The best custom motorcycles aren’t built around a paint scheme or a parts catalogue. They often begin with a problem worth solving, an itch that has to be scratched. For Essex-based Poulson Creative, that meant taking Triumph’s Scrambler 1200 XC and asking how they could extend its abilities without losing the character that made it such a compelling motorcycle in the first place. Their answer arrives in the fantastic form of The Jackal, a bespoke machine packed with original fabrication, brilliant in-house parts and one genuinely ingenious piece of engineering that’s equal parts fun and functional.
Poulson Creative Customs might be a new name around here, but the truth is they’ve been kicking ass and taking names for years now. Founded in 2018 by Stuart Poulson, the business grew from one man’s frustration with traditional branded motorcycle dealerships. You know the kind: rude, unhelpful sales staff and a less-than-honest service department. Walking away from a successful career in marketing and sales, Stu remortgaged his house to build the sort of workshop he wished had existed when he was younger; somewhere riders could drink coffee, browse quality gear, have their bikes serviced and discuss custom projects under the one roof. Eight years later, that gamble has become a thriving seven-person operation with a packed showroom, factory-level servicing and a growing reputation for producing bespoke Triumph and Harley-Davidson customs.
The Jackal is one of only a handful of motorcycles Poulson Creative builds entirely for themselves each year, giving the team complete freedom to explore ideas rather than answer a customer’s brief. Starting with a low-mileage Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC, chosen for its lower seat height and black factory forks, the objective wasn’t to reinvent the platform but to unlock more of its potential. The concept was simple enough to say, but far harder to execute: create a motorcycle that becomes more capable off-road while also offering greater comfort and practicality on long-distance road rides; oh and look tough too.
The centrepiece is unlike anything we’ve seen fitted to a modern Triumph custom. Rather than bolting on a fixed rally fairing, Poulson engineered an electrically actuated windscreen that transforms the motorcycle at the press of a button. In its lowered position, the screen hugs the bespoke duckbill front guard and shields the headlight from off-road damage while maintaining the slim profile expected of a scrambler. Raise it, and the geometry swings the screen upright, directing airflow over the rider for sustained highway kilometres. The mechanism hides behind the fairing on neatly triangulated brackets, driven by a concealed reverse-polarity actuator and integrated seamlessly into the factory switchgear. Stuart admits the complicated geometry behind the system made it the most difficult part of the entire build, and looking at the finished product it’s easy to understand why, but it’s bloody genius stuff!
The chassis modifications are equally considered. Full-travel Öhlins rear shocks keep the suspension working properly once the terrain deteriorates, while Mitas Enduro Trail+ tyres provide genuine mixed-surface capability without sacrificing road manners. Galfer Wave Floatech front discs, matched to a Galfer rear rotor and PIKE Brembo brake and clutch levers, sharpen stopping performance, while a DID 525VX3 gold chain, black sprockets and race-drilled hardware add durability alongside subtle motorsport detailing. Even the auxiliary lighting has been packaged intelligently, mounted high on bespoke brackets and wired through the factory controls to keep the cockpit remarkably clean despite the additional equipment.
Spend a little longer studying the bike and Poulson’s in-house manufacturing capability starts revealing itself. The fork guards, radiator guard, short chain guard and laser-etched ignition and clutch covers are all their own, while the laser-cut pannier support brackets follow the angle of the subframe so neatly they almost disappear until luggage is required. Rather than cutting the chassis apart, the team retained Triumph’s original frame and engine, allowing the bike to be serviced anywhere in the world while redesigning almost everything that bolts to it. It’s an approach that feels closer to an OEM skunkworks project than a conventional custom build.
The finishing touches are restrained but effective. A Zard 2-into-2 shotgun exhaust keeps the rear of the motorcycle visually compact, while the satin black engine protection, blacked-out chassis components and Tamarit seat provide a purposeful backdrop for the bespoke Dakar-inspired paint, a beautiful homage to rugged rally-raid styling. Rather than relying on bright anodising, Poulson uses bronze sparingly, letting the Öhlins reservoirs, Zard badges and gold drive chain complement the sand-coloured graphics. The bespoke rear fender incorporates a neatly integrated LED tail-light, cable routing is almost entirely hidden, and the overall fit and finish is so good that it gives the impression these components were truly conceived together rather than assembled from a catalogue.
The Jackal might wear a name borrowed from the British Army’s high-mobility reconnaissance vehicle, but this isn’t a styling exercise wrapped in military graphics. It’s a carefully engineered attempt to push one of Triumph’s most versatile platforms much further down its evolutionary path, without compromising the qualities that made it attractive to so many in the first place. For a workshop making its Pipeburn debut, Poulson Creative hasn’t arrived by chasing trends or building another bolt-on custom. Instead, they’ve produced a motorcycle that earns its respect the old-fashioned way, being brilliantly capable and bloody good to look at. And if this all-terrain Triumph tickles your fancy, it’s for sale and ready to serve.
[ Poulson Creative ]