Macco Motors Thruxton 'Lady Speed'
By Ross Sharp - 10 Jun 16
We all know that the world has become a much smaller place since the advent and all-consuming adoption of the internet and more so with social media but the last couple of Bike Shed shows have highlighted how far reaching a custom bike builder's customer base can be. You'd think that people would just find the best outfit near them and work out a deal, commission a project or order a bike off the 'shelf'.
We had motorcycles delivered to Bike Shed London 2016 from all corners of the globe and customers rode, drove and flew in to meet the makers. Jose & Tito from the well established Macco Motors in Cadiz, Spain were in town for the show not only exhibit the fruits of their labour but also to catch up with the lucky few who've already chosen to order a Macco bike.
This Thruxton was built for Jarl from Norway who was looking for the traditional style of a cafe racer with the added class that comes as standard on any Macco Motors custom.
Jose & Tito sourced a 5000km Thruxton from 2007, decided on the name 'Lady Speed' and got to work stripping-down the Hinckley brute.
Many Macco projects end up as Street Scramblers thanks to the popularity of their early bikes but Jarl's build would be refreshing change. An in-house tail section was made in fibreglass with a pop-out diamond stitched saddle, all mounted to a looped and re-fabricated subframe. The R&D has been carried out now which should pay dividends for next time. Whilst making a mess with sticky resin the guys formed mesh-grilled side panels.
Behind the panels a small battery box can be found in place of the airbox, with all of the electrics repositioned in a neater, tighter space. K&N filters on re-jetted carbs add a modicum of performance and depth to the overall sound and a brace of reverse megaphones deal with the bass tones.
Ignition and reg/rec units have been relocated too, tidying-up the front end which is now dominated by a yellow Bates-style headlight. A simple mini speedo does away with the cumbersome stock gauges. Upgraded levers and Biltwell Thruster grips complete the cockpit.
Jarl was fairly open with his brief but was set on a paint colour he'd seen on a Morgan three-wheeled car, a subtle matt green.
Triumph's standard suspension isn't know for being the plushest or most sporting so Hagon progressive springs and a new top yoke deal with the fork while Hagon Nitro shocks keep the rear in-check.
Trying to find matching tread patterns from a tyre manufacturer can be tricky on certain sizes so the guys fitted a Metzeler Tourance out back and a Dunlop F20 in the front, combining to achieve a classic look with modern water-shifting capabilities. Which will be handy if Jarl plans to ride through a selection of Norway's seasons. Black powder coated rims and stainless spokes is a timeless look and always improves the aesthetics, so that's what's fitted here.
Jose & Tito's formula works well and their customers keep coming back, in fact we've seen a couple of Maccos parked here in 'Shed. If you live in Norway and see Lady Speed parked outside a cafe find Jarl and say Hi from us, he's clearly got good taste.
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Photos by Sergio Ibarra