Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1205265
2020 TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS R I D E R E V I E W P78 The Thruxton RS is considerably more affordable than a Rocket, but still, a couple of visual details nagged at me. The big, black plastic switchgear works just fine, but next to the gorgeous pol- ished top clamp, it sits like an oil stain on a white tee shirt. Likewise, the wires from those switch-cubes dangle across to the headstock like phone lines in a crowded Asian city. Sorry Triumph, I'm nit-picking here, but you guys made this well-finished rod for your own backs. WORTH IT In an era where bikes and the media around them have an unnerving ability to make your endeavors feel woefully inadequate, the Thruxton RS and machines of its ilk are a blessing. Adventure bikes scoff at our 100-mile road trip with a dash of gravel track, while Instagram stories of hardy adventurers battling with the Moroccan desert remind us just how normal we are. Supersport bikes mock our hopefully dangled knees while we stare at the same machines paint- ing slidey black lines out of racetrack corners at go-directly-to-jail speeds. Yet riding this beautiful bike, on beautiful roads in the presence of some obscene riding talent, there was nothing but enjoy- ment. No egos getting dented about losing sight of the bike in front, no fuel-stop bull about how you would've gone faster but…just a bunch of riders chasing apexes and enjoying the simple pleasure of making a bike go around corners fast. The Thruxton R was a damn good bike, and in making the RS, Triumph has taken it, listened to feedback from riders, and made it a better bike for riding on the road. That's not game changing. That's not genius. That's not pushing the boundaries of technology or performance. That's what I love about it—a simple bike, made better. Simply brilliant. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2020 TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS ($16,200) ENGINE TYPE: .... Liquid cooled, 8 valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin DISPLACEMENT: ........................... 1200cc BORE X STROKE: ............... 97.6 x 80mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ....................12.0:1 MAX POWER: .........103 bhp @ 7500 rpm MAX TORQUE: .....82.6 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm STARTER: ......................................Electric TRANSMISSION: ..........................6-speed FUEL SYSTEM: ..................................... EFI CLUTCH:.... Wet, multi-plate assist clutch FRAME: .................... Tubular steel cradle SUBFRAME: .......................................Steel FRONT SUSPENSION: ...... Showa 43 mm USD big piston forks, fully adjustable. REAR SUSPENSION: ...... Fully adjustable Ohlins twin shocks with Piggyback reservoir. FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: .................. 4.7 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: .................... 4.7 in. FRONT BRAKE: ..... Twin 310mm Brembo floating discs, Brembo M50 four-piston radial monobloc calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: ..........Single 220mm disc, Nissin twin-piston floating caliper, ABS FRONT WHEEL ...... 32-spoke 17 x 3.5 in, aluminum rim REAR WHEEL: ............32-spoke 17 x 5 in, aluminum rim FRONT TIRE: ....................... 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ..........................160/60 ZR17 RAKE: ................................................ 22.8° WHEELBASE: .................................55.7 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............................... 31.8 in. FUEL CAPACITY: .......................... 3.8 gal. WEIGHT (DRY, CLAIMED): ........... 434 lbs COLOR: ............................Black, grey/red