhaust system, as well as a fair chunk of its cockpit equipment. Then, the bespoke wizardry was ready to get underway, starting with the Bobber’s footwear department. Let’s dive right in for a closer look.

The Dragoon’s new hoops were sourced from Canyon Motorcycles, featuring a light spoked design perfectly suited to their host’s aesthetics. For these shoes to play nice with the Bobber’s anatomy, Deus installed a replacement drive chain complete with fresh sprockets. The rims are hugged by grippy Diablo Supercorsa tires from Pirelli at both ends, so as to keep the bike firmly glued to the pavement.

Enhanced stopping power comes by way of EBC brake discs and higher-spec Brembo calipers, all sourced as a kit from UK-based Thornton Hundred. With the unsprung sector crossed off their list, Jeremy and his accomplices turned their attention to the bodywork. The front fender was sourced from Thornton’s inventory along with the upgraded brakes, while the bobber-style rear unit is a bespoke part built from scratch by Deus Ex Machina.

It’s supported by a pair of Wunderlich struts, whose upper sections carry bright LEDs doing double duty as both taillights and turn signals. A minimalistic, swingarm-mounted license plate bracket rounds out the structural changes in that area. Higher up and further ahead, we still find the Bonneville Bobber’s factory seat pan, but it’s been reupholstered by a local leatherwork guru to better suit the look that Deus was after.

Black Alcantara and diamond pattern stitching are the saddle’s defining features, surprisingly done in the same color as opposed to contrasting hues. The Bobber’s stylish gas tank and side covers are still part of the equation, yet the cockpit area was subjected to some purposeful mods to clean things up a little. Motogadget is the name of the game here, with underslung mirrors, bar-end turn signals, and new grips.

On the other hand, the factory instrumentation, handlebar, and switchgear have all been retained, as they were a decent match for The Dragoon’s overall appearance. With 77 ponies and 78 pound-feet (106 Nm) of torque on tap, the bike’s liquid-cooled 1,200cc parallel-twin didn’t exactly need any internal upgrades to shine. Nonetheless, the team over at Deus did work its magic on the intake and exhaust.

Air makes its way in through DNA filtration hardware, and exhaust gases are expelled via unmuffled aftermarket pipework made of stainless-steel. Supplied by Thornton Hundred, the plumbing gracefully snakes its way around the frame’s down tubes, before ending abruptly in lateral tips on the right-hand side. Bringing the engine mods full circle is a Power Commander control unit from Dynojet.

Last but not least, the machine needed an appropriate color scheme to conclude the overhaul, and this is where Deus called in reinforcements. Jeremy outsourced the paint job to Juds Customs for the best possible outcome, first pitching his vision and then letting the paint shop do its thing. A sublime two-tone colorway was laid onto the fuel tank, comprising two very different shades of blue.

The darker tone made its way to fenders and side panels, as well, but items such as the wheels, frame, and engine covers are all finished in black. Now, even though this build was far from complicated by Deus Ex Machina’s standards, the less-is-more philosophy worked rather nicely here, for sure. The guys at Deus have proven they can go to town many times before, so it’s nice to see them exercising restraint every now and then.