By prayag
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From the legendary Bonneville-based Thruxton racers of the 1960s to the modern-day Thruxton 400, explore how Triumph blends heritage café racer design with cutting-edge performance and technology.
When one hears the word cafe racer, what would an average person have in mind? A cafe that races? Well, the average person is not wrong entirely. A cafe racer is particularly a type of motorcycle belonging to the “urban rocker” or the “tonne-up boys” youth subculture used for quick and short rides between popular cafes in London.
Now, among the most celebrated cafe racer motorcycles are from Triumph, I believe, like the Bonneville and Tiger T110, which became well sought after due to the parallel twin engines and their tuning potential. Riders often customised these Triumph models with low clip-on handlebars, rear-set footpegs, and streamlined bodies, establishing the minimalist and aggressive aesthetic that came to define the café racer style. The Bonnevilles, in particular, achieved legendary status, with many considering them the quintessential café racer base.
Also Read: Triumph MY Speed 400 vs. Speed T4: Comparing Neo-Classic Roadsters in Triumph’s 400cc Lineup
Triumph also directly embraced and helped shape café racer culture through racing achievements and factory specials. The original Thruxton racer, based on the Triumph Bonneville T120, saw success at races like the Thruxton 500 and the Isle of Man TT, cementing Triumph’s racing pedigree and further fuelling their association with cafe racer lore. In later decades, Triumph revived the style with modern interpretations, such as the Thruxton R and Thruxton RS, which continue to pay homage to the original café racer history.
If we talk about where the Thruxton’s story began, the original Thruxton (1965 T120R Thruxton) was built to dominate an enduring six-hour battle of reliability, speed, and stamina that defined British racing in the 1960s. The name instantly became synonymous with stripped-down, race-bred Triumphs tuned for the edge, built from Bonneville DNA to be lighter, faster, and meaner. With that came the now-canonical “cafe racer” look: swept clip-ons, rearset pegs, long tanks, and a seat cowl begging for a racing number.
Fast forward to the year 2004, and Triumph revived the Thruxton with the Thruxton 900, which was produced at the Hinckley factory in Leicestershire, England. The bike was powered by an 865 cc four-stroke parallel-twin, air-cooled engine that delivered a power output of 70 hp at 7,200 rpm and 72 Nm of torque at 6,400 rpm.
The 900 was built on a tubular steel cradle frame with a 41 mm adjustable front fork and adjustable twin shock absorbers on the rear with chromed springs.
On the design side of things, one could witness a round headlight with instruments mounted on top, a single seat with a pillion seat cowl, dual shocks, a dual exhaust system with a muffler on each side, and wire-spoke wheels.
Triumph kept on moving forward with more Thruxton models, and one of them, which I found myself really impressed with, was the Thruxton 1200 introduced in 2016. The 1200 and the 1200R superseded the 900 with a larger water-cooled 1200cc engine. The 1200R featured Öhlins suspensions and Brembo callipers with floating discs, while the standard 1200 was equipped with a conventional fork and fixed braking discs.
Both the 1200 and 1200R came equipped with modern elements such as an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), traction control, and a ride-by-wire system featuring three riding modes: Sport, Road, and Rain. This highlights the technological marvel Triumph brought forth against the competition.
Talking about the design cues, the 1200 carried standard features like a round headlight with the twin-pod analogue instruments mounted nakedly, a single seat, twin shock emulsions at the rear, a dual exhaust muffler with reversed-cone silencers, a side stand, and wire-spoke wheels.
The 1200 was built on a tubular steel cradle frame with an aluminium swingarm, and at the front, it featured a 41 mm cartridge-type Kayaba fork with 120 mm wheel travel and twin preload-adjustable Kayaba shocks on the rear.
Underneath, the Thruxton 1200 was powered by a 1,200 cc four-stroke parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine that delivered a power output of 96 hp at 6,750 rpm and 112 Nm of torque at 4,650 rpm.
Covering a brief about the 1200R, this bike is soundly similar to the previous 900 model, carrying standard features such as a round headlight, a single seat, a dual exhaust system with reversed-cone silencers, and wire-spoke wheels. The 1200R was equipped with a 43 mm fully adjustable Showa USD fork on the front and fully adjustable twin Öhlins shock absorbers on the rear.
The braking system was handled by two 310 mm floating discs with four-piston Brembo callipers on the front and a 220 mm disc with a dual-piston calliper on the rear, as mentioned above.
To conclude with the rich history, with a combination of the classic elements with cutting-edge performance, chassis & technology, Triumph has reaffirmed the Thruxton’s place as aspirational cafe racers, blending aggressive handling, a charismatic parallel-twin heart, and design hallmarks that are now echoed in the 400’s form.
The new Thruxton 400 is not a simple downsizing exercise but a careful reinterpretation. Triumph’s designers have blended Bonneville classicism with the sharper posture of modern sport bikes, culminating in a silhouette unmistakably inspired by not only the larger Thruxton R and RS but also imparting echoes of the semi-faired modern-day Speed Triple 1200RR, radiating authentic British style.
The Thruxton 400 draws on classic café racer styling, highlighted by an iconic aesthetic, aggressive half fairing, and a forward-canted sporty riding posture. Similarly, the Speed Triple 1200 RR adopts a sophisticated blend of contemporary and retro elements, specifically a sculpted cockpit fairing and signature round LED headlight with flashing batwing-styled DRLs replicating the 400 cc family, thus projecting a distinctly focused and recognisable persona.
Ergonomically, both motorcycles place their riders in committed, rugged stances. The Thruxton 400 utilises a 24.5-degree rake, angled clip-on handlebars which account for a painless long-term steering grab, repositioned (set further back) footpegs, and a streamlined single seat at a height of 795 mm to provide a canted-forward, aggressive riding posture reminiscent of larger café racers, while the Speed Triple 1200 RR has been featured with handlebars set 135 mm lower and 50 mm further forward than its “RS” sibling, creating even more race-focused ergonomics, complemented by a tailored footrest position. This riding position philosophy connects the two models, placing an emphasis on rider engagement and control, without sacrificing comfort for performance.
Both motorcycles feature sophisticated chassis engineering and a sporty suspension setup aimed at responsive, confident handling. The Thruxton 400 is equipped with 43 mm USD front forks carrying a 140 mm wheel travel and a 10-step preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear, which are tuned for spirited riding, while the Speed Triple 1200 RR boasts state-of-the-art Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 electronically adjustable semi-active suspension, optimised for both road and track conditions. Each bike rides on 17-inch tubeless radial wheels, fitted with performance-orientated tyres, Apollo Alpha H1 for the Thruxton and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 for the Speed Triple 1200RR, ensuring high cornering confidence and road feedback.
The Thruxton 400, powered by a 398 cc liquid-cooled single cylinder, yet four-valved TR-series displacement tuned for higher RPMs and output than its sibling, the MY25 Speed 400, delivers brisk acceleration and a responsive throttle. The Speed Triple 1200 RR, powered by the acclaimed 1,160 cc liquid-cooled triple-cylinder twelve-valve unit, unleashes an accelerating 177 hp, advanced electronics, and an IMU-controlled suite including optimised cornering ABS and traction control.
Whereas in comparison to the MY25 Speed 400, the Thruxton’s engine generates a power output of 41.4 hp, which is 2 hp more than its derivative, and even the rate at which the 400 cc Thruxton body can lap an acceleration round from 0 to 100 km/h is around 6.7 seconds, making it a second faster. This liquid-cooled motor is capable of maintaining an estimated average of 27.1 km/l, which makes it just around 3 km/l less fuel efficient despite the same unit being recalibrated for performance rather than cruising.
Both models employ a six-speed gearbox with wet, multi-plate slipper clutches for smooth shifting and offer ride-by-wire throttle technology, switchable traction control, full LED lighting, and customisable digital instrumentation. However, depending on the price factor, the components of the Speed Triple 1200RR are obviously a step ahead of its lower displacement replica and are incorporated with a lot more tech in comparison.
The new Thruxton 400 and Speed Triple 1200 RR include a visually striking neo-cafe racer design philosophy with committed ergonomics for spirited riding, advanced suspension and chassis tuning for dynamic handling, and a rich suite of electronic rider aids with segment-leading hardware at an ex-showroom pricing of INR 2,74,137.
The Thruxton 400 is, in many ways, a smaller displacement tribute to the principles and style that make the Speed Triple 1200 RR Triumph’s flagship leaning roadster, echoing its sporty ambitions and premium details for a wider audience. Meanwhile, in consideration of the R&D and the reliability the Speed 400 has gained in two years, this new-age daily riding Thruxton is developed on the soul of the smallest displacement icon of the Speed series, underpinning a hybrid steel perimeter frame based on a bolt-on rear subframe for all-purpose manoeuvring; despite a heavy curb weight of 183 kg, this chassis, along with an extended wheelbase of 1371 mm, disseminates the overall mass at such a rate that the motorcycle feels quite light and agile, catering to both on- and off-road journeys, holding a confident approach on the freeway.
Although the core purpose of the most affordable Thruxton ever strictly remains track exploration and urban commuting, depending on the 348cc displacement being calibrated with its camshaft timing and gear ratios. In addition, the Thruxton 400 might share its body with the 400 family. However, due to the repurposed components and rider’s triangle, the character amplifies into a completely new proposition.