“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere” sang Frank Sinatra about New York, but the truth is, for many businesses around the world, making it in America truly is the holy grail. Not only does it unlock a massive consumer market with plenty of money to spend, but it’s seen as a rite of passage if you are to be a truly global brand. So, for the uber-talented team at Spain’s Tamarit Motorcycles, they decided the time had finally come to plant their flag in the US of A. Having built hundreds of Triumph engines, nearly as many trick customs and their own production series, just about everybody knows their no holds barred signature style. And they weren’t about to change that for anyone, their Triumph might be red, white and blue, but the bike called ‘Florida’ is as Tamarit as it comes.

It’s a bold step for any builder to create a bike without someone else writing the cheques, and even more so to then use that machine to attempt to crack a new market, but all at Tamarit felt it was time. “Project 150, known as Florida, marks a milestone in Tamarit’s trajectory. This experience, unlike the rest of the projects, Tamarit wanted to create without an owner, and it is now available for sale in the United States, where it will be personally delivered by the owners of Tamarit.” But despite the risks, the guys lack no confidence. “Our added value lies in specializing in neo-classic Triumph engines, which has made us the world’s largest specialist in these engines. No one has created as many motorcycles with the same engine, with over 170 unique motorcycles showcased on our website and around 50 that we haven’t showcased.”

So, with Florida picked as the name of the bike, and the location where it would be offered for sale, they certainly had one thing on their side. The Sunshine State, just like any Tamarit motorcycle, is a crazy place, where fashion is loud and the people are louder. But first, they needed to craft the foundation and it all starts with a Bonneville 900 engine and the front section of a Bonnie frame, the rest would be made from scratch, taken from their large parts catalogue or put together from the huge inventory of genuine Triumph bits they have in stock. Starting with the frame, the backbone and twin down tubes are all OEM stuff, but there is some beautiful work done at the rear, with the lower rails folding back forward and running up to the backbone.

This means that a stock subframe would never work, as the lower supports are not only gone but so are their supports. But this is all by design, as narrow seat rails now run off this new triangulated point and form up to create an incredibly strong seat support. The over-engineering of this section also pays off with a second practical function, serving as the upper mount for the new mono-shock conversion. Too often we see such work carried out with poor welds and ultra-thin steel, but there will be no flex here! To achieve the second part of the process, a stock Triumph swingarm has its lower mount points removed, and a new upper section has been fabricated, with all of the drama we’ve come to expect from team Tamarit.

Even the shock itself gets the treatment, with the body of the fully adjustable unit completely polished and then the spring dipped in gold. The front suspension is just as dramatic, with a rebuilt set of forks dropped through a custom clamp, and the whole lot polished to perfection. But the real talking point is the upper covers, with all of the cooling of a Sterling SMG barrel shroud and dipped in chrome for one hell of a talking point. To finish out the rolling package, the braking setup uses a Wave disc for increased performance and the calipers are rebuilt and finished in gold. Then it’s onto the polishing machine for the hubs, a set of stainless spokes to lace them to the polished rims and the TKC80 rubber makes a hell of an impact.

This brings us to the styling, “This bike, equipped with the iconic Bonneville 900 engine, embodies a tracker concept that combines versatility and minimalist design, ideal for both roads and off-road terrains.” But to my eye, it’s of a style all of its own, the Tamarit style, and that bobber-esque seat sets the stage for the truly unconventional. It might be short and have a hard upkick, but the way it’s so beautifully integrated into the stock tank is all class. Of course, being named Florida, the leather had to be white, just no confirmation if it’s made of Gator. The stock tank wears those now famous Tamarit badges, and a filler cap change is another chance to offer up more of that antique gold styling.

Then to add that Tracker element, the guys set about piecing together a number plate package that would indeed look right at home on the race track. And here again, you have to be impressed with the build quality, even if the styling isn’t to your fancy. The rear two boards bolt on absolutely beautifully with stainless hardware and also serve a practical role as secondary exhaust shields. The front board is equally as good, the lines are simple, but the hidden mounts make it a great piece and the LED headlight which is integrated and the spotlight below all add to the functionality. Then it’s on with the creamy white, textured baby blue and deep red, for their own take on the American flag.

The Tamarit guys even went a step further, with some brilliant graphics used to bring the number 26 to life on those boards. The rest of the build is all about function and finishing the mechanical package, and having rebuilt the engine, the 900 powerplant gets a serious set of pipes, that end under the seat in that side-by-side shotgun style. The rest of the engine is a mix of deep polishing and some serious chrome, while the intake has more of that old gold, to match the rest of the features, which includes the relocated ignition. Then it’s out with the company catalogue, the Hummer skid plate, gorgeous bars and mirrors with Kustom Tech levers, and a host of lighting from Motogadget. Like Prince Akeem, team Tamarit have come to America to sow their royal oats, and now only time will tell if they can find the right match for their Florida fling. 

[ Tamarit Motorcycles ]