Triumph Thruxton

At times you have to admit they might have a point - perhaps until you start to look more closely at the current crop of middleweight V-twins, with Suzuki's SV650 being the most prominent example.

What ever happened to that old fashioned style, to go with flickability and a respectable amount of performance? Triumph reckons it has the answer in the Thruxton, a souped-up cafŽ racer version of its Bonneville retro twin. And it might be right.

One of the debating points is whether this is a blast from the past, or effectively a new niche in the marketplace, which the manufacturer likes to call classic sports.

Okay, so what have they done? The short version (we have Triumph's a little further down the page) is the Hinckley Bonnie has been given more cubes, about 10 extra horses, clip-on style handlebars and a few other tweaks to give the chassis a more sporting edge. Like different wheels and steering geometry.

A scan across the machine reveals that someone has taken a fair bit of trouble to make the owner feel good about their decision. The attention to detail is good, with lots of nice finishing touches.

The overall spec - around 70 horses for a 200-plus kilo motorcycle - is a fair way removed from the world of superbikes, but is more than adequate to fry your licence while providing a good time. In other words, we can't fault the concept. Speaking of which, let's have a more detailed look at the new toy...

Technical stuff
Here's Triumph's technical rundown on the machine: to create the Thruxton the Bonneville's 790cc air-cooled twin-cylinder engine has been enlarged to 865cc, with a 4mm larger cylinder bore. The larger capacity engine has kept the mellow 360-degree firing order of the Bonnie but has been further tuned with revised camshaft profiles, bigger carburettors and megaphone-style exhausts.

The result is more power and torque everywhere with the emphasis on usability and character, which are cornerstones of every Triumph motorcycle. The Thruxton's engine has a peak power output of 70PS (69bhp) at 7250rpm and peak torque of 72Nm (53ft.lbf) arrives at 5,750rpm. Polished engine covers add to the Thruxton's appeal, as do drop handlebars, rearward-set footpegs and a short rear mudguard.

The Thruxton's chassis has also received attention from Triumph's engineers and the revised 41mm telescopic forks and longer rear shocks enhance suspension action and compliance. Both forks and shocks are also adjustable for spring preload. Sharper steering geometry, with rake and trail set at 27¡/97mm (compared to the Bonneville's 29¡/117mm) is allied to a 16mm shorter wheelbase, at 1477mm. The Thruxton's 18inch front wheel - as opposed to the Bonneville's 19inch - aids steering input. A fully floating 320mm front disc and twin-piston brake caliper provide powerful, but sensitive, braking performance and the tubular steel twin cradle frame and box section swingarm are more than capable of making use of the engine's increased power output. The clutch and brake levers are also adjustable, allowing the rider to set these controls to suit.

What's a Thruxton?
Here's Triumph's explanation: Thruxton Race circuit, near Andover in Hampshire, Great Britain, is well known as the fastest racetrack in the UK. Originally an RAF base the first race - organised by the Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club took place on the 4th of August 1952, on a 1.89-mile circuit. In 1953 a 2.75-mile circuit was used but in 1968 the British Automobile Racing Club took over the track, and on the 1st of March that year a 2.35-mile circuit - virtually identical to the one in use today - saw its first race.

Nowadays, only one motorcycle race a year is held at Thruxton, a round of the British Superbikes. But back in the sixties Thruxton was a popular venue for two-wheeled racing action. One of the events - the Thruxton 500 - was of major importance to the various British motorcycle manufacturers because it was a 500-mile test of their machinery, in public. Scoring a result in the Thruxton 500 meant selling bikes, so competition was fierce and the racing tough - and Thruxton is a fast, bumpy and demanding track, equally hard on riders and machinery. A win in the Thruxton 500 was well deserved.

The 650cc twin-cylinder, twin-carburettor T120 Bonneville had proved itself a worthy racer since its introduction in 1959 and in 1962 Tony Godfrey and John Holder rode their T120 to victory in the Thruxton 500. An advert titled 'Thruxton Triumph by Bonneville' appeared in The Motor Cycle, and so the Triumph Thruxton came into being.

The era of the production racer for sale came into being. The Triumph T120R Thruxton was hand built by a team of dedicated Triumph technicians, using specially picked components and precision-machined cylinder heads and crankcases. Power was increased but not at the expense of reliability and each Thruxton engine was bench tested to deliver around 53bhp, at 6800rpm with a safe rev ceiling of 7200rpm.

