There are plenty of intersection points between rock ’n’ roll and motorcycles. One of the most storied is Elvis Presley’s love for motorcycles, including British-built Triumphs. In 1968, you could see Elvis riding a desert sled Triumph 650 Bonneville in Stay Away Joe on the big screen. However, Elvis was already a fan of the Bonneville. Three years earlier, in the midst of filming Frankie and Johnny, Elvis purchased a fleet of nine Bonnevilles for his Memphis Mafia cronies and himself. That has prompted Triumph and Elvis Presley Enterprises to commission a one-off tribute build with a custom design work by J Daar, a custom Gibson Les Paul guitar by Daar, and a search for the missing Memphis Mafia Triumphs.
The Triumph Bonneville T120 was unveiled on Triumph Island at the 2023 Barber Vintage Festival. Daar’s work was inspired by the desert sled Elvis rode in 1968 and the Memphis Mafia Triumph Bonnevilles (a mixture of 1964 TR6s and T120s).
The custom Triumph Bonneville includes a “TCB” graphic that refers to the Elvis motto of “taking care of business.” Also, the signature of Elvis Presley is reproduced on the fuel tank, along with the Elvis Live 1969 logo from his storied Las Vegas residency at the International Hotel, and there are multiple silhouettes of Elvis on the side.
“Tribute bikes are always special,” Daar said, “but an homage to The King is one of the coolest projects I’ve worked on. This bike is something the new owner can be incredibly proud to have in their garage. Not only is it a unique design celebrating a great story, but it’s also a great way to raise money for such a worthy cause.”
The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation will be the beneficiary of the sale of the custom Triumph, along with a matching Les Paul inspired by the Singer Presents…Elvis presentation on NBC, more commonly known as the ’68 Comeback Special—the first live performance by Elvis since 1961.
“We have had the honor of working in partnership with the Elvis team to celebrate his legacy over many years,” explains Gibson Chief Marketing Officer Beth Heidt, “so when we heard that our friends at Graceland and Triumph were working together on a custom motorcycle to raise awareness and funds for a good cause, we wanted to join in honoring Elvis’ spirit of generosity—and similar to what we did with our ’59 Legends Collection in support of The 2022 Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride, this customized Gibson Les Paul model pairs perfectly with the amazing design scheme of the bike.”
The contemporary Triumph Bonneville T120 custom will be auctioned for charity, though a date is not set. “We are excited to be partnering with an iconic brand like Triumph to bring this one-of-a-kind custom Bonneville T120 to life while benefitting one of Elvis’ favorite charities, Goodwill Homes Community Services in Memphis,” says Dana Carpenter, Executive Vice President, Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Details on the auction will be announced on the Graceland website.
In the meantime, Triumph has launched a search for the Memphis Mafia Bonnevilles. Triumph is starting from scratch on this effort, and there isn’t a known paper trail for the motorcycles. If you know something, send an email to elvistriumph@triumphmotorcycles.com.
