Triumph’s previous generation air-cooled modern classics are true sleepers, with stacks of potential waiting to be unlocked. Pick up a neat secondhand model, throw the right mods at it, and you’ll soon be giving newer machines a run for their money.
That’s exactly what France’s FCR Original have done here. Starting with a 2015-model Triumph Thruxton (?the nicest,? they say), builders Sébastien Guillemot and Mathieu Ménard have produced an edgy roadster that’s ready to shred.

Sébastien and Mathieu’s goals were simple: sporty looks, sporty performance, and top-shelf finishes all around. What they ended up with was a sleek classic with a sting in its tail.
FCR’s six-person team started by dismantling the Thruxton and tweaking its frame. They shortened it out back, then welded in a hand-bent rear loop, with an integrated tail light and turn signal combo LED.
But the most man-hours went into giving the frame its unique finish. The crew stripped all the paint off using a vegetable oil process, then spent 15 hours polishing out any imperfections before finally nickel plating it. The finish is a nod to the Triumphs of the 70s, and a detail that’s become a hallmark of FCR Original’s design.
FCR’s chassis updates extend beyond just the frame work though. Up front you’ll find a set of Triumph Street Triple forks, anodized black and fitted with custom springs to lower them a little. FCR modified the stock yoke...