Feature: Café cool, coffee racer

It seems as though each street corner has a hip and happening coffee shop, stall or cart which deals in Fairtrade blends from all corners of the earth. Nowadays, every second person I meet is a barista -- and the rest of us are constantly either drinking the stuff or planning the next coffee meeting so we can get our daily fix. Recently, Sydney even held a festival specifically dedicated to coffee and its worship. Cappulattes (or whatever) are cool.

Coffee, however, is not the only trend to have swept through our metro cities over the past few years. As any urban dwelling motorcycle rider will testify, there's been a growing clan of us opting for classically shaped, retro-styled bikes such as the Triumph Bonneville, Kawasaki W800, Moto Guzzi V7 and more and more café racer customs from the likes of Deus ex Machina.

A favourite model for the trendy crowd opting for this classic-cool look is the Triumph Thruxton. Based on its Bonneville sister, the Thruxton adopts a low slung, café racer stance and is named after the Blighty-based race circuit where Triumph took all three podium spots in the famed 1969 Thruxton 500 race.

>Thruxton in Bike Showroom

If that heritage isn’t enough, the model’s inspiration harks back further -- specifically to the street machines favoured by the Ton-Up clubs in the early 1960s. The men in these clubs held legendary status for racing from point-to-point across British cities, each aiming to stake their claim in local motorcycling history at coffee bars such as London’s popular Ace Café. Like coffee today, these guys were cool too.

Benefitting over the Bonneville from higher piston compression and a change in the cam profile, the Thruxton’s 865cc parallel twin packs enough punch to comfortably hit the fabled 100mph mark that the Ton-Up boys aspired to. In more modern terms, that’s a claimed power output of 69hp (51kW). There’s ample torque on offer all the way through the rev range too, with 69Nm at 5800rpm being the officially listed ‘max’ number.

Other differences from the stock Bonnie are mostly cosmetic but do transform the look... with low-rise ace bars and rear-set foot controls helping to offer the real café racer 'Brit twin experience,' as Triumph's website puts it.

Admittedly, the latest Thruxton is not as extreme in its riding position as the original racers -- or for that matter the original Thruxton, which featured clip-on bars and first appeared in 2004. It’s a sporty enough position to feel authentic, though make no mistake, it's not sportsbike sporty. And whilst the Thruxton boasts an impressive power spread which pulls tightly right up to the 8500rpm redline, it’s not sportsbike fast either. Likewise you won’t find the fancy gadgets that come with most modern bikes. No prizes for guessing there.

Then again, that isn't what this bike is about. Aesthetics? Certainly. It's arguably one of the prettiest bikes on the road. This is a consensus I have come to based on a democratic vote because in the time I have been riding the Thruxton it has received more 'nice bike, mate' comments than anything I have ever ridden before. Only the equally pretty Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, swaggering its sensationally eye-catching chrome tank, has ever competed in the class for such a level of praise from other bikers, taxi drivers, passersby, women and children, grannies, pet dogs.

So far we've established that the Thruxton is both not the quickest bike on the road, nor the most inconspicuous. Not the getaway bike of choice to rob a bank with then...

But what it does do it does remarkably well. First and foremost, the Thruxton evokes a nostalgic throwback to the good ol' years. I’m pretty sure that when the big cheeses at Triumph briefed their designers they would have told them to create something reminiscent of the bikes that Steve McQueen and James Dean rode. It’s no coincidence that both of these silver screen heroes owned Triumphs.  And there’s no doubt about it – like McQueen and Dean, like coffee today and like the café racer rockers of the 60s - the Thruxton proffers the very definition of cool.   

Suffice to say, the Thruxton is a real head turner. Riding this nimble Trumpy through the Sydney's CBD one night before writing this story, I pulled up at a set of lights on George Street next to an immaculate Series 1 E-Type in British Racing Green. I knew Triumph had achieved what it wanted to with the Thruxton when the driver of the Jag asked if I wanted to swap rides for the weekend... though I did wonder for a while after if, in fact, he'd said 'wives'.

Nonetheless, I half expected to turn the next corner and be met by a mob of love-struck teenage girls, swarming the band outside a Beatles gig. The Thruxton is the perfect incarnation of the era but without the oil leaks. And it’s much more civilized than most machines from the time too.

Other than rock-solid suspension which ricochets every pothole or bump in the asphalt, the Thruxton tenders a refined ride – most apparent on long, sweeping bends through which the it holds a remarkably stable line. Tighter cornering is also a rewarding experience, with its skinny period tyres helping the Thruxton instinctively flick through the apexes without ever feeling overworked. There’s no drama in the gear change either, with the five-speed box feeling smooth and cultured with every pull of the clutch.

