Triumph Thruxton

The Thruxton is born of the café racer culture that dominated motorcycling in the 1960s. Back then, British twins, usually Bonneville engines, were used to form the basis of home built bikes. Used to race from one café to another, they featured extensive modifications such as dropped bars, single seats and upswept exhausts. To this day, we’ve kept many of these styling cues for the modern Thruxton. Named after the high speed British circuit where Triumph enjoyed great success in production racing, it follows in the tyre tracks of the legendary 1960s Thruxton T120R. And just like those café racers of the 60s, the modern Thruxton is Bonneville based but nowadays, our engineers have made sure it rides like a modern Triumph twin. So it’s dependable enough for everyday use, easy and fun to ride yet still evokes the classic café racer look.

STYLING

Bodywork

We created a style for the Thruxton that echoes the 1960s café racers. Back then, machines were modified by their owners for higher speeds and sharper handling.

We used classic 1960s paint schemes with period sports stripes and fitted a typical single-seat, or so it looks thanks to the rear cover. In actual fact a passenger can enjoy the ride on a Thruxton too.

Handlebars

Low and narrow 'Ace' handlebars, named after London's famous Ace Café, with classic bar-end mirrors sit behind a colour-coded flyscreen.

Instruments

Twin instrument pods sitting high on their top yoke mounting position.

Engine

You get the same iconic, air-cooled parallel twin that sits proudly at the heart of the Bonneville. Setting the 60s style for the entire bike.

The engine and transmission has been engineered with the look of the classic Triumph twins in mind. Even the fuel injection has been moulded so you get the appearance of a pair of carburettors. And there are double overhead camshafts despite what looks like a pushrod tube at the front of the engine, just like the café racers of the 60s used to have.

ENGINE

Performance The café racers were built to perform, not just to look good. Today, this 865cc parallel twin puts out a healthy 69PS with 69Nm of torque at its peak, with plenty available at low revs so you get most use out of it. Fuelling is controlled by a sophisticated computer programmed management system for clean emissions and a smooth, predictable throttle response. Configuration The basic format is the same as the current Bonneville, with 360 degree firing intervals, double overhead cams, eight valves, twin balance shafts and fuel injection. So you know it's a thoroughly modern engine that, despite its convincing old-school looks, easily meeting Triumph’s high standard of reliability, durability and efficiency. Sound It's the sound and feel of the engine that matters, from the thumping thrust of the generous low rev torque to the eager high revs and the purring, even exhaust note. So distinctive to the parallel twin.

CHASSIS

Frame All of our extensive chassis experience and technology has gone into the Thruxton’s simple tubular steel construction. Providing easy, neutral steering and exceptional balance even at low speeds. Suspension We fitted 41mm forks and chromed rear shocks and retuned them for a firmer ride and tighter control in high speed corners. The shocks include adjustability for spring preload for carrying a passenger or to suit your riding style. Brakes We fitted the front with a big 320mm single disc strong enough to match the sporting pedigree of the Thruxton with plenty of feedback to enhance your ride. Yet we've made it as unobtrusive as possible within the 1960s styling. At the rear is another disc, so there’s no compromise in the Thruxton's thoroughly modern braking performance. Wheels and Tyres The wheels are wire-spoked with aluminium alloy rims, 18 inches at the front and 17 inches rear for the classic café racer look. They're lightweight too, for increased suspension performance and handling agility. Handling We kept the geometry similar to the Bonneville's but with a little less trail at 97mm so you get sharper steering and more urgent handling when ridden hard. But the same neutral, obedient feel during less exuberant riding, making the Thruxton a rewarding as well as an easy bike to ride. Riding Position Pure 1960s café racer but not at the expense of comfort, that's what the Thruxton is all about. So there's a sporty forward lean that makes you look the part.

The footrests have been raised and set back to complement the bar position, so you are close to the bike and can really feel how the front end is performing. We’ve positioned the bar end mirrors to work best when you are tucked down and forward, providing a good view of the road behind around elbows and body. But none of this is so extreme that it spoils the feeling of versatility. You can still tour or commute on the Thruxton as well as take it for a sunny Sunday burn.