THE NEW KING OF RETRO COOL
Triumph has taken the Thruxton, added a bit of power, lost some weight and sprinkled it with high-spec components. The question is not whether that makes it better, but how much better!
The slight name change reflects the nomenclature that Triumph uses for their regular road bike range – standard, R and RS – meaning that the new Thruxton RS is the sportiest and highest specification of the Thruxton segment of the Bonneville range, whilst retaining the brand’s iconic and classic styling. Yes, this does mean that the model fills a niche within a niche within a niche, but it also means that it is at the very top of the tree as far as sporty Bonneville models go.
That high spec that enables the RS suffix brings both increased power and reduced weight, with some subtle tweaking of pretty much all the major components of the more basic Thruxton models.
It’s been to the gym…
The increase in power comes in the form of a number of upgrades to the 1200cc powerplant, which include a revision to the cam profile, higher compression pistons (now at 12:1) and a shaving off of weight from some of the engine components, including the crank. Triumph actually makes great note of the 270-degree crank configuration that is not only used for the RS, but also the entire Bonneville range, saying that it results in ‘the classic sound of a British twin’ regardless of the fact that the new Bonnie motor’s crank results in a firing order that is actually closer to that of a vee twin rather than a traditional parallel twin’s 180-degree crank (like the Bonnie always was), so the soundtrack is actually closer to a classic Italian than Brit…
Those engine components that have been on an enforced New Year’s diet include the clutch, a magnesium cam cover, the addition of a rare-earth alternator, thin-walled engine covers, a low inertia crankshaft and, thanks to the crank’s reduction in mass, the engine’s balance shafts have been able to be slimmed down, too. The new model offers a 6kg weight saving. That may not, initially, sound like much, but it is just shy of an imperial stone, and there’s probably not one of us who wouldn’t notice that kind of weight loss if we did it via this year’s resolution diet.
Because of all that, with a claimed 104bhp, the new Thruxton RS achieves 8bhp more than the previous Thruxton R. While this may not really sound like a great deal, the new bike also has an increased punch of torque – giving not only a maximum torque figure that is lower down the rev range than earlier models, but also more grunt across the entire rev range, peaking at 83ft-lb at 4850rpm, which is 700rpm lower than the point at which its predecessor produced peak torque. This is something of a surprise, given that the new RS engine, with an impressive 20% reduction in inertia, actually revs harder and higher than the R, peaking 500rpm higher. Unsurprisingly, this perkier, more responsive engine is much more appealing from a rider’s perspective, as various riders had considered last year’s 1200cc Thruxton to rev a little slowly, and to not have the instant drive that a large capacity twin should have.
And it’s smarter, too…
As is usual for a fuel-injected motorcycle, the RS has three riding modes – Road, Rain and Sport – each mode featuring a dedicated throttle map and also, new on the RS, a dedicated traction control setting for each mode. The modes can be changed on the fly, while the traction control can only be turned off at a standstill, and while the modes stay as chosen when the bike is turned off, once the ignition is turned off, the traction control reverts to ‘on’. If you’re a fan of wheelies, you’ll need to turn the traction control off, although the RS will lift the front under hard acceleration with it operative, meaning that you can play at being a hero without the risk of looping the bike into the nearest hedge.
Of course, for a café racer, fine handling and sharp brakes are just about as important as a powerful engine. So, for the new bike the chassis was due to have some revisions, too. After some crossNorth Sea negotiations, experts from Swedish suspender Öhlins developed a pair of fully adjustable piggy-back rear suspension units to work in tandem with a pair of equally as adjustable Showa ‘big piston’ forks in the now normal upside-down configuration.
Naturally, as befits the sportsbikespec suspenders, some high-quality brakes had to be fitted, and they’re of the sort of specification that only top-of-the-range race replicas are equipped with.
Ultra-trick Monobloc (cast as one piece, rather than in two halves) four piston M50 radial calipers come from Brembo, as do the twin 320mm floating discs and the matching radial master cylinder. And while some might say that a machine that is, over and above everything else, a retro bike, shouldn’t need to have all the trickery and goodies of a superbike. But an improved power output and sharpened handling is what a true café racer should, of course, always strive towards...
But do all of those modifications and tweaks actually make a difference on the public road? We were lucky enough to be invited to try the new bike out on the dry and twisting roads of the Algarve to find out.
So, what’s it like to ride?
While the RS has the slim profile that the Thruxton R has, with the long, slim tank, firm seat and relatively narrow bars, the initial surprise is just how light the clutch is – how can a clutch that can be operated with just one finger contain over 100bhp? The light clutch and smooth fuel injection, with no glitches or hesitancy from on/off throttle riding like other models have suffered with, mean that around town riding is a pleasant affair, rather contrary to the café racer style which suggests commuting and riding through traffic would be an ergonomic nightmare of clutch slip and heavy steering. The RS is as easy to ride in traffic as any other 1200cc motorcycle. And, unlike traditional café racers, the new Trumpet has further practical considerations, like the impressive LED headlight,
an underseat USB charging socket, and an immobiliser built into the Thruxton-branded key. Although when you come to fill up, there’s a bit of a faff as the very cool Monza-style flip-up fuel filler cap is just a cover for a locking cap that has to be removed. How many locking caps are going to be left on the top of fuel pumps after the Monza cap has flipped back down? That long and slim fuel tank holds 14.5 litres, although the claimed figure of 58mpg does, to me, seem a little on the optimistic side, as on the launch most of the bikes seemed to be recording in the region of 45mpg, admittedly ridden rather enthusiastically.
And, of course, it is when ridden with some level of enthusiasm where the bike shows its true abilities, and the Algarve’s incredible switchback roads and mountain passes gave us a chance to test the bike’s mettle, and to see if those updates really justify the RS title.
The short answer is yes
While a power increase of just 8% wouldn’t normally be noticeable, the free-revving nature of the new engine means that it surges through the rev range in exactly the same way as the previous Thruxton R didn’t, with accessible power from tickover right through to the higher redline. On the sinuous second and third gear Portuguese roads, the power level was ideal, with the near-flat torque curve giving instant grunt whenever required. Thanks to the improved chassis componentry, it was possible to use all the power, and all the tyres, too. The RS now has new Metzeler Racetec RR tyres (replacing the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres of the R), offering plenty of feedback and grip, although whether they’d be quite as much fun on a greasy and wet February day in Blighty remains to be seen…
The new Brembo brakes are a step above the R’s stoppers, with no more than two fingers required at any point, and I found myself using just one digit for most of the time, while the rear brake offered enough feedback to tighten a line if a corner was a touch tighter than it appeared at first. Even when making an attempt at chasing TT rider Gary Johnson on the amazing N2, the RS never felt unsettled or out of its depth. The following evening there were several comments made along the lines of the RS being a perfect bike for a one model race series…
After over 150 miles of focused riding, the firm seat had had no effect on comfort, nor did the clip-on handlebars, proving that despite the café racer styling and ethos, this is a bike that is all-day comfortable. An impressive feat by Triumph, and a poke in the eye for anyone that says a retro-style café racer can’t be a practical bike!
“Naturally, as befits the sportsbike-spec suspenders, some high-quality brakes had to be fitted, and they’re of the sort of specification that only top-of-the-range race replicas are equipped with.”