Unexpectedly, there's a distinct functionality about the Thruxton too. Okay, so I use functionality as a loose term but in context, it's true. Triumph didn’t just set out to make a pretty classic; they set out to make a pretty classic that works in the everyday modern world and achieved this by marrying aesthetics with functionality.

Take the seat cowl as an example. It's designed to give off the appearance that the Thruxton is a solo racer but when carrying a pillion is necessary, two bolts are easily removed via a secretly stored Allen key to reveal an adequately comfy rear seat.

Likewise, the fuel injectors are cleverly disguised as carburetors so as not to spoil the engine’s appearance. Triumph was also thinking about appearance when they sketched the dash; it gives just enough information, with its warning lights smartly hidden until illuminated by necessity.

What’s more, the bar end mirrors actually work.  And there's whopping great big 320mm/255mm front/rear discs that work well too. Really well. Those certainly didn't come with the bikes of yesteryear.

The marketing team at Triumph also did a good job. Somehow they came up with a bike that appeals to the hipsters of Surry Hills and Fitzroy as well as the silver foxes who may even remember the originals and want to don a pair of rose-tinted specs to recall their youth.

The Thruxton does have a few drawbacks... Motorway riding is severely limited, it has the turning circle of a small elephant and the stock two-into-one twin pipes could be mistaken for an overheating sowing machine such is the pathetic sounds that comes from them (though this is easily fixed by the raspy cans offered in Triumph’s accessories catalogue which also add a couple of horsepower). These shortcomings aside, what Triumph created in the Thruxton is quite simply brilliant because, while admittedly not for everyone, those who opt for the model are wholly consumed by it.

The Thruxton is a bike that instills passion in its owners and furthermore, passion in those who yearn to own one. Perhaps it’s because, like few other motorcycles on the market today, the Thruxton can give just as much joy off it as on – something I witnessed in the interest shown by a small group who crowded round the Thruxton when it was parked outside a local café. Together, we ended up recalling the history of the Ace Café for over an hour.

Of course there will always be jokes about the oldies who bleat on about the bikes of ‘their day’ but isn’t that what motorcycling is all about? Triumph has captured, by modern equivalent, some of the passion which makes motorcycling what it is. It’s the same passion that was adopted by the Ton Up boys when they would sit outside their grease-stained cafes talking only bikes.

I suppose the comparable to café racing today would probably be more of a café cruise but nonetheless, it’s a hobby that we riders should adopt more often -- if not only as a tribute to the Ton-Up boys which inspired the Thruxton.

Priced at $13,990 plus on-the-road costs, the Thruxton offers a whole
lot of cool for your money and endless fun riding from café to cafe. The
Thruxton we rode was a 2010 Special Edition model, featuring Pearl
White/Red paint with matching red frame and blackened engine components.

The coffee bars listed below are perfectly suited to a coffee stop on a retro-styled bike like the Thruxton. Feel free to use these as starting point inspiration.

Sydney
Jo & Willy’s Depot
The original café racer boys were known for seaside runs to towns such as Brighton on the UK’s south coast.  With its very Australian charm and atmosphere, Bondi is the Sydney equivalent. The bustling bus depot at the north side of the beach hosts the aptly named Jo & Willy’s Depot café. Other than the coffee and some awesome grub, this joint offers a view of the ocean whilst you pit stop.
286 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach

Melbourne
Kanteen
Quaintly set on the banks of the Yarra river, this indoor/outdoor café has enough space out front for more than a few of your mates’ bikes. What more could you ask for as the perfect excuse to get together for a Sunday morning ride? You won’t regret trying the Breakfast Pidé whilst you’re there either.
150 Alexandra Avenue South Yarra

Brisbane
Bunker
Ordering your espresso in a converted bomb shelter is certainly a novelty but this independently owned hole-in-the-wall, hidden from view by a purposely overgrown vine comes up trumps in the coffee department too. The fact that you can pull up right outside helps this place get the double-fisted thumbs-up.
21 Railway Terrace, Milton

Adelaide
Galaxy Lartay Café
This old-school two-storey red brick terrace with curbside seating offers the perfect location to ride an old-school bike to. The café serves vintage tunes on the stereo just as much as it serves some great coffee and even better grub. Think traditional pies and tarts. There’s enough parking opposite to ensure you have a great view of your ride too.
31 East Terrace, Adelaide

Perth
Foam Coffee Bar
Think contemporary café and chances are you’ll imagine something like this place…. Though there’s nothing contemporary about the traditional Canadian Style Pancakes which come with bacon and maple syrup. It’s breakfasts like this which have kept fuelling motorcycle riders throughout the ages. There are also a couple of bike-only parking spots almost directly outside.
130 Oxford Street, Leederville