TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS
Triumph first used the name Thruxton in the mid-1960s, applying it to the Bonneville T120 model. It was a bike that racer Malcolm Uphill placed firmly in the Isle of Man records when he set the first 100mph average production lap. The reason for that nugget of information is to hammer home the significance of a name that has stood the test of time like few of its rivals. Sixty-odd years later, it’s still very much alive and kicking, albeit much bigger and more powerful than the model of old. That said, the modern incarnation of the classic has got to be one of the most authentic-looking retro racers in its sector. From 20 yards away, this bike looks like a clean and well looked-after classic. However, with each step closer, you notice that this is no old beast – it’s every bit a modernday wolf in sheep’s clothing.
One of the first things you spot is the gold of the suspension, standing out from the otherwise blacked-out look. Öhlins piggyback twin rear units and Showa USD big piston forks are both fully adjustable, bringing the café racer in the line with the kind of high-spec suspension expected from modern sportsbike riders.
At the bottom of the forks, the next big difference you notice over older bikes is the large Brembo four-piston M50 monobloc calipers, with twin 320mm Brembo discs and the same brand’s radial mastercylinder. The sum of these parts together should provide a good recipe for more than enough stopping power for a bike of this nature. The wheels keep the retro look, with 32 spokes on lightweight 17-inch aluminium rims, allowing a wide choice of radial sporty tyres with a 120 front and 160 rear.
Continuing the theme of old looks but modern tech is the dual clocks. I liked the analogue clocks for speed and revs that also incorporate a small digital display for gear, fuel range, odometer, clock and even rider mode (of which there are three options – rain, road and sport). If I was doing a full-on bike test over a few weeks, then I may have been tempted to try out the road or even rain mode just to see the difference, but as it was,
I didn’t want to move out of the sport mode for the day of the test.
There are so many other touches that could be missed at first glance but are worthy of a mention. The fuel tank has a polished strap and matching flip cap to hide the locking filler, and the carb-shaped throttle bodies are a nice touch. When it comes to the engine, the RS has some quite significant upgrades for power and weight saving over its predecessor. High compression pistons, revised ports and cam profile, combined with a new low inertia crankshaft, lighter clutch, magnesium cam cover and thin-walled engine covers, all add up to allow the RS to have a claimed output of 103bhp at 7500rpm, with 112Nm of torque while also being Euro 5 compliant.
When it came to choosing who was going to be on which bike for this test, I was already halfway towards the Triumph to claim it for myself – selfishly – as I have carried a secret desire for a café racer for quite some time. This was my chance to get a taste, so this, with its modern refinement, was surely the one to get the fix from.
Swapping the usual one-piece race suit for biking jeans and a leather jacket was all I needed to do in my mind to complete my vision of being an old-time racer – although I wasn’t prepared to ditch a modern full-face helmet for a cork skull cap from yesteryear.
Firing up the 1200cc twin engine was a great start to the experience. The noise from the parallel twin and the exhaust system, especially when under-load, was a soundtrack I was going to quickly become fond of... which I didn’t expect to say with as much enthusiasm. Moving out and around through an urban area to get to open roads
was effortless. With a slightly lower seat compared to the sportsbikes I am used to, along with a decent range of motion from the steering and a feeling of the weight of the bike closer to the road, combined with the easy-to-use torque, meant narrow streets and filtering past traffic was carried out with ease.
Out on the open road, though, was where I really wanted to be... and so did the Triumph. I was instantly rewarded every time I opened up the throttle; all the work that has gone into the engine is definitely noticeable. The pick-up within the revs never felt laboured, which is in no small part down to the new lightweight parts within the engine that contribute to 20% less inertia in the RS. With so much torque on tap, the revs climbed fast through the gears but without any big surprises, although I did get slapped on the wrists a couple of times from the rev limiter when I got carried away.
The tyres and suspension were offering loads of confidence, even on bumpy back roads, soaking up much that was thrown at the RS. Yet, obviously, out on the smoother corners was where it showed its potential. I did find that I was more at ease with the handling when the RS was travelling on a flowing road where corners can be taken with a little more grace – without the harsh breaking or aggressive change of direction. I don’t want to say that this bike can’t stop for a tight corner or change direction rapidly, as it could easily when asked... I just enjoyed the experience more when I was going from one sweeper to the next and felt that was this bike’s forte.
The bar end mirrors were more than enough for rear vision and a must to keep in with the style but did cause a couple of frustrated words inside my helmet after knocking them a few times when reaching for the bars after stopping at traffic lights. If I had to find some other faults, I’d say the filler cap (while nice to look at) was hiding a slightly fiddly locking cap which had to be removed fully to fill the tank. This was more of a slight hinderance than a big problem, to be fair, and didn’t spoil my time riding it.
There was no quickshifter on the Triumph, which I didn’t mind as it adds to the appeal and makes this bike feel a bit more connected to its original DNA. I wouldn’t argue with someone else though, if they felt the £13,500 price tag left them wanting one to keep it in line with bikes of the same value.
The end of the day came far too quickly. I was genuinely enjoying it and can honestly say that I was still as comfortable as I was at the start. I looked for the time on the clock and realised it hadn’t been set correctly. ‘It doesn’t matter what the time is,’ I thought to myself, ‘you don’t buy this bike if you are governed by time. You buy it because you have a passion for bikes and just want to be out on it.’
I WOULDN’T SAY I WOULD HAVE THIS AS AN ONLY BIKE, BUT IF I HAD THE MONEY, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE THIS ONE IN MY GARAGE.
As the Triumph wasn’t due to go straight back and I found myself with a free Saturday, I indulged and took it out for another outing. At one of my stops, I parked up and walked away a little, when I felt a tap on the shoulder – someone was asking if I had a Triumph. My heart sank, thinking this guy had just knocked it over with his car and I had to go back with the bad news. As it was, he just wanted to chat about the bike and learn a bit more about it. This was a bit of a theme on both occasions that I got to ride it; it drew someone over to ask about it nearly every time I parked up, and not just the older generation you may expect.
So, after having a couple of days riding the RS, I can say I have managed to fulfil the desire to try a café racer. I wouldn’t say I would have this as an only bike myself due to its single purpose, but if I had the money, I would definitely like this one in my garage for the odd Sunday blast to get away from everything and imagine I’m a racer from yesteryear.