Thornton Hundred has created what might be the most extreme motorcycle ever built – a supercharged Triumph Speed Triple RR delivering an astonishing 400 horsepower. This custom creation transforms an already potent cafe racer into a drift-focused machine that challenges conventional motorcycle design. Unlike most extreme builds, this engineering marvel remains street legal while incorporating advanced technologies typically found in high-performance supercars. Let’s explore the five revolutionary aspects that make this supercharged drift bike a true game-changer in motorcycle customization.
Unprecedented Power: The 400-HP Heart
At the core of this extraordinary machine is its mind-bending power output. The standard Triumph Speed Triple RR produces an impressive 180 horsepower from its 1,160cc inline triple engine – already enough to deliver thrilling performance. Thornton Hundred, however, has amplified this exponentially by adding a Rotrex C30 supercharger, boosting output to a staggering 400 horsepower. This puts the bike in a performance category beyond even the legendary Kawasaki Ninja H2R, which produces “only” 300 horsepower. For context, this motorcycle now generates more power than many sports cars while weighing just 412 pounds (186 kg).
The engineering team took a unique approach to fuel delivery, feeding methanol to the supercharger from the custom billet aluminum swingarm rather than using a conventional intercooler setup. The engine also features upgraded forged internals to handle the massive increase in power. Currently limited to “only” 230 horsepower for street use, owners can unlock its full potential if they dare. As Thornton Hundred’s Jody Millhouse notes, even at 150 mph in sixth gear, the rear wheel spins the moment you twist the throttle – a testament to the almost unmanageable power this machine produces.
Purpose-Built for Drifting: Chassis Modifications
This isn’t just a powerful bike – it’s specifically engineered for drifting. The most visible modification is the extended wheelbase, stretched by 7 inches (180mm) through a custom billet aluminum swingarm. This extension dramatically changes the bike’s handling characteristics, prioritizing straight-line stability and controlled slides over nimble cornering. The key to its drift capabilities lies in the carefully designed pivot point on the swingarm in relation to the rear axle, creating geometry that facilitates controlled power slides.
The suspension setup intentionally shifts more weight to the front end, further enhancing the bike’s drift capabilities. While stretched motorcycles aren’t new – particularly in drag racing circles with extended “Busas” (Hayabusas) and GSX-Rs – this Triumph takes the concept to new extremes by combining the stretched chassis with unprecedented power. The article notes this machine would “smoke all of those in the blink of an eye,” underscoring the game-changing performance this combination delivers. Despite being optimized for drifting and rolling burnouts, the bike maintains its street-legal status with all required lighting and license plate mounting – though the author wryly notes riding it to work “would probably be unwise.”
Lightweight Carbon Fiber Construction
To complement the massive power increase, Thornton Hundred completely reimagined the bike’s bodywork. The team discarded all original body panels and replaced them with “super lightweight carbon components.” This extensive use of carbon fiber appears throughout the motorcycle, including the wheels, significantly reducing unsprung weight for improved handling and acceleration.
The carbon construction serves multiple purposes: reducing overall weight to just 412 pounds, improving the power-to-weight ratio, enhancing the bike’s aggressive aesthetic, and providing the necessary structural integrity to handle the tremendous forces generated by the supercharged engine. The carbon bodywork also creates a distinctive visual identity that sets this build apart from both stock Triumphs and other custom motorcycles. The attention to detail in the carbon weave patterns and finish demonstrates the craftsmanship that went into this seven-month build, completed just days before its debut at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Active Aerodynamics: Supercar Technology on Two Wheels
Perhaps the most technologically advanced aspect of this custom build is its incorporation of active aerodynamics – a feature rarely seen on motorcycles. The carbon fiber wings connect to accelerometers and a computer system that continuously monitors riding conditions and adjusts wing position accordingly. When the rider brakes, the wings deploy as air brakes to increase drag and improve stopping power. During acceleration, they automatically feather out to reduce drag and maximize top speed.
Most impressively, the system can detect cornering and deploy the wings to generate downforce when needed, improving stability and traction. This adaptive aerodynamic system represents technology typically found only in multi-million-dollar hypercars, now implemented on a two-wheeled platform. While traditional motorcycles rely primarily on the rider’s body position and static fairings for aerodynamic management, this computerized system introduces a new dimension of dynamic performance adjustment previously unseen in motorcycle design.
Technological Novelties and Premium Details
Beyond its core performance modifications, this build incorporates several unexpected technological flourishes. The bike features an integrated AI chatbot system with speakers that personally greets the rider by name upon startup. This unusual addition allows the rider to “play games with the chatbot,” adding a distinctly modern technological touch to the traditional motorcycling experience.
Other premium details include special brakes to handle the extreme performance capabilities and the aforementioned carbon wheels. Despite its £55,000 (approximately $70,000) price tag, the article suggests the bike might be considered “a steal” given its build quality, performance capabilities, and the “bragging rights that come with owning a street-legal 400-horsepower drift bike.” As a one-of-a-kind, non-production item that took seven months to construct, this motorcycle represents the pinnacle of what’s possible when traditional motorcycle engineering meets modern materials, supercar technology, and unbridled creativity – a true collector’s item for the enthusiast seeking something beyond conventional motorcycling.
