Triumph’s worldwide bike build-off produces a worthy winner, Championship Cycles delivers a jaw-dropping Ducati 748, and KTM updates the 690 Enduro R and 690 Supermoto R. Right here’s what you missed this week.
Triumph Pace Twin 1200 by Shibuya Storage This gorgeous Triumph Pace Twin 1200 lately took high honors within the Triumph Originals contest—a world initiative run by Triumph to spotlight the customization potential of their Bonneville lineup. Constructed by Brazil’s Shibuya Storage, the bike combines founder Teydi Deguchi’s two passions—engines and artwork.
With a brand new Pace Twin 1200 of their São Paulo workshop, Shibuya Storage started by decreasing the suspension and bolting on a set of stable wheel covers with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires. Customized fork guards had been mixed with a customized entrance fender, whereas a tiny windscreen was put in over the blacked-out manufacturing unit headlight.
Clip-on bars had been connected excessive fork yoke, and the manufacturing unit speedometer was squeezed into the house behind the windscreen. The perimeters of the tank had been modified with sharp indents, with the strains flowing properly right into a customized seat, sitting on a modified rear subframe. A customized stomach pan was fabricated, too, sharing a shocking paint element with the entrance fender and windscreen.
Teydi additionally made a set of slick aspect covers earlier than ingeniously dressing the swingarm to match. The swingarm design is a standout element—as is the exhaust system. Twin pipes snake their approach across the engine earlier than exiting on the right-hand aspect, beneath the seat.
There’s additionally a smattering of Brazil-themed easter eggs all through the construct. The injector covers sport the colours of the Brazilian flag, the define of the nation is engraved on the first cowl, and the Brazilian timber used to create the main points on the forks, aspect covers, and swingarm is simply implausible.
“The main points are superbly crafted and the general design is well-organized,” says choose Kengo Kimura, founding father of Heiwa Bike in Japan. “It’s a bike filled with design and concepts.”
If you happen to can impress Kimura-san, you may impress the world. [Shibuya Garage | Images supplied by Triumph]
Ducati 748 by Championship Cycles Most bike builders are hesitant to simply accept deserted tasks, however when Mike Vienne from Championship Cycles was approached by a good friend to get his Ducati 748 over the end line, he couldn’t assist however settle for the problem.
Mike’s good friend initially began the venture six years in the past, however it was quickly mothballed attributable to different life commitments (and a world pandemic). Quick ahead to this 12 months, and the 748 rolling chassis and engine had been delivered to Mike’s Los Angeles workshop.
The temporary was easy: rework the bike into a reliable observe machine with out throwing fistfuls of cash at it. Since Mike has constructed and raced many 748, 916, and 996 Desmoquattro Ducatis, many of the elements wanted for the construct had been already on his cabinets. His assortment of spares is so huge that it took lower than 48 hours to get the bike operating once more.
That feels like a pleasant drawback to have—however with the bike lined in inventory elements and a primary racing fairing completed in primer gray, it seemed a bit boring. (As boring as a Tamburini-era, track-prepped Ducati will be.) It wanted a little bit of character to spice issues up a bit, so Mike got down to repair that.
The engine was dropped off at a neighborhood store to be rebuilt, with the one modifications being some mild headwork and a Ducabike semi-open slipper clutch. The vast majority of the funds was to be spent on enhancing the dealing with, so the primary issues to go had been the heavy OEM wheels. Of their place is a pair of light-weight Dymags, solid from aluminum.
The rear shock was changed with a Nitron unit, giving Mike management over preload, rebound, and compression. The entrance brakes had been then upgraded with 6-piston PFM calipers and narrow-band rotors.
The largest visible change to the 748 is the relative lack of bodywork. An offhand remark about it being a unadorned bike was all it took for Mike to resolve to go this route. Nevertheless, the 748 was designed with a full fairing in thoughts, so eradicating it exposes all kinds of Italian plumbing that’s higher left hidden.
The bike was rewired with a customized race harness (shaving 4 kilos off the burden), and all of the electronics had been relocated to contained in the tail. The ECU was moved to the entrance of the bike, behind the massive tachometer and the temperature gauge.
The decrease a part of the body was relieved of the fairing fixing factors and painted vivid white. The carbon bodywork is from Corsa Storage, with the entrance part modified to run as a modern half fairing. It seems exceptionally good, particularly in its crimson, black, and white livery.
As you’d anticipate, Mike reviews that the completed bike is a hoot on observe, with simply sufficient wind safety on the straights to maintain it secure. It seems good, goes quick, and there’s nothing we don’t like about it. [Championship Cycles | Images by Aaron McKenzie]
2026 KTM 690 Enduro R and 690 SMC R KTM has simply unveiled the 2026 690 Enduro R and 690 SMC R, and, to the shock of completely no person, they’re almost equivalent to their 2025 counterparts. KTM guarantees that the styling is sharper, which they seem to imply actually, as a result of a few of the physique panels are pointier.
The principle updates lie beneath the floor, centered on the 690’s LC4 single-cylinder engine. It’s now Euro5+ compliant and has a revised crankcase, clutch, and stator cowl. The oil system has additionally been redesigned for reliability and efficiency.
For the 2026 690 Enduro R, KTM has additionally added a couple of mod cons in the best way of a brand new 4.2” colour TFT show and a USB-C charging port. The switchgear has been redesigned, and there may be additionally a brand new LED headlight. When it comes to new rider aids, the Enduro R will get cornering ABS, cornering traction management, and one thing KTM is asking ‘Dynamic Slip Alter.’
The bonkers 690 SMC R supermoto will get the identical Euro 5+-compliant LC4 engine, in addition to some barely completely different bodywork extra suited to avenue using. KTM mentions that the suspension tuning has been enhanced for higher highway suggestions and agility. The SMC R will get the identical up to date dashboard and the cornering ABS and cornering traction management rider aids.
It’s actually extra of an evolution than a revolution, which is likely to be a mirrored image of the Austrian marque’s latest monetary place. That stated, the 690 remains to be essentially the most highly effective single in the marketplace, with little else in its class. And it’s straightforward to be a category chief in a section of 1. [KTM]
