By now you’ve probably heard of Paul Symon Cantos and his workshop Iron Macchina Customs. Depending on the client, his builds can range from gorgeously vintage to radically futuristic. This time, Triumph Motorcycles Philippines commissioned the custom builder for a very special Trident project.

In stock form, the Trident is a neat little machine: a characterful engine, friendly handling, excellent workmanship, and overall a fine choice in the middleweight-roadster segment. The styling, however, isn’t quite up to par with a stubby tail and thick visual mass giving it a bit of a porky look. It’s still a lot of fun to thrash about on a winding road, but it’s just ripe for a little nip and tuck.

Of course, when Paul gets to work, he doesn’t do anything half-baked, and the result is a smashingly aggressive bike. It’s lower and leaner than before, like an athlete crouching in preparation for a sprint. The curves of the stock bike have been replaced with sharp angles and edges, and though it’s probably not as comfortable to ride as the original, the proportions are much better.

According to Paul, 80% of the bike was redone, but the engine was untouched. Dubbed as the “CSTM-X Concept,” the bike has two custom subframes and a retractable top subframe.

Custom parts include the tank, the single seat, the detachable rear cowl, the front wing, and clip-on handlebars. The electronics also had to be rerouted, necessitating new boxes for the electronics, ECU and battery. Custom aluminum frame covers and side garnishes were also fabricated, and all the panels including the frame were custom powder-coated. Even the bar-end side mirrors are custom CNC units. An Akrapovič exhaust adorns the otherwise stock engine.

On the practicality side, the single seat eliminates the possibility of having a pillion rider (not that the stock seat was that accommodating anyway). The slimmer tank looks much better, but as a consequence, it only holds around 8L from the original 13L.

Custom bikes aren’t the most ridable machines in the world as they sacrifice a lot of practicality for its creator’s vision, but that’s par for the course. And Paul’s vision is usually miles ahead among his peers. The bike recently won the “Café Racer” category of this year’s Moto Builds Pilipinas competition by Makina, adding yet another feather in Iron Macchina’s cap.