2020 Triumph Thruxton RS Review

Central to the appeal of the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS is that most powerful of emotions: nostalgia. Whether you lived through the 1960s or not, the images of that motorcycling era are compelling and still exert influence today.

Back then, many British riders modified their bikes in pursuit of more performance. Tuning engines and reducing weight was key, and so any component that didn't contribute was promptly removed. Pillion appointments were the first to go, making way for rearsets and a solo bump-stop seat, while handlebars were junked in favour of race-style clip-ons.

The original Triumph Thruxton was a Thruxton Bonneville – a limited-edition, hand-built production racer that arrived in 1965 and was based upon the T120 Bonneville. Named after the British race circuit, the model enjoyed significant success in the major British endurance races of the day.

These café racers, as they became known, were highly prized by the rockers who built them, and who sought to crack 'the ton' (100mph, or 160km/h) as they looped through city streets at breakneck speed from their local café, attempting to complete the lap before a song finished on the café's juke box. Yes, it was a very different time!

Then Triumph, like many other once-proud marques, succumbed to the general demise of the British motorcycle industry. It was resurrected in the 1980s by John Bloor, and in 2004 the company released its first modern tribute to the café racer era, the Triumph Thruxton 900. The model made way for the 1200cc Thruxton and Thruxton R in 2016, then a limited-edition (since sold out) Thruxton TFC (Triumph Factory Custom) in 2019, and now, the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS.

The Triumph Thruxton RS then is the new flagship of the brand's volume-production factory café racer range, commanding a $1400 premium over the now mid-spec Thruxton R. So, what do you get for the extra outlay? Quite a bit, as it turns out…

Related reading:
2019 EICMA: Triumph Thruxton RS and Bobber TFC
2004 Triumph Thruxton 900 Review
2016 Triumph Thruxton and Thruxton R Review

The original café racers of the '60s were all about the pursuit of performance and the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS follows suit. The big-ticket upgrade is its 1200cc parallel-twin engine, which has undergone a significant revision.

Triumph says engine inertia has been reduced by 20 per cent through several new and lighter components, including the crank, clutch, balance shafts and engine covers, among others. The end result is an engine that revs more freely and for longer. Peak power is up by 8hp to 103hp and it's delivered 500rpm higher than in the Thruxton R, at 7500rpm. Peak torque of 112Nm remains unchanged but is delivered at 4250rpm, which is 700rpm lower.

On top of that Triumph says the engine is now more economical, while also cleaner, now exceeding Euro 5 emissions compliance. The bike's overall weight has also dropped by 6kg.

Rounding out the changes is a new exhaust system, new Brembo M50 four-piston front brake calipers, and sticky track-focused Metzeler Racetec RR tyres.

The bike's tubular steel cradle frame and high-spec suspension package carry over; taming the bumps is Showa's Big Piston Fork up front with twin Öhlins piggyback units at the rear. There's full adjustment for preload, rebound and compression at both ends, with all adjustors easy to get to.

But the three ride modes – Road, Sport, Rain – have all been enhanced, with each now sporting dedicated traction control settings.

The 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS is available in two colour schemes: Matt Storm Grey/Silver Ice or Jet Black.

Whether you're a fan of the café racer genre or not, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone – motorcyclist or not – who can't appreciate the flowing lines, retro aesthetic and impressive build quality of the Triumph Thruxton RS.

Okay, so the purists will argue it's a copy, a tribute, and therefore not the real deal, but I think Triumph's designers and engineers have done a stunning bit of work here in capturing the feel of the café racers of 60 years ago.

From the spoked wheels to the peashooter exhausts, the clip-on handlebars to the seat cowl, the bar-end mirrors and to the faux carburettors (actually elaborate covers for the fuel injection system), polished top yoke and instrument bezels, it's just stunning, and the closer you get the more neat little design features you'll find.

It's a very tasteful fusion of old and new – the 'simple' round headlight also features an LED daytime running light, and the twin analogue clocks feature modest but functional inset digital displays. And while the suspension and brakes are obviously very much anchored in the present, so too are the electronics – beyond the fuel injection and ride-by-wire throttle, there's also switchable traction control, anti-lock brakes, the aforementioned ride modes, and a comprehensive trip computer.

The traction control can only be switched on or off when stationary, while the ride modes can be changed on the fly.

