Thoughts on Triumph Thruxton

[Guest]

I took a 2013 Thruxton for a ride today. I really enjoyed the bike. Had great power and the handling was quite nice. I have not purchased a new bike since 1999 when I got a SV650 suzuki. What are all of your thoughts on the Thruxton?

[Buffalo Bill]

I used to want one of those…

I used to think the Thruxton was the bike for me, but no enough dinero senor.
I liked the looks of the Triumph Thunderbird Sport even more.

I built a GS550T cafe to look like the Thruxton, but not enough power.

I got the biggest bike I could find and afford, the GS1100G.
I'll tell ya, it blows away any desire I had for a Triumph, that's for sure.

Just my experience.

[marvinsc]

I don't know how long you rode it but I sat on one on a showroom floor for a few minutes and it made the stock seat on my SV650 feel plush! That bike would be fun in short bursts but I can't imagine a 100 mile ride on that seat.

[Vmass]

Thruxton is a great looking bike, with a reasonable price.

But, as someone else mentioned, may not be to comfortable for long rides.

[850 Combat]

I rode a slightly older one, and i switched off with my GS850G. I liked it a lot. As for speed, it was adequate, about as quick as the 850G. The clip ons were extreme for me, but I liked the foot peg location. It was fun and decent looking. A cross between the T100 and Thruxton would be best for me. I would like to be able to put Superbike bars on it. The Thruxton exhause is much better looking, and I like the rearsets. I know a guy with 50000+ miles on an early new Bonneville with zero problems, so I think they hold up well. I would like the scrambler, but I grew up on British Vertical Twins with 360 degree cranks. I'm offended that the Scrambler has the split crank engine from the cruiser line. If it had the 360 degree motor from the Thruxton, Bonneville, and T100, I would like it much better.

[tkent02]

Meh, it looks OK.

[doug g]

I thought about the comfort thing and they do offer a different seat more for comfort. I would not leave it on all the time but when on a trip it would be fine. In regards to the handlebars that can be taken care of with a different set of risers to raise them up just a bit. I think one more inch taller would do the trick for me.

[hillsy]

If you need to modify a Thruxton to be more comfortable, maybe it's not the bike you really want in the first place.

[harley10]

my friend has one and he has owned so many different bikes and he likes it alot, i need to take it for a ride, brian

[tatu]

I'm offended that the Scrambler has the split crank engine from the cruiser line. If it had the 360 degree motor from the Thruxton, Bonneville, and T100, I would like it much better.

I never knew that! I spoke to the guys that supplied my scrambler and they said it was done for the American market to change the sound.
It was on the strength of taking a thruxton for a spin that I bought a Scramber. It is now one of my all time favorite bikes.

[ChicagoBob]

Seems like a nice bike. Good engine and trans, good handling, a lot of aftermarket support. The downsides are weight and that seat.

[Tim Tom]

I like the the way all the new Bonneville's look and sound, but I have a real retro bike already. Don't see the point in buying a new bike that looks old, when I already ride an old bike. Plus like it's been said before the performance is nothing that special if it's the same as a 30 year old shafty! I want a new bike to be a new bike.

Also I think the 'fake carb' throttle bodies are stupid. Reminds me of bolt on cooling fins for liquid cooled cruisers. Just silly.

That said if Triumph stuck their Speed Triple motor, suspension, and frame stiffness into a retro inspired bodywork. They might have something seriously cool.

[82Shafty]

I took a 2013 Thruxton for a ride today. I really enjoyed the bike. Had great power and the handling was quite nice. I have not purchased a new bike since 1999 when I got a SV650 suzuki. What are all of your thoughts on the Thruxton?

I rode the Thruxton during one of Triumph's last demo tours; fun, but the rear sets and low bar's was too much for my neck after a 30 minute ride.
I still enjoy the looks of a Thruxy.



I then swapped over to an SE...no longer available, and really enjoyed the more upright seating, crisp handling with radials and mags and the sound of it being uncorked was music to my ears.

So, I sold off one of my toys and picked up a 2010SE. Installed a set of Dominator Touring/Torque slip-on's, DNA pods, air injection removal, 02 removal, a Triumph Twin Power tune, a wideband to monitor the action and she runs a heck a lot stronger and sounds 100% better. You're looking at going from low 50's rear wheel hp to mid 60's. If you want more, you can throw a set of 813 cams in her for the tune of low 70's in the rear wheel department. Low 70 rwhp is what my GS1100 puts down. If you still crave more there's plenty to do. However, this bike was not designed to compete with a liter bike that runs mid-10's.


I need to score a recent pic with the slip-on's and rear shocks, but here's Maggie right after I picked her up.



I've also added a set of Ohlins 36E (not pictured) to the rear and am determining if I want to go with cartridges or emulators in the front.

Wideband shot:



The whole performance aspect is too subjective. I can't speak for anyone else living where there may be no speed limits, but in IL, technically and legally speaking, 65 is the top speed. Now just because I happen to accidentally roll past the ton on the way home, on occasion, surely proves she has enough get up and go to keep any sane man happy. EVERYONE who I have let ride my Bonneville sings high praises on just how easy she is to ride, the great throttle response, the handling and overall, they are BLOWN away on how much fun it is to ride. Very friendly. I let my one friend ride her and he bought his own just a few months later. Sure his Honda was faster balls out, but it didn't pull much below 4G on the tacho, the Bonneville is strong from 2G on. You could roll along in 5th around 2G and just throttle into her and she's gone.

The faux carbs are great. It makes the bike look proper and those who wish to bite their thumb at SEFI, well that's their opinion. For those who want a plastic fantastic, they will go buy a plastic fantastic. For those who love to look at, talk about, have many spur of the moment conversations at gas station, eateries or any other place you take your Bonneville, about your Bonneville, then it is the bike for you. I had one guy patiently wait for me to finish filling her before he said hello. He made his son, come over and look at the bike and started talking to me about the Triumphs he had back in the day and how this is such a gorgeous bike. If you buy one, you best be prepared to talk about it.

PS, a regular Bonneville is cheaper on insurance...check first. You can easily add rear sets and other Thruxton farkles from take offs that are in excellent shape. Remember, this isn't scrounging for old GS parts, these things can still be purchased for a song seeing that there's plenty of take-off's available.

If you have some light fireroads around you, you may want to consider a Scrammie.

Triumph is the other motor company that offers a lifestyle; one year older than HD. I've struck up more conversations wearing some sort of Triumph schwag in the short term than wearing any other sort of branded stuff throughout my life. Somewhere, somehow, someone always has a Triumph story to share.

I've had guys out of no where be like my man in the Triumph shirt; right on. My wife would be like who was that and I would say apparantly a person who likes Triumph.

Also, don't be afraid to check out some used ones, unless you're itching for a new bike.

[oldrookie]