Motorsport Valley, UK, is home to three world-famous race tracks, the headquarters of most Formula One teams, and a dense network of specialist suppliers feeding the world’s need for speed. At its centre sits Milton Keynes, best known as the base of Red Bull Racing, but also the home turf of our friends at Thornton Hundred Motorcycles. Renowned for turning Triumphs into rolling masterpieces, their latest Bobber build is something truly special: a tyre-shredding salute to the Porsche 911 Dakar, finished in the iconic Rothmans livery forever seared into the collective memory of motorsport fans.
The rise and rise of Thornton Hundred has been nothing short of remarkable, from the humble beginnings of a maxed-out credit card and a shipping container, Jody has built one hell of a business. The full family affair now operates out of a specialist workshop, producing crazy customs, high-end parts and even their own limited-run EVO Bobber production motorcycle. And with over half a million followers on both Instagram and YouTube, the world is well and truly watching! So, it makes sense then that the owner of a rare Porsche 911 Dakar, built to replicate the Porsche 953 that won the Paris-Dakar event in 1984, turned to the team for a matching motorcycle.
What enables Thornton Hundred to produce one incredible machine after another is their brilliant instinct for design, old school fabrication and mechanical know-how, and the clever use of cutting-edge technology; from the latest in CAD software, 3D scanning and printing, and even FEA stress analysis to ensure years of safety at speed. And at the core of this build is a stock Triumph Bobber that’s been methodically stripped and reimagined with a level of intent that mirrors Porsche’s own Dakar ethos. Starting at the front end, the V4-spec yokes are machined from a single block of aluminium, laser-checked for absolute accuracy before being Cerakote finished.
A custom-machined titanium steering stem is pressed in, which retains the factory steering lock while shaving weight and elevating material quality. Fresh bearings complete the assembly, setting the tone for a build where nothing is left to chance. That obsession with structure continues through the chassis, where a billet aluminium chassis brace is fitted to give additional rigidity to the front section of the cradle. The Thornton Hundred billet and bobbed front fender also serves a dual role, looking a million dollars as an entire single piece, while also bracing the forks and allowing the suspension to operate at its best.
Rolling stock was always going to make or break the visual connection to the car, and the solution is unapologetically bold. The latest carbon fibre wheels in a stunning white from Rotobox are incredibly strong, while also drastically reducing unsprung mass. They’re wrapped in Dunlop Mutants, a tyre choice that bridges road performance with off-road attitude and perfectly complements the wide, purposeful stance. The braking gets a big boost too, with a full array of wave pattern rotors from EBC, wearing the TH logos, you know they’re built to an incredible standard, and being a floating design ensures a confidence-inspiring feel at the lever.
The Dakar influence becomes unmistakable when you start spotting the custom-fabricated components. Borrowing directly from Porsche’s rally playbook, and seen boldly displayed on the new 911, Thornton Hundred designed and CAD-modelled a front towing eye. Cut from 8mm aluminium and finished in red, the piece pairs up perfectly with the side mount style crash bars, which sport PIAA spotlights. For clearance, a variation on the company’s iconic twisted exhaust is required, and Evan’s first-class welds are on display for all to enjoy.
Next, it’s a dive into the Thornton Hundred catalogue, and the quality of each component is simply as good as it gets. The seat mount is a two-piece billet item that integrates the turn signals for an uber clean finish, and allows for an adjustable seating position. Further tidying up the back end is the plug-and-play number plate holder, and a set of bar-end indicators keeps things legal. The chain guard is another signature item, and the blacked-out radiator guard ensures the water-cooled Brit bobber looks as tough as hell.
The engine gets the full cover and build plaque treatment, but it’s the paint job that takes this build to another level. Brilliantly replicating the Rothman’s livery, the blue and white, with red and gold pinstripes, pops off the page like a high gloss nostalgia overload. While the trim on the seat is all straight from Porsche design HQ: leather and Alcantara with a colour-matched stitch.
The final touch is the race number, matching that worn on the client’s new Porsche. It’s clear this Thornton Hundred Triumph isn’t just styled to match the high-end German product; it’s been engineered with the same attention to detail, material honesty, and motorsport DNA that made the original Dakar such a global legend.
[ Thornton Hundred | Photos by James Joseph ]