The custom motorcycle scene is firmly in its kit-built era. Business savvy workshops have realized that there’s a lot of demand for parts that can transform a bike with minimal fuss. One-off specials will always rule the roost—but not everyone has the skill, time, or funds to build them.
For some riders, it makes more sense to take one of the countless modern classics currently on the market, and personalize it with a smorgasbord of tailored parts. If that’s you, the Triumph Scrambler 1200 is one heck of a starting point.
This writer has spent considerable time aboard the Scrambler 1200, and can confirm that it is a tour de force—both technically and aesthetically. It looks handsome out the box, its 1,200 cc parallel twin motor is a peach, and its big front wheel and long travel suspension aren’t just for show. All it needs is some judicious personalization.
That’s where Crooked Motorcycles comes in. Based in Memmingen, Germany, the crew has a background in automotive engineering and design, and has been putting that experience to use designing sharp custom bikes for the past seven years. They’ve now shifted their attention to bolt-on kits—starting with a swanky new set of parts for the Triumph Scrambler 1200.
“We at Crooked have built over 70 custom bikes for private and business customers, and delivered them to over 12 countries,” says workshop co-founder Dominikus Braun.
“At the end of last year, our very successful Yamaha XS400 series, of which we built a limited run of 20 bikes, was discontinued. With this end came a general reflection in our company. What’s next? Where do we see ourselves in the future? What makes us really happy? How is the motorcycle industry developing?”
“The motorcycle world is not the easiest in which to establish yourself as a company in the long term, and the current times certainly don’t make it any easier. However, it was clear to us that we still saw potential, and that the motorcycle industry could definitely be refreshed. After many discussions with various brands and manufacturers, it was clear to us that we would continue—but in a different way.”
Crooked’s new strategy is to focus on specific motorcycle brands and models, and develop plug-and-play kits for them. They’ve started with the Triumph Scrambler 1200, which they’ve dubbed the ‘Alps Edition.’ But they plan to develop at least two kits per year, targeting a variety of bikes and styles.
“The focus of these conversion kits is to ensure that all parts can be installed on the bike without any modifications,” Dominikus adds. “No manual skills are required, as everything comes pre-assembled from our company and can be installed within minutes. The parts are delivered like an Ikea system, with the right tools included.”
Crooked has designed the Alps Edition kit as a full package, but the individual pieces are on offer too. The Scrambler you’re looking at here is the shop’s prototype—but most of the parts on it are indistinguishable from the final production pieces.
As you’d expect, designing a plug-and-play kit is a lot different from building a bespoke motorcycle. The Crooked crew’s starting point was a bone stock Triumph Scrambler 1200, graciously supplied by Triumph Allgäu an hour’s drive away. With the bike on the bench, Crooked created digital renders of how they wanted to transform it.
Next, the team used modeling clay to bring their vision for the headlight fairing into the real world. After several weeks of shaping and re-shaping, Crooked 3D-scanned the clay model, then halved and mirrored it digitally so that it’d be flawless. They 3D-printed a mold from there, using it to shape the final part out of fiberglass.
Paired with a modern enduro-style fender, the headlight nacelle adds a hint of neo-retro rally style to the Scrambler 1200’s front end while wrapping neatly around the OEM dashboard. It bolts directly to the bike’s original turn signal mounts and repurposes the original LED headlight. It’s shown here with tiny pin-style LED turn signals—but the final part uses custom-made turn signals in 3D-printed housings.
The opposite end of the bike sports a slim rear fender with a built-in LED taillight. Crooked collaborated on the design of the rear fender with JVB-Moto’s Jens vom Brauck, who has extensive experience creating bolt-on parts. (Again, the production-ready tailpiece features bespoke turn signals—not the items shown here.)
One major highlight is the Scrambler 1200’s new modular seat unit. Crooked once again used modeling clay to mock it up, before turning to 3D design and printing to get it over the line. The seat pan is constructed from two halves, 3D-printed using a tough carbon fiber material.
Pictured here in two wildly different upholstery styles, the Alps Edition seat’s pillion pad clips off via a CNC-machined latch to reveal an aluminum luggage rack. A 3D-printed base sits below, designed to create the illusion of the rear fender continuing underneath the luggage rack. Inspiration for this detail came from the rear fenders on classic Dakar Rally bikes.
Subtle details abound. The new front fender includes a channel to direct air to the radiator, which is covered in a beefy aluminum guard. There’s also a beefy new aluminum sump protector, a sleek chain guard, and a small upholstered pad that matches the seat cover and bolts to the OEM exhaust heat shield.
With their focus squarely on developing the kit, Crooked left the Scrambler 1200’s adjustable Marzocchi suspension and capable Brembo brakes alone. They also didn’t swap out the exhaust—likely because the stock twin cones look and sound great, and because most aftermarket systems won’t interfere with the kit.
The Alps Edition prototype wears a crisp white livery with a topographic map motif. A host of black and white finishes on select hard parts complement the minimalistic vibe. The whole thing isn’t a massive departure from the factory version of the Triumph Scrambler 1200, but it does make a big impact with minimum fuss.
“As a very young team, we’re trying to freshen up the motorcycle market—and, above all, bring the beauty of motorcycling to younger generations,” says Dominikus.
“We want to make it possible for new groups to refine their bikes without the need for specialist knowledge. Design remains our passion and we are very happy to have the support of the manufacturers who are also facing the challenge of making motorcycling attractive to all generations.”
Crooked Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Lukas Freudig / Blitz Studio Allgäu