This was no mass-market machine, however as only around 55 Thruxton T120Rs were built and today they are extremely rare. Back then though they represented speed, reliability and a distinct edge, which only helped to reinforce the desirability of the Bonneville even further. And replicating the Triumph Thruxton look for the average Bonnie owner was easy - and bolting go-faster race-bred accessories to bikes became an essential past-time for the enthusiast.

The zenith for the Thruxton Triumphs was reached in 1969 when Percy Tait and Malcolm Uphill finished first in the Thruxton 500, ahead of two other Triumphs. So while Thruxton Circuit remains a fast but little used track in rural Hampshire, its name was leant to a breed of motorcycles that captured the hearts and minds of an eager public.

Fang factor
So how does it stack up? BikePoint spent a day on a small fleet of Thruxtons, experiencing a pretty wide range of roads: freeway, inner city, arterials, tight back roads and so on.

We walked away feeling that there's a lot to be said for bike that doesn't require a rocket scientist to understand the spec sheet. The Thruxton is super-easy to ride and very forgiving. It's also quick enough to make a sports road thoroughly enjoyable, rather than downright terrifying.

Engine performance is fine, while the gearbox really gave no cause for comment - slick, even on barely-run in machines. Braking offers ample power for solo riding and plenty of feel, while the steering is about medium speed and dead accurate. Suspension is adequate, and we were pleased to see that both ends had preload adjustment, allowing some basic tuning for individual tastes.

As an overall package, the chassis is very confidence-inspiring and gives plenty of warning when you start to overwhelm the suspension and frame. It's not pure sports bike tight, and has considerably lower limits, but is well up to the job required by the stock engine.

Something that was a little surprising is that while being narrow and fairly low, the Thruxton still managed adequate room for a tall (around 190cm) rider. We'd hardly call it luxurious, just better than expected.

Modest wheel sizes, relatively simple mechanicals and fuel consumption of around 19km/lt mean that it should be fairly cheap to run.

The looks are a winner and we can see this bike offering real competition to more sports-focused equipment as a potential weekend toy. Not in performance terms, but when it comes to enjoyment.

Trad style, Euro nameplate and decent performance costs $14,990, which we reckon is pretty reasonable.

Quick Spex:

ENGINE Type: Air-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin, 360¼ firing interval.
Capacity: 865cc.
Bore/Stroke: 90 x 68mm.
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1.
Fuel System: Twin carburettors with throttle position sensor and electric carburettor heaters. Ignition: Digital - inductive type.

TRANSMISSION:
Primary Drive: Gear;
Final Drive: X ring chain;
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate;
Gearbox: 5-speed.

CYCLE PARTS:
Frame:
Tubular steel cradle;
Swingarm: Twin-sided;
Wheels:
Front: 36-spoke, 18 x 2.5in;
Rear40-spoke, 17 x 3.5in;
Tyres:
Front100/90 18;
Rear130/80 17;
Suspension:
Front: 41mm forks with adjustable preload;
Rear: Spring twin shocks with adjustable preload;
Suspension Travel:
Front: Front fork travel 120mm;
Rear: Rear wheel travel 105mm;
Brakes:
Front: Single 320mm floating disc, 2 piston caliper;
Rear: Single 255mm disc, 2 piston caliper.

DIMENSIONS:
Length 2212mm (87.1in);
Width (Handlebars) 714mm (28.1in);
Height 1170mm (46.1in);
Seat Height 790mm (31.1in);
Wheelbase 1477mm (58.1in);
Rake/Trail 27¼/97mm;
Weight (Dry) 205kg (451lb);
Fuel Tank Capacity 16 litres (4.2 gal US).

PERFORMANCE: (MEASURED AT CRANKSHAFT TO DIN 70020)
Maximum Power 70PS (69bhp) at 7250 rpm;
Maximum Torque 72Nm (53ft.lbf) at 5750 rpm

COLOURS:
Jet Black / Silver,
Sunset Red / Silver.

SERVICE INTERVALS:
6000 miles (10,000 km) or one year, whichever comes first.
Warranty: 2 years unlimited km.