Triumph Thruxton R

The fastest, sweetest-handling, best-finished and most handsome Bonneville yet devised

HERE ISN’T ANOTHER bike quite like the Thruxton R. It’s is definitely in the ballpark and the Brit is smoother and more Triumph’s also-new T120 Bonneville in full blown hot rod soothing on a sunny Sunday trundle. It’s the most fuel efficient form – jacked up, tuned, polished, with a riding position (50mpg), and at 10,000 miles has the longest service intervals too. for making progress. It’s the only machine here that truly The riding position is good. Sit up in town, shove cheeks back in follows the methods and ideas of the go-faster café racer curves, find semi-prone support motorways. Nicely padded seat culture from our black and white past. too. It’s kind of sports-tourer, without the wrist abuse of the old The Thruxton’s stance is purposeful, set off by the tapered pipes, 865cc Thruxton but sportier and better for attacking turns than perfectly-proportioned seat cowl and bar-end mirrors. Get closer the BMW and Yamaha. And by buggery can it attack turns. and things get better, the Monza-style filler cap, stainless steel tank Handling is light, immediate, accurate. The Thruxton’s like a strap, polished yoke, brushed engine cases and pretend Amal carbs tennis player waiting to receive a serve, up on its toes and ready to all being on the money. Then you notice modernity, neatly dash in any direction. Geometry is very sporty (rake and trail are integrated in such a way that it somehow complements all the more radical than any supersport 600), the forks and shocks are traditional elements: Showa big-piston forks (as you get on bikes firm, and with sporty Pirelli rubber the 1200 can brake harder, like Honda’s Fireblade); smiley daytime running light; traction, turn faster and lean further than the ninet or XSR900. modes and ABS; superbike-spec Brembo calipers and radial master It’s heavy, mind. Occasionally weight and geometry combine to cylinder with Ducati-style see-through reservoir… induce a little wibbliness. This isn’t unstability, but if it’s less than Enough ogling. The 1200cc parallel twin is the same as in the smooth the steering can give a shuffle or the chassis can feel T120 Bonneville (see last month), but insecure, as if the forks and shock have with more compression, a larger airbox momentarily been caught out by the and fatter exhausts. Power is up from 79 mass. Many years ago I tweaked a Honda to 96bhp with 6 lb.ft more torque, and CB1300 for trackdays, raising the rear, shorter gearing means 30% more thrust. lowering gearing and fitting gloopy So the Thruxton is completely different. track-ready tyres. It was surprisingly able The T120 has a curious power delivery, and totally hilarious at Cadwell, but you the big twin not sounding like revs are still had to allow for its truck-like weight. climbing despite the speedo needle moving, but the Thruxton There’s a hint of this from the Triumph; it’s very subtle, but there’s keeps making torque in the upper half of its revs and pulls with the definite scent of a regular roadster that’s been souped-up. thumping urgency right up to the 7000rpm limiter. The crank’s Which is good of course, as it’s what the Thruxton is: a tuned-up lighter too, so it spins-up far more eagerly. Acceleration is way Bonnie. It feels like a true café racer, feels special; not just in the sharper, and on a rolling B-road you can pop into top and it’ll exclusive, elite sense, but in the old-fashioned one-off meaning. supply chunky drive from 45mph up to three figures. 80mph is Duff bits? Side panel holes look like an apprentice got giddy with 4500rpm in sixth, purring and calm, claiming 60mpg+ on the a hole saw, and the left-hand switchgear is a bit Bakelite. The light feature-laden clocks. It saunters through 40mph limits at 2000rpm could be better tucked in, and the sidestand is a hidden-away pig – in top or 2750rpm in fourth, then bounds out the other side. leaning down and using your hand is easier. But that’s your lot. It’s fast, yes. But it’s not offensive speed, like on a supernaked. Only Ducati’s long-gone Sportclassics got near the Thruxton’s The 1200 accelerates hard, engages you, but feels natural at 80 – mix of café racer cool, fine finish and crisp handling. But they had 90mph. Clearly illegal, yes, but less licence threatening than the less stomp, worse suspension, weaker details and riding positions effortless 120mph of, say, a BMW S1000R or even Triumph’s own based on Medieval torture. The new Thruxton R stops you in your Speed Triple R. This is road performance, not track performance. tracks, rides just as well as it looks, sounds superb, and stirs your Though not quite as punchy as BMW’S boxer, on-the-road usability soul in a way the other two can’t match. Proper motorbike.

T‘Geometry is more radical than on any supersport 600’