Steve Kealy•15 Sept 2011

REVIEW

Triumph Thruxton 900

Retro? You'd need a time machine to get any more retro than Triumph's Thruxton, which is tailor made for the café racer connoisseur

WHAT WE LIKE

Creamy power delivery
Superb build quality
Authentic retro looks

NOT SO MUCH

Rock-hard rear suspension
Limited steering lock
Bar-end mirrors

It was the look that fathered the phrase ‘café racer’; bikes modified by demobilised servicemen looking for a different adrenaline hit after WWII. Bikes built literally to race from café to café around Britain’s cities.

Of all those cafes, London’s Ace was the best known – and bikes looking eerily similar to the brand-new 2011 Thruxton would have teemed around the Ace Café in the 1960s.

WHAT’S RETRO?

Well, spoked wheels, single huge disc, chromed headlamp, no fairing – not even a fly screen -- bullet-style indicators and flat bars that look like they could be swung up and swapped end-for-end to be made into “touring” stance, rear-set pegs, racing “hump” on the seat.

The there’s the separate steering lock on the frame’s neck, ignition switch out on the left headlamp stay; twin rear shocks; and minimalist dials with just an LCD panel for niceties. Two big carbies (which are actually well-disguised fuel-injection throttle-bodies); engine covers to make it look like the engine has a separate gearbox; polished cylinder head fins with near invisible head-saving fin guards; slinky two-into-one exhaust with an aftermarket Arrow muffler; bright red paint; bar-end mirrors; and a shorty front mudguard and a cable clutch.

HUGE TURNING CIRCLE

These emotive, fine-looking but functional features don’t come entirely free of consequences though. For a start, the Thruxton’s ride is harsh and the upside-down, back-to-front handlebar gives a curious stance – not as hunched as clip-ons or clubman bars, but not relaxed either – sort of semi-intense. But the narrow bars probably dictate limited steering travel – and that gives a turning circle that makes U-turns a two-lane exercise.

The engine is shared with the Bonneville – another reincarnated machine that has little in common with either its distant forebear or the Land Speed record venue.

But in Thruxton form, the 865cc eight-valve DOHC parallel twin has been tuned for performance and delivers 69hp (52kW), thanks to revised camshaft profiles and higher-compression pistons. Peak power occurs at a heady 7400rpm.

Although the bike weighs a distinctly porky 230kg, a single floating disc brake front (320mm) and rear (230mm) look after retardation – and do so remarkably well. Stoppies might not be in the Thruxton’s repertoire, but locking the front wheel is possible if you try stupid-hard enough

WILLING ENGINE

The engine thrums into life instantly and it was hard to believe that it’s fed by carburetors – and it’s not, despite what looks very much like a pair of carbies under the tank. In fact, the Triumph’s retro look extends to disguising the fuel-injector throttle bodies as old-school carbs.

The fuelling is turbine-smooth and the aftermarket Arrow two-into-one gives a fat rasp through the rev-range. Not loud or at all intrusive -- there’s no mistaking the engine for anything other than a twin -- but most owners will want a few more decibels – which might just liberate some captive ponies too. If there’s a downside, it’s the long-action throttle – it’s a big twist of the wrist to get to full noise.

Gearshifts are slick and smooth, aided in no small part by another time-warp feature – a cable-operated clutch that provides progressive feel as you slot into the five evenly spaced ratios. The Thruxton’s modest power output is no doubt blunted by its hefty weight, but generous torque across a broad spread of the rev-range makes the bike easy to ride quite swiftly -- as long as the road is smooth.

The Thruxton’s classic twin-shock Kayaba rear suspension is unrefined and gives a spine-thumping ride on poor roads. The 41mm fork is more accommodating, but overall the suspension lacks the suppleness and long-distance comfort that modern single-shock bikes have made the norm. Rear travel is claimed at 106mm with 120mm at the front.

To be fair, the Thruxton isn’t a horizon-chasing high-miler – it’s intended to be ridden intensely and the heel-high and hunched riding stance isn’t sustainable for long periods, despite the wide, firm and supportive seat. Certainly the bike is capable of being ridden far and long – but the human might need significant down-time to unwind.

Although it wears relatively narrow tyres – 100/90 on a two-and-a-half inch wide, 18-inch front rim and a 130/80 R17 on the 3.5-inch wide rear wheel – the Thruxton holds a tidy line, even on bumpy sweepers and its steering gets more accurate the faster it’s ridden.

CLASSY QUALITY

The fit and finish on the Thruxton is classy – attention to detail, both in design and execution, is top-notch – it almost looks like a custom-built bike. As an example, the instruments appear to be just the traditional pair of gauges, with no warning “idiot” lights – except that they’re all there, subtly hidden in the face of the speedo and tacho.

Styling form overpowers function with the ignition switch though -- the side of the headlamp might have been a popular place to put the key decades ago (so was a side cover or under the tank), but the practicalities mean that duct-tape is needed to protect the pretty headlamp bracket.

With a price of $13,990, the Thruxton is exceptional value for money. While it’s intended to be a retro homage to a significant era of motorcycling history, in reality it’s a thoroughly modern, quality machine with reliability and performance that the Rockers and the Teddy-Boys at the Ace café couldn’t have imagined, 50-odd years ago.

Finally, those bar-end mirrors might look the part, but their field of vision is limited at best. I have a tiny scar from a compound finger dislocation caused by this kind of mirror, while going over the bars….

Visit the Triumph Thruxton in Bike Showroom.

SPECS: TRIUMPH THRUXTON

ENGINE

Type: Air-cooled, DOHC parallel twin, 360-degree firing interval

Capacity: 865cc

Bore x stroke: 90mm x 68mm

Compression ratio: 10:2.1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

Emissions: Euro 3

Claimed maximum power: 69hp (51kW) at 7400

Claimed maximum torque: 69Nm at 5800

TRANSMISSION

Type: Five speed

Final drive: Chain

Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame type: Tubular steel cradle

Front suspension: 41mm telescopic fork, preload adjustment, 120mm travel

Rear suspension: Twin shocks, preload adjustment, 106mm travel

Front brakes: 320mm disc with Nissin twin-piston caliper

Rear brake: 255mm disc with Nissin twin-piston caliper

Wheels: Spoked -- front 2.5 x 18, rear 3.5 x 17

Tyres: Front 100/90-18, rear 130/80-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Rake: 27 degrees

Trail: 97mm

Claimed wet weight: 230kg

Seat height: 820mm

Wheelbase: 1490mm

Fuel capacity: 16 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $13,990

Colours: Diablo Red with a white race stripe or Phantom Black with a classic gold stripe

Test bike supplied by: Triumph Australia, www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

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