Triumph Thruxton R
The Thruxton reborn better than ever before
GUNNING DOWN THE highway fresh from the twisties, I’m headed to the Classic Rock Coffee Company, a popular café on the other side of town. I’m negotiating truck traffic with a wide grin, astride the Triumph Thruxton R. The new one. With the larger 1,200-cc parallel-twin. This one’s not just refined and vibe-free, but also brings the sound to silence everything from sceptics and critics to bullet fire and the cry of the blackbirds, and that grin. Early mornings for me are like Mondays for most people. Not something I look forward to. However, on occasion, there comes along one exceptional work of engineering excellence that breaks all known moulds of acceptance. When I first laid eyes on the new Thruxton R, on a computer screen, I was reasonably enthralled by how different it seemed from its predecessor. High hopes I had indeed. Now I would be riding it in and out of town and all around; a great day for freedom!
A café racer has to look the part, yes, but it must be appealing, too. The Thruxton R’s styling, then, is essentially café racer, including the solo seat, and, though it may seem like a new machine from a momentary lapse of reason, it shows signs of life. And character. Its metallic grey/silver hue and tank strip appear to be forged between the hammer and the anvil. With 120-mm travel suspension goodies: Showa USD front fork and Öhlins adjustable monoshock, and those wire-spoke wheels wrapped in ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas, it has all the reassurance you need that attention to detail was not marooned. The racer fairing has a windscreen enough for what it needs to do and gels well with the flow of lines, making it seem like one lithe form.
Key into the slot. Thumb the starter. The coming back to life of the motor is nothing short of the delicate sound of thunder. This iron maiden may look oldschool but, underneath, the Thruxton R is every bit the awakened modern-day slayer of miles and tarmac. The only rocker arms are those gripping the clip-on handlebars. Clutch action is appreciably light and the bike fits like a glove around me. Everything falls into place with ergonomic precision and the gear lever slots first cog simply and unmistakably.
This is the new liquid-cooled 1,200-cc parallel-twin in its most potent form. The 270° specially-lightened crank leads the deliverance of 112 Nm of torque that peaks at 4,950 rpm — seven Nm more than in the T120 and 1,850 rpm higher, too — yet, there’s no lack of grunt, with almost 70 per cent of the output available at 4,500 rpm and the ride-by-wire akin to natural selection. Like systematic chaos, every flame burns hard and powerful, releasing all 97 horses at 6,750 rpm. You don’t have to rev it up. Those ratios are spaced to perfection and the first four are all you need for most part. Fifth is to let loose. Sixth is interstellar overdrive.
Crouch into position, eyes on the road ahead, and open the throttle. With the advanced fuel-injection system disguised as carburettor barrels, every molecule of fuel is sentenced to burn. There’s an even flow of power and at no point does it feel like a freak on a leash. As those Diablos do the devil’s dance, the R flows from one corner into the next, with barely any effort. And it gets easier with each passing turn. Even if the scenery becomes a little too animated all of a sudden, it’s agile enough to swerve clear and power out of the situation no matter what gear you’re in.