Enter Triumphs new Thruxton R that looks very tasty and deserves a thrash.
Jack Lilly of Ashford let me use their demonstrator for two hours and I have to say it's a winner.
As soon as I sat on it, it felt lighter than my 12S although at 203kg I think it's heavier than the 12S at 181kg. I believe those are both dry weights. It feels lower and I can move it around a lot easier than the 12. Bars are in a very relaxed position even though they are clip-ons but not sure how I would cope all day. (I have bar risers on my 12 and they are pretty much perfect) It has 97 bhp and 'loads' of torque available from very low revs. It 'feels' fast as it has much less throttle action than the 12S and puts you into the meat of the power very early on. The ride by wire throttle has three modes (rain,road,sport) and although it was in road when I pulled away for the first time I switched to sport within 30 seconds as anything less dulls the response. The power stays the same in all three modes but just softens the throttle response. It has traction control but didn't get anywhere near that kicking in and ABS, both of which can be switched completely off. Super light clutch and amazing Brembo monoblock brakes that only need the lightest of touch to engage. It was actually a bit weird not to have to pull the lever so much and even after two hours I still hadn't got my head around how little pressure they need and the 12S brakes are actually really good!
'Very' easy to ride, lovely handling and steering. Apparently it has the same geometry as the Speed Triple and tips into corners with ease. I did find it a little flighty compared to the 12 and I had it shaking it's head a number of times. I also found that pulling away from lights with the same gusto as my 12, it very easily lifted the front wheel. Something I'd get used to and perhaps a little more clutch slip and my weight further forward perhaps.
The midrange is fantastic and even in sixth at 70-80 on the motorway it pulls pretty hard from just opening the throttle a relatively small amount. Top end power is a bit thin compared to the 12 but the 12 has another 25bhp and further up the rev range so to be expected. The demo bike had the little flyscreen but I don't think it makes too much difference. As long as there isn't a headwind, holding 80 is acceptable.
The demo bike had the Vance and Hines aftermarket pipes on and sounded great. Just the right amount of noise everywhere. It also had the tail tidy, the mini LED indicators and the knee pads.
It's easy to bimble around on but that engine likes to go so ultimately I don't think it's a bike to buy if you want to slow down your riding. It cuts the high speed stuff to a degree because of the lack of fairing but that might be a down side for big European trips. If I had one it would still have to do that. 3k miles on the 12s in 10-14 days is quite easy. Not so sure about the Thruxton.
I would consider one. It 'could' even be the last bike I buy if I did. It's small enough to be manageable into my old age and very easy to ride. It looks great and I don't think it will age. Before I rode this one, silver was the only option in my mind and the salesman says 50% of all orders have been for silver. However, having taken this red one out on a beautiful sunny day and seeing it 'ping' in the sunshine, I'm thinking red.
Silver as a reference. Standard save for the tail tidy and indicators.
