Triumph Thruxton Lithium Custom Bike Is Old-School and Ready To Hit the Racetrack

Osvaldo, Luis, and Ana were to work with a carbureted Triumph Thruxton from the model-year 2006, which would probably sound like a tantalizing prospect to any builder. Air-cooled, pre-EFI Thruxtons are fairly simple machines compared to newer models, and they’ll take to a custom makeover like a duck to water. Analogies aside, let’s dive in for a closer look at Lithium.

The lad who commissioned the build was fully aware of what this trio could pull off, so he had no problem with giving them a great deal of creative freedom. Old-school endurance racing vibes and a specific color scheme were the two attributes he asked for, while everything else was left up to the crew at iT ROCKS!BIKES (or IRB, for short). Don’t worry if the project’s name makes you seriously confused, by the way, because you’re not alone.

It was IRB’s in-house designer Ana Pina who’d taken care of the preparatory work, which involved turning everyone’s ideas into conceptual sketches. Obviously, a rounded full fairing was the logical choice given the retro endurance theme, but equipping the naked Thruxton with such a component would be no easy task.

With Ana’s design getting the green light from the client, the next step saw careful measurements being taken wherever possible. Slowly but surely, the folks at IRB began shaping the new bodywork from scratch, though they still needed a way to mount it on the Triumph once it was done. A myriad of tailor-made brackets had to be fabricated for this purpose, and the most intricate structural wizardry took place up north.

Cleverly designed mounting points hold the endurance-style front fairing, which is by far the coolest piece of equipment on this bike. Further back, one may see a gorgeous monocoque structure uniting the fuel tank and tail into a single part. Its rear section rests on a modified subframe, and it’s topped off with a bespoke solo seat upholstered in black leather.

Drilled side panels can be spotted lower down on the flanks, while the front fairing bears a tinted windshield that arches over the cockpit area. What really captures our attention are the twin projector headlights, though – a vertically stacked assembly fit for Lithium’s retro racer aesthetic. A Bates-style LED taillight was installed out back, using the same bracket as the license plate holder.

All the cosmetic mods on this creature are phenomenal, but IRB’s transformation was a lot more than a mere styling exercise. The Portuguese artisans did away with the Thruxton’s stock suspension on both ends, as there were some huge upgrades on their grocery list. At the rear, they fitted a premium set of Bitubo shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs.

Things get even spicier at twelve o’clock, where we now find custom triple clamps holding on to the inverted forks of a Yamaha R1. The same R1 was kind enough to also donate its brawny front brake, so this Thruxton just gained more stopping power than it could have ever asked for. In terms of footwear, IRB sourced some swanky lightweight wheels from Kineo’s inventory, wrapping their rims in a sticky pair of Metzeler tires for ample grip.

Have a look at the motorcycle’s cockpit, and you’ll notice a Motogadget tachometer acting as its only piece of instrumentation. LSL clip-ons also made an appearance, wearing bar-end turn signals and minimalistic switchgear all-round. Billet rearsets complete Lithium’s ergonomic package and they, too, have been taken from LSL’s catalog. The restyled was blessed with a fresh wiring harness, but there’s a more obvious and significant upgrade we’ve yet to talk about.

I am, of course, referring to the exhaust system – a handmade stainless-steel unit that works its way back to dual reverse megaphone mufflers. Aside from these new pipes, IRB’s gurus were happy to leave the specimen’s parallel-twin motor as it was. Now, we’d say Lithium’s livery is a true work of art in and of itself, with the stand-out trait being a light blue finish sourced from Porsche’s color palette.

White and dark grey are the other predominant hues on this thing, joined by red highlights, polished metal surfaces, and the gold finish of the R1 running gear. The Thruxton’s frame got painted black for contrast, and the same treatment was applied to its aftermarket shocks. Once the paint job had been executed, Osvaldo and his teammates could finally call it a day, handing the completed product back to a very happy customer.