A brand new costum motorbike for thibaut nogues

Thibaut has been a freestyle sport motorbike rider for more than 12 years. The drift is his personal signature. We’re used to see him riding his Triumph Daytona, but it looks like a new motorbike just broke into his garage. We met him to find out how he’s tuned this motorbike to match his personality as well as possible.

Which motorbike did you choose and why?

In 2022, I decided to cancel my contract with MV Agusta. So, I needed a new motorbike to fulfil the contracts. I dreamed of riding a Triumph because of its spectacular 3-cylinder engine. I chose to try Daytona. I had a nice feeling right away. It was a good match, the motorbike’s pretty fast and efficient.

In 2023 I had to replace my Stunt Kawasaki. Daytona is perfect for drift, but for stunts I had to choose a street motorbike. After riding for 6 months with the Daytona and loving it, I got a triple Triumph Street because it has the same engine and the cycle part is the same as in the Daytona. It’s the same feeling. I’ll be able to move from one to the other at shows. They’re very similar.

I like driving fast. I attempt to enforce speed and aggressiveness in all my performances. But I didn’t modify it to be a 100% stunt. The motorcycle keeps its original look, with more style.

"This motorbike suits me perfectly. I ride it as if I’d had it for over a decade."

What changes have been made and why?

I´ve integrated a stunt motorbike base.

For the stunt part:

Some "Crash cages": to protect the motorbike when you fall down, so as not to break everything.
A "hand brake": the rear brake is transferred to the handlebars. This is quite useful, for example, when I do a wheeling standing on the seat.
A bigger transmission but not as big as a motorcycle stunt transmission. I put in a 54 crown (instead of a 60 or 65 crown as the Stunt normally has.)
A custom seat. My seat maker created a back seat with a hole (so I could put my foot in) and for the Sky to grip well.

For the performance part:

The preparation of the shock absorber suspension was made by 4.42 and a custom exhaust pipe made by made inox. Seb, the boss, has created for me an authentic piece that offers a cool performance.

I also worked on the aesthetics. Originally, it’s a 2016 Street RX but with specific pieces, we turned it into a Street RX-RS. The idea was giving it a fresher look. It has a 2021 fork head, radiator and side fairings. All this makes it a unique motorbike.

I love it. This motorbike suits me perfectly. I ride it as if I’d had it for over a decade.

"I like to push the motorbike to the extreme, with angle precision and push the limits up to the maximum."

What´s your estimation of the time you have spent in this preparation?

Full days and nights. I don’t want to know, ‘cause I would cry. (laughs). The project started in mid-December and lasted until the end of January.

Was the first attempt definite?

The motorbike is custom-made for my style. First 10 minutes of testing, I was in reflex mode as if I had it for over 10 years. She’s exactly how I like motorcycles. Aggressive. Perfect.

What sensations are you looking for in a motorbike ?

I love limits. The limits of the grip, the limits of the motorbike in general. I run for the adrenaline. I like to push the motorbike to the extreme, with angle precision and push the limits to the maximum. I enjoy feeling like I’m in the middle of the two even if sometimes it’s dangerous, to sense the feeling that you lose both wheels and your heart is beating a million miles an hour. I like to run to get into my bubble and disconnect myself from reality.

Without question, I’m addicted to adrenaline! (laughs)