Reflected Glory

Inspired by motorcycles from the café racer era, Triumph’s new Chrome Collection is a shining example of its expertise

Motoring 26 Oct 2022

Over the last few decades, Triumph Motorcycles has consistently dominated the “modern retro” category, and so its new Chrome Collection, announced this October, feels like a natural progression in the brand’s story. This special line-up reimagines Triumph’s full range of Modern Classic motorcycles with chrome detailing inspired by earlier iterations that defined the marque’s heritage.

It is the latest in a string of highly limited and handcrafted collections that showcase the state-of-the-art facilities at Triumph’s factory in the Leicestershire town of Hinckley. The Chrome range comprises 10 new bikes, which encompass the Bonneville line-up. There are two new iterations of the Rocket, a Bonneville T120 and T100, Bobber, Scrambler 1200XE and 900, Speedmaster and Speed Twin 900, all with chrome detailing through the tanks and other areas that pay tribute to each model’s heritage. But perhaps the star of this collection is a new Thruxton RS, decked out with a full chrome tank and complementing matte silver and jet-black paint throughout the bodywork. It is a stunning machine that evokes the iconic – and highly coveted – Triton bikes from the café racer era. Head of brand management Miles Perkins says he’s already decided to get in the queue for this one.

The process of creating these special-edition tanks begins with ultrasonic cleaning before a nickel-plated base layer is applied, followed by a final chrome layer. Compared with the marque’s regular motorcycles, it involves around five additional hours of craftsmanship, which also includes hand-painting, polishing and inspection.

The limited collection will be available for just one year and will start appearing in dealerships from December 2022 onwards. So, if the chrome appeals, then we suggest you start buffing up your polishing skills rather soon.

Prices start from £8,945; triumphmotorcycles.co.uk