BUD EKINS FAMILY TRUST COLLECTION In the 1940s, a rambunctious teenager from LA named Bud Ekins bought his first motorcycle, a used 1940 Triumph Speed Twin, with the money he earned at his father’s welding shop. Over the following decades, Ekins became a motorcycling icon through his trailblazing career as an off-road racer, legendary work as a Hollywood stuntman, wildly successful Triumph dealer and lifelong passion for preserving and sharing motorcycle history. Eighty years later, Triumph Motorcycles released two unique, limited edition Bonneville’s in 2020, like this pristine T100, to celebrate Ekins’ prolific influence on the motorcycling culture and his dedication to the legendary British marque. Shortly after acquiring his first Triumph, Ekins entered the 1949 Big Bear Run, a race he would go on to win a handful of times in the 1950s. In 1955, Ekins won the prestigious Catalina GP on the Triumph TR5 Trophy, which landed him a factory sponsorship and a dealership in North Hollywood, where celebrities like Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen were frequent patrons. When Steve McQueen walked in to pick up a Triumph of his own, the pair struck up an enduring friendship that would influence the entire culture. At McQueen’s request, Ekins began working in the film industry beginning with orchestrating the now legendary jump in McQueen’s classic film “The Great Escape.” Not only did Ekins pull off the hair-raising jump onboard a Triumph, but he also managed to compete in the International Six Day’s Trail for the brand while in Germany. Ekins won his first of 4 gold medals in the event in 1962, continuing to build not only his legacy but that of Triumph Motorcycles. Be it through his success in competition, films or dealerships, Ekins was a significant reason for the brand’s success in the U.S. Given his lifelong championing of the brand, Triumph honored one of its most influential ambassadors in 2020 with a pair of limited-edition Bonnevilles. At its core lies a stock production T100 Bonneville, with its 900cc vertical twin and 5-speed gearbox. This limited Bud Ekins edition T100 then adds a unique, two-tone paint scheme with hand-done pinstriping, several Ekins logos and badging throughout, and the vintage Triumph logo painted for the first time on a modern model. Other special features include LED turn signals, diamond- knurled grips, bar-end mirrors and Monza gas caps. Coming from The Bud Ekins Family Trust Collection, this clean 2020 Triumph Bud Ekins Edition T100 is a beautiful tribute to a genuine motorcycling icon. S130 2020 TRIUMPH RS T100 BONNEVILLE “BUD EKINS”
