Herencia Custom Garage #22
By Anthony van Someren - 30 Mar 14
The first time I sat on a Triumph bobber I was surprised how comfy it was. Coming from dirtbikes and sports bikes it just looked wrong to sit so low and to lean back like that, but it felt ubercool and I suddenly understood why people love them. Not all bobbers fit on these pages though. Many of them are just a bit too blingy, but not this one from Argentina's Herencia Custom Garage. The proverbial nail has been hit right on the head. She's a beauty in every detail.
The bike is German Karp and Federico's Lozada's custom build #22, so it's fair to say they're getting very good at this now. Their plan was to keep the essence and spirit of a 1950's bobber in a new Triumph that was far removed from that heritage, so they started with a Thruxton as a donor, which also meant there was a lot to change.
"To start, we focused in cutting the frame in half and building all the rigid subframe. The length of the bike remains stock, we don't want to change the geometry a lot. Then we adapted an old Triumph fuel tank to the new frame and placed a solo seat with adjustable air bags with a compressor to soften such stiffness."
Proper bobbers sit really low at the back to fat rubber, and the fatter the better, so the back wheel was swapped out for a 16 inch Harley rim. A nice touch from the chopper scene is an internal throttle in the bars, plus solid welded brake and clutch levers. The front brake looks like it's cable-operated, but a bit like some older Beemers the short cable links to a hydraulic master cylinder hidden under the tank. Mini switches also keep the bars nice and clean.
The lighting is a mix of Japanese parts up front and a Lowbrow unit at the back, mounted on the chain cover. The heavy OEM battery was replaced with the custom builder's new best friend - a lightweight Lithium unit, which is in a box where the original swingarm was. All the electrics and fusebox remain in the false oil tank, and external outlets mean the bike can have a GPS or phone plugged in while riding - this is a very modern 50s bobber indeed.
Even before we press the publish button we know this will be a popular build, so huge thanks to Federico and German for sharing with us here at the Bike Shed first. See more from HCG on The Bike Shed and on their website and Facebook pages.
Photos are by Leandro Villamea. Keep em coming fellas!