2014 Triumph Thruxton First Ride Review

Text – Nitin Gupta; Pictures – Harvarinder Singh, Nitin Gupta

2014 Triumph Thruxton Review

Bike Tested: 2014 Triumph Thruxton 900

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 7,67,110/-

The Thruxton is an easy to ride bike with a lot of old world charm, matched to a modern heart

After we pushed Britishers out of our country, coming back to India with Triumph was the one chance they had to rule our hearts, and in our opinion they have done it fairly well. Triumph is in India with a league of its super-bikes and a good line up to start with, out of which today we will be reviewing the Thruxton. We were given this new colour – “Brookland Green” which in Indian words translates to Military Green, we fairly like the shade. Though honestly we would love to have the Diablo Red colour which looks very appealing with the hand-painted lines on the tank that roll up to the rear seat cowl along with the badges which add to the classy retro style design. So how does the Triumph Thruxton fare?

The Thruxton is part of Triumph’s modern classic range and looks uber cool, the attention to detail is note worthy

We really like the chrome spoke aluminium wheels which result in reducing the overall unsprung weight. The fit and finish of everything is nice with top notch quality. The complete twin chrome exhausts just look stellar but a small heat guard over the exhausts would have been a nice touch. The company has given this cafe racer all the latest engineering with great attention to detail. It does catch the fancy of bike enthusiasts. One simply can’t miss the bar-end mounted mirrors, the adjustable twin rear shocks which are drenched in chrome and the fuel injection system which is made to look like carburettors for that 60s feel. The motorcycle gets a daytime running light and the round headlight induces the classy feel we associate with such type of machines.

A new head light cowl tries to give the Triumph Thruxton some bit of aerodynamics, but not much, still that’s better than nothing, An exposed black instrument panel with two pods surrounded by chrome rings and a white background give the bike a very classy appeal. We love the analog feel of it, rather than all digital but a fuel gauge is sorely missed (you do get a low fuel warning light though). The handle bars are low set for a forward set stance to sit, not a lot of stress on your wrists if you tend to do over 100 kms in a day which we did. The foot-pegs are rear-set and one can opt for a pillion seat which isn’t offered as standard.

The mid-range is where the Triumph Thruxton excels but it doesn’t have a strong top-end, redline comes in at 8500 RPM

Powering the Triumph Thruxton is a 865cc, parallel-twin mill which is an air-cooled, DOHC unit, it also powers the Bonneville. Churning out 69 BHP of peak power at 7400 RPM and 69 Nm of peak torque at 5800 RPM, the Thruxton offers impressive performance right from get-go. There is no hesitance from the motor, power delivery is butter smooth and progressive with a strong mid-range. There is good low-end-grunt that you can tap on to get though city traffic and even manoeuvre in tight places without a hitch but the heat from the air-cooled mill does make itself evident in stop-go traffic. Large brake and clutch levers makes it really easy to grip on the bike, the Thruxton is made to be so nimble that you don’t feel the 230 kgs weight. Still, when at single digit speeds, the mass needs to be dealt with.

The palm grips and seat are very comfortable. The 5-speed gearbox offers precise shifts with even neutral coming in effortlessly. Doing 160 km/hr requires little effort as the twin-cylinder motor has a lot of grunt for cruising at triple digit speeds. On our test, we got a mileage of around 28 km/l which is impressive for a bike of this size. The Thruxton is very balanced and you would love to take it around and push it a little in the corners, not too much though as it doesn’t give great feedback when you do mid course apex corrections.

The Triumph Thruxton is fitted with Metzeler tyres (100 mm front, 130 mm rear) which are just EPIC when it comes to grip, however we feel that a broader section would have helped a bit more. After a few corners we took on the bike, the tyres were blacked out to the edge and started to wither, not completely its fault but we were pushing it in around 45 degree temperature. Just after the corners, we got to witness the nightmare which are the brakes, common Triumph you definitely need to do something about it. Add more bite and feel, this bike needs better anchors as it has a top speed of close to 180 km/hr.

The engine sounds sweet but isn’t as loud as one would expect, it hardly makes noise when you are wringing it in top gear. Blast past another vehicle at triple digit speeds and they won’t notice what just went by, the aural drama is lacking although visual eye candy is in plenty for those who understand retro machines, specially cafe racers. The suspension has just the right balance, ride quality is good and the bike absorbs most bumps without catching you unaware. The Thruxton remains glued to the road at highway speeds, the good composure helps you to keep going the distance at good pace.

The Triumph Thruxton is stylish with a butter smooth powertrain but doesn’t seem to be too much of an eye catchy thing on our roads. It’s mostly mistaken for the infamous Bullet in India but is several notches better in every way. The Thruxton is ideal for a city guy to use it for quick bursts around town or to go to office with a wide grin on his face. The slightly sporty riding position hampers its ability to be a good touring bike. Still, this cafe racer is a good package that comes coupled with everything you would expect from a modern machine. It’s one good looking and classic-styled motorcycle which makes you like it more and more as you pile on the miles.

The Triumph Thruxton re-visits the 1960s but is a throughly modern motorcycle. It makes you look supercool while riding it and has the punch to gather good pace quickly. With a good balance in the dynamics department, it’s a motorcycle which ticks most boxes for mature riders.

What’s Cool

* Butter smooth engine
* Attention to detail
* Ride and handling balance

What’s Not So Cool

* Brakes