Following the tumultuous demise of Orange County Choppers, I’ve been cautious about embracing another motorcycle-related reality TV show. I relish the personalized scenes for fostering meaningful connections and the unadulterated joy that comes from crafting something unique and functional. What I’m not enthusiastic about watching are inflated personalities and unproductive trailer park dwellers. Fortunately, there’s finally a lineup that seems to have the right formula. The Discovery Channel’s ‘Goblin Works Garage’ is a thrilling six-part series that chronicles the endeavors of a ragtag group of British customization enthusiasts as they bring their outlandish ideas to life.
The Goblin Group comprises mechanical engineer Jimmy DeVille, automobile designer-builder Helen Stanley, and custom motorcycle builder Anthony Partridge. It’s possible you’ll acknowledge Mr. Parridge, harking back to his tenure at Mat Black Storage in Spain. Since relocating back to the UK, Anthony has expanded his professional horizons by establishing his own design venture, Partridge Design, and collaborating with the creative minds at Goblin Works.
During the inaugural season of the Goblin Works Garage series, Anthony and his team embarked on an ambitious endeavor, successfully building six bespoke vehicles and four motorcycles, including the striking Norton Dominator Café Racer. While this bike wasn’t intended to be one of a kind, When Anthony went to purchase the bike from Norton’s headquarters, an unexpected event unfolded.
“The payment for the construction project couldn’t have come from a more suitable source,” remarks Anthony. “Norton CEO Stuart Garner took a moment to reflect with me and shared his insightful thoughts.” The concept aimed to design a café racer-inspired motorcycle for Stuart and Norton.
Stuart tasked me with crafting a quintessential British cafe racer, unparalleled in its class, utilizing the 2017 Dominator Bare Version platform as the foundation.
“The Dominator is a bike that commands respect – and inspires fear,” he remarks. The classic bike is stunning outside, steeped in tradition, and equipped with impressive features such as carbon fiber accents, high-performance Brembo brakes, and Öhlins suspension. The bare version’s sleekness is amplified by its uncooked impact on the body, paired with a subtle matte finish that adds to its allure. Here is the rewritten text:
This unique Dominator Bare, a one-of-a-kind creation, was custom-built as the only bike ever commissioned outside of Norton’s in-house design team. Not exactly a daunting task either…
How do you elevate a stunningly beautiful production bike to new heights? Isn’t that a risk we’re willing to take? The reply is restraint. To preserve the original design’s integrity while allowing for future development, I opted to refine the existing frame rather than starting anew.
What’s a café racer, really? It’s a term that harkens back to the days when daredevil bikers, known as “ton-up lads,” would push their machines to outrageous speeds on British roads. Eliminate excess baggage and discard unwanted items to travel lightly. The aim was to keep it as straightforward as possible. This stunning bike boasts an array of impressive features and aesthetics that truly set it apart from others in its class. I made subtle refinements alongside drastic changes as well.
When Ant describes the “dramatic” changes to the Dominator’s bodywork, At the front of the vehicle, a sleek and well-proportioned aerodynamic fairing has been added, featuring a distinctive offset high-intensity discharge (HID) headlight. An equally styled alloy cowl caps off the customized tuck and roll saddle by Eastcoast Customs, while a uniquely lengthened and reshaped gas tank reflects Anthony’s personal flair. Thanks to the well-planned shoot schedule and assistance from Lauren at Storik Metalcraft, who kindly lent their expertise in shaping the alloy.
The exhaust system on The Dominator was another significant modification forced by the constraints of time. The unique features of this motorcycle’s exhaust system are showcased in a carefully crafted chrome steel design, with twin components that showcase its handmade quality. While the initial design didn’t entirely meet expectations, a more pressing concern arose when the supplier mistakenly sent fragile metal for the exhaust system, leading to disappointment. While crafting a custom present requires precision and attention to detail, it’s impressive that you managed to source the necessary materials – elbows and straight stainless steel pieces – to create something unique without leaving any excess.
A significant disparity between this bicycle and the original is the incorporation of BST carbon fibre wheels, which substantially reduces its overall weight. The remainder of the modifications refine the bike’s lines or adapt them to enhance the reworked bodywork. Several modifications encompass refining the factory-installed panel trim, crafting bespoke brackets for reattachment of components, reupholstering grip surfaces using excess seat leather, and swapping standard lighting fixtures for sleek, low-profile alternatives supplied by Rizoma.
- 2017 Norton Dominator Bare
- 996cc parallel twin
- Customized aluminum gas tank
- Precision-crafted aluminum tail, aerodynamically optimized entrance fairing, and ergonomic seat pan.
- Sleek and modern Rizoma membership shines bright with our custom-designed rear indicators and brake lights.
- Ohlins FGRT forks
- Ohlins TTX GP rear shock
- Blackstone Tech BST carbon wheels
- Handmade stainless exhaust w/inner baffles
The Norton Dominator’s reputation for excellence is elevated to new heights by Ant’s Domi-Café, which raises the bar on stylish appeal. For those interested in witnessing the creature’s movement, viewers in the UK can currently stream the episode on Discovery Channel. Tune in to Discovery Turbo tonight, May 4th, as the inaugural episode of “Goblin Works Storage” drops down under – exclusively in Australia!
