Brazil Custom Wins Triumph Originals 2025

Triumph Motorcycles has announced the Brazil team as the winners of the 2025 Triumph Originals, a global Modern Classic custom competition based on the current Triumph Bonneville range.

In a very tight contest, decided by the public vote and expert judging panel, Brazil won with Gaijin, a dark and moody café racer based on a Speed Twin 1200, created by the impressive team at Shibuya in São Paulo. Hand crafted features include the subtle, sophisticated scallop design painted on the bodywork, the crease shaped into the tank and the reworked tail, designed to convey a feeling of speed and movement even when static.

Describing the winning build, the judges commented: “This was the most original and coherent of the builds. It has a presence that is muscular and athletic combined with a high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. A custom build should be instantly desirable but also be something you want to be seen riding. This bike is both.”

Brazil also scooped a Mark of Excellence for Craftsmanship by judge Kengo Kimura, Founder of Heiwa Motorcycle in Japan, who said: “The details are beautifully crafted and the overall design is well-organized. It's a motorcycle packed with design and ideas.”

The UK team were awarded a Mark of Excellence for British Originality by judge Ricardo Pessoa, Founder and Creative Director of Coolnvintage in Portugal who commented: “It comes closest in form, feel, and intent to the original 1960s British café racer spirit, stripped-down, purposeful, and rebellious.”

The UK’s entry has been built by Stockwell Design at Triumph London, inspired by the 60’s British rock ‘n’ roll movement. Using the T100 platform, The Bonneville Sunraiser catches the eye with its polished aluminum, stainless steel and bright colour scheme, finished with a bespoke cursive Triumph logo.

The Italian team were awarded a Mark of Excellence for Style, by Quique Berna, Co-founder and Creative Director at Tamarit Motorcycles in Spain, who added: “The winning bike represents the perfect balance of essence, design, and character — a true reflection of who we are at Tamarit. Congratulations.”

The Italian build was created by Giuseppe Carucci, founder of South Garage Motor Co in Milan, inspired by the timeless elegance, discreet luxury and evocative charm of the original 1930s and 1940s Speed Twins. Building on the muscular essence of the Bonneville Bobber, Carucci redesigned the chassis and used precision engineering techniques to build head-turning custom parts including bespoke front forks.

Eight teams competed from around the world in the global Modern Classic competition, entering custom builds based on the current Triumph Bonneville range. Each country collaborated with locally selected custom builders to create sophisticated and complex handcrafted designs. Judges whittled down the entries to just five beautiful builds from Brazil, France, Italy, Thailand and the UK, and then the public chose the final overall winner.

The judges were: Quique Berna, Co-founder and Creative Director at Tamarit Motorcycles in Spain; Ricardo Pessoa, Founder and Creative Director of Coolnvintage in Portugal; Kengo Kimura, Founder of Heiwa Motorcycle in Japan; and Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer for Triumph Motorcycles.

Quique Berna from Tamarit Motorcycles judged Iconic Style. Tamarit Motorcycles is one of the most internationally recognised brands in the world of custom motorcycles. Since its beginnings in 2011, Quique Berna has been a key figure in Tamarit’s growth, attracting clients in over 25 countries with a clear mission: to create unique motorcycles for unique people. Passionate about classic aesthetics, Quique leads the design team and personally oversees every detail of the builds, working exclusively with Triumph Motorcycles.

His approach combines creativity and a deep admiration for the history of British motorcycling, which is reflected in unique and exclusive bikes that respect the essence of the Triumph brand while carrying the unmistakable Tamarit signature. Quique stands out not only for his talent as a designer but also for his business vision and his ability to offer tailored proposals that turn each motorcycle into a truly exclusive and emotional project. Quique Berna is the mastermind behind some of Tamarit’s most iconic motorcycles, such as the Black Dragon, the Gullwing and the Gullwing X. Quique judged the aesthetics of the bike, and how it looked as an overall finished piece of design.

Ricardo Pessoa, the founder of Coolnvintage, judged British Originality. The Lisbon-based atelier is renowned for transforming classic Land Rovers into functional art pieces defined by craftsmanship and timeless design. Driven by a life-long passion for the Land Rover, Ricardo was first inspired by the simple, honest, utilitarian, timeless appeal of the Series III. An entrepreneur and awarded photographer, Ricardo is celebrated for his distinctive approach to vintage car restoration and visual storytelling. Beyond the atelier, Ricardo’s work spans fashion campaigns, travel photography, and editorial projects. He is the co-author of the 365, 10 Years, and Portugal books, and served as creative director for the Hot Wheels x Mattel collaboration, further cementing his influence in both the automotive and design worlds.

Ricardo’s lifelong dedication to restoring, enhancing and celebrating the iconic, classic, British Land Rover, made him the ideal judge for British Originality. He decided how each build reflected the theme ‘Icon of British Originality’ in a modern way, assessing each team’s interpretation of the design brief.

Kengo Kimura, who opened Heiwa Motorcycle in April 2005, judged the builds for their Craftsmanship. A multi-award winner, Kimura-san was honoured with Best In Show at the Hot Rod Custom Show in 2016 and 2017 and scooped Best Motorcycle in Europe for his Triumph Three Arrows in 2021. He has been highly regarded around the world for the craftsmanship of his custom builds, which have included Bonneville inspired Trapee, Parrot Star, Chillmussel and Sevenstar7.

Highly sought by the global media for interviews and to attend events Kimura-san recently appeared as a model in the catalogue of Rimowa, a world-famous suitcase manufacturer, as one of Japan's leading artists. And with the competitive spirit and good sensibility he developed as a super-sportsman during his student days, he is single-mindedly devoted to building motorcycles.

Kengu Kimura chose a build that met Triumph’s reputation for exceptional build quality and craftsmanship, assessing the build quality and ‘fit and finish’.

Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, judges Creativity and Innovation. With overall responsibility for the design, styling and development of Triumph’s motorcycle range, Steve Sargent has a deep understanding of how creativity and innovation can enhance the feel and desirability of a motorcycle. His passion for every style of motorcycle, enjoyment of every style of riding, and his conviction that every motorcycle deserves to be the best it can be, has helped shape and grow the range over the last three decades.

His career with Triumph Motorcycles has taken him to Asia, where he led the build of the first Triumph factory in Thailand, and India, where he pioneered Triumph’s entry into the 400cc segment in partnership with Bajaj. Travelling around the world to create Triumph Racing, Steve has been instrumental in the Moto2 partnership and Triumph’s entry into the motocross and enduro markets for the first time, all driven by an absolute dedication to innovation and pushing the boundaries of engineering and design. Steve Sargent assessed the technical creativity of the build and judged how each team struck the balance between art and engineering.