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/661756
2016 TRIUMPH THRUXTON /THRUXTON R FIRST RIDE P46 preload that are shared with the T120. Both Thruxtons feature an aluminum swingarm (silver anod- ized on the R) that differentiates the Thruxton duo from the T120 with its steel swinger. The Thrux- ton R has several other detail improvements like a seat cowl, polished triple clamp, a metal tank strap and a pair of brushed stainless steel exhaust silencers rather than the chromed ones on the base Thruxton. This carries Pirelli Angel GT tires on its pair of 17-inch 32-spoke wire wheels with aluminum rims (versus the 18-inch front on the T120), while the same wheels on the R- version we rode carried Diablo Rosso Corsas, which, aided by the standard switchable single- stage traction control and ABS, were surprisingly grippy in our wet-weather splasharound. DRY RUN But riding the Thruxton R the next day in dry conditions re- vealed this to be a bike that, as they say in Italy, was born well. Just sitting on it sets you smiling with anticipation, thanks to an reason they were invented back in the Ace Café days 50 years ago, to give a sporty stance that isn't a backbreaker. It's wind cheating without being tiring, practical yet aggressive in that it invites you to tuck down behind the twin retro-style clocks on a fast, open stretch of road, but has a spacious enough seat for you to move back and forth on it, while also narrow enough where it meets the tank for shorter riders to be able to put a foot down at rest perfectly easily. The good-looking fuel tank is well shaped, so you grasp it cozily with your knees, plus the retro-looking bar-end mirrors give a good view, and don't vibe. At 31.9 inches the seat height is insignificantly taller on the Thruxton R than its sister bike's (and nearly an inch higher than the T120's), reflecting the taller rear ride height on the R thanks to the longer Ohlins shocks. This subtly changes the front-end geometry to give the Thruxton R a slightly sharper-steering setup, with a 22.8° rake to the Ohlins fork and 3.6 inches of The Sport riding mode has a crisp but controllable throttle response, and its fuel mapping is impeccable—it's really well done. The main difference between the Thruxton and Thurxton R models is suspension—the R has inverted forks. extremely well-thought out riding position that didn't prove tiring on our 100-mile trip into the Por- tuguese countryside, with the swan's neck clipon Ace handle- bars fitted here for the very same trail, though both have the same short 55.7-inch wheelbase. Compare those figures to the T120 Bonneville's 25.5°/4.1 inches/56.9 inches numbers to see how radical the Thruxton