The really useful magazine - now part of Motor Cycle Monthly

Road Test: Triumph over adversity - The Thruxton

Those heady ton up days of the 1950s and 60s are often exaggerated and tinted with the finest rose-coloured goggles but it’s best to never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

I’m fortunate enough to be far too young to have been involved with those British bikes of old, I’ve never yearned to own, beg, steal or borrow a vintage Triumph or any other oily old bike for that matter. Maybe I’m missing out though; surely those machines of history and legend have their fair share of good points? They can’t all be bruised shins, bump starts and dirty hands...

The very name ‘Triumph’ stirs memories for anybody who has ever been associated with bikes; it conjures up an image of gleaming chrome, two tone paintwork, carefully laced wheels, speed and style. The brand is more than just a name though; it’s a 21st century icon. The factory itself has had more than its fair share of ups and downs in its troubled past but it’s risen once again to be a leader and innovator. As it happens at least three modern day Triumphs easily make it into my ‘top 10 favourite bikes of all time’ list and after riding the 2008 fuel injected Triumph Thruxton you can add another Hinckley classic to my list.

Triumph aficionados would probably choke on their imperial socket sets if they were asked to try one of these remade classics; they’d soon be measuring thread sizes, complaining about the electric start when ‘jumping on a kick-start never did my arthritic legs any harm’ and generally dismissing what is essentially a fantastic machine.

Although I’ve never been into classic bikes as such, a well presented cafe racer will always get me doing a double take. They’re undeniably cool and I was eager to get my hands on this little beauty. The Thruxton utilises a raked Bonnie frame to sharpen the bike’s geometry, it also boasts better brakes and suspension, as well as a slightly tuned version of the Bonneville engine to provide a sportier machine and a couple of all important extra horsepower.

I picked the Thruxton up from Pidcock Triumph in Long Eaton (which is just 20 minutes away from home) after a 370 mile round trip to Surrey by BMW, Yamaha and Vespa. Despite quite a few hours in the saddle, in less than perfect conditions, the sound of the booming twin cylinders firing through the aftermarket but very necessary Arrow 2 into 1 exhaust system perked me up like an intravenously fed gallon of neat Red Bull. The cacophony of sound is just what you’d expect from the bike and it begs to be ridden.

Sitting astride the Thruxton for the first time was a surprise, its narrow tank swallows a knee either side and the dropped clip-ons force you into a slight racing crouch, this is no sports-bike-style uncomfortable position though, more a natural racing posture and much more user friendly than I expected.

I don’t claim to be an expert on all things Triumph, especially from the past, but as a rider sitting astride a modern classic the detailing looks spot on. The dials are crisp and clear, in keeping with the period the bike emulates. Its silver paintwork with red pinstriping is deep and well finished and the chrome work and spoked wheels complement things nicely. Triumph hasn’t tried to re-create the Thruxton warts and all, which is good. Modern brakes, decent tyres and to an extent a sorted chassis but without over sanitising things, helps to keep the character and spirit of the original machine, albeit with a modern twist.

The bike features fuel injection and, rather than bolting an ordinary looking unit in place, it’s been modelled to look like traditional carbs, subtle but worth a mention. The fuelling is bang on which is nice and the bike picks up speed quite quickly, a progressive surge of all important torque keeps the engine spinning from very low revs in any gear. Swift overtakes can usually be carried out without knocking her down a cog or two, but if you want to show off a bit the Thruxton sounds great while accelerating in the lower gears.

If you park the bike up be prepared to fend off numerous questions... little old ladies love it, old chaps think it’s an original model, and bikers enthuse over its crisp lines and endless charm. Start her up and you’ll receive appreciative glances from the most ardent noise campaigner, if the sound of this bike offends you – you should have your eardrums perforated with a sharpened twig. The standard silencers are a bit girly in comparison though, so if you’re buying a Thruxton be prepared to splash out a bit extra for an exhaust, it’s well worth it.

In town the bike has impeccable manners, it’ll burble along without missing a beat. Smooth gear changes and well sorted fuelling add to the rider’s pleasure. Out of town the bike can hustle its way through the twisties with the best of them, the steering isn’t quite as sharp as a modern sports bike but to be honest with less than 70 horsepower to play with it’d be a bit boring if it was. Instead the bike needs a little bit of rider input to get the best out of it while cornering, shift your weight slightly and power your way through.

The Thruxton may not be a missile but it has oodles of usable torque which help to power it out of turns and charge ahead for the next section of flowing bends, superb fun at relatively low speeds. If you do want to join the ton-up club though this bike will still see over 120mph on the analogue clock, which is just about enough for this naked beauty.

I might not want to get my hands dirty by owning a vintage bike but the modern Thruxton has a certain charisma and charm which will endear it to most riders. It looks great, rides well and would easily fill a gap in my fantasy bike garage, how about yours?