Triumph continues to team up with other brands to produce special-edition machines, this time making a deal with Gibson that pays homage to both companies’ history, while also raising money for a special cause.
Both companies’ products are icons of the mid-20th century; Triumph’s T120 Bonneville roadster first hit the market in 1959, as did the Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar. The Bonneville has outlasted all its Brit bike competition, and has really become the pattern for this whole genre of retro roadsters. Meanwhile, the Les Paul Standard, with its edgy sound due to humbucking pickups, became one of the most highly influential instruments of the second half of the 20th century, becoming a go-to choice for musicians in rock, blues, jazz and other musical genres.
You could say the Bonneville and the Les Paul Standard have grown up together, really, and that’s why Gibson and Triumph are teaming up to support the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) is a global charity that’s based around a motorcycle group ride that’s undertaken while wearing snappy clothing; it’s focused on men’s health issues, whether they be physical (past DGRs have focused on prostate cancer) or mental. You can see CMG’s past coverage of the DGR here; the Ride’s website is here.
At this point, we don’t know exactly what the Triumph/Gibson project will look like (Triumph’s press release gave away no details), but we’d expect some sort of co-branded bike and guitar, with a portion of proceeds donated to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. Or, maybe we’ll see a one-off bike and guitar build. We’re sure to see more information soon.