Despite some very sporty geometry – a compact 1415mm wheelbase and a 22.8-degree rake – the ergonomics are actually pretty accommodating. That's down to the accessible-for-most 810mm seat height, rear-set footpegs that aren't actually set all that far to the rear, and clip-ons that see the handlebars set above the top yoke, rather than lower down on the upper fork legs. Consequently there's little pressure on wrists, knees or neck – it's comfier than I was anticipating, and certainly fine for ripping about town or extended day trips.

True to its forebears, the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS has the mumbo and the poise to dissect a flowing country road with acumen, and at the heart of its appeal is that lovely 1200cc parallel-twin.

There's ample midrange stomp on tap, but really the Triumph Thruxton RS feels strong throughout its rev range, the tacho needle swiftly spinning through its arc in most gears to peak power at 7500rpm, and on to the rev limiter just 300rpm beyond that. And when you're just cruising, the mill lopes along at a relaxed 3250rpm in sixth gear.

With the engine's 270-degree firing interval, the steady thrum of those pipes stirs the soul yet any irritating vibration is dialed out, leaving a muted but characterful tingle that lets you know you're aboard a British twin. Even the bar-end mirrors – lovely works of minimalist craftsmanship that they are – remain clear and blur-free at pretty much any engine speed.

It feels like a very compact machine from behind the 'bars and it's nimble and agile on the road, requiring minimal input to flick through the bends. Of course, one of the biggest handling-enhancing measures is the fact this is a solo ride – no pillions allowed! Add in spirited acceleration, the sorted and sporty suspension, and the generous cornering clearance, and the Triumph Thruxton RS is a blast to punt hard through the bends.

Those new Brembo M50 front stoppers have gobs of power and feel. The rear brake isn't hugely powerful but it's sufficient, and the six-speed gearbox is perfectly adequate too. And the Metzeler Racetec RR sports rubber truly inspires confidence. I only spent time on the Thruxton RS on the road, but with this tyre choice it's well set up for track days.

On the negative side of the ledger, at $25,390 plus on-roads this top-spec Triumph Thruxton RS also comes with a top-spec price, especially in comparison to some rivals. They include less performance oriented offerings like Moto Guzzi's V7 III Racer Anniversario ($18,690 plus on-roads) and Royal Enfield's keenly priced Continental GT 650 ($9990 plus ORC), along with models like BMW's R nineT ($24,890 ride away), which isn't strictly speaking a café racer but is in a similar retro vein.

Around town the Thruxton RS isn't perhaps as adept at lane filtering as you might expect. Those bar-end mirrors actually make it fairly wide, and the steering range lock to lock isn't especially great, although the super-light and progressive 'torque-assist' clutch is certainly an asset in stop-start traffic.

The Monza-style fuel cap looks the part but it's a bit fiddly, the cover concealing a removable (non-hinged) cap beneath, and the solo seat gets a bit firm after a couple of hours. Then again, Triumph Thruxton RS owners will be taking fairly regular breaks, because the 14.5-litre fuel tank generally affords a safe range of up to 240km, or thereabouts. We achieved an average fuel economy of 5.5L/100km.

I wonder what the Rockers of 1960s London would have had to say, had a 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS rolled up outside the Ace Café, Busy Bee or any of the other numerous transport café haunts made famous by these early Brit outlaws. It would have blown their minds, that's for sure, not just for how it looks but for how it rides.

The 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS is a beautifully conceived and well executed homage to a bygone era. Yes, it's pricey, but there's quality, performance and nostalgia here in spades.

SPECS: TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, eight-valve, four-stroke, SOHC parallel-twin
Capacity: 1200cc
Bore x stroke: 97.6mm x 80.0mm
Compression ratio: 12.1:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Power: 103hp (77kW) at 7500rpm
Torque: 112Nm at 4250rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel cradle
Front suspension: Inverted 43mm Showa Big Piston Fork telescopic fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Twin Öhlins piggyback shocks, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 310mm discs with Brembo M50 four-piston, radial-mount calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc with Nissin twin-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Metzeler Racetec RR; front 120/70-17, rear 160/60-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 22.8 degrees
Trail: 92mm
Claimed dry weight: 197kg
Seat height: 810mm
Wheelbase: 1415mm
Fuel capacity: 14.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $25,390 ride away
Test bike supplied by: Triumph Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres