the triumph rafale custom motorcycle by storik is a bare metal café racer

coming from a background in automotive engineering and design, laurent amann, owner of suffolk-based storkis, likes motorcycles to have a proper presence and stance with handmade, raw metal bodywork.

all images © gun hill studios

although storik’s studio is based in the south of england, laurent amann actually first received his training in france. ‘rafale’ means ‘gust of wind’ in french, and this triumph café racer aims to echo the same sentiment with speed. as the ‘rafale’ illustrates, all storik builds are bespoke, one-off motorcycles built to suit clients’ individual tastes and requirements who can appreciate high-quality craftsmanship, with classic café racer dynamics.

originally the ‘rafale’ was a standard triumph ‘trident’, but storik swapped the chassis for a stronger ‘T140 bonneville’ frame with the oil running through the central spine. this oil-in-frame setup allowed more design freedom, as an external oil tank was no longer required. the workshop then designed and crafted a new swingarm using ‘T45’ high-strength, aircraft-grade steel tubing, shaped for a neat oval form that complements the traditional look of the ‘trident’.

the ‘rafale’ three-into-three exhaust system pays homage to 1960’s GP racing. the double curvature exhaust megaphones are completely handcrafted, and ceramic coated in grey by flying tiger coatings. the upholstery is almost a work of art in itself, adding a subtle touch of color to contrast with the textured aluminum and brass metal. it was stitched up in a collaboration between storik and a master leathersmith, named jun takakuda, who opted for a two-tone finish — italian ‘plum’ buffalo and a ‘sage’ green suede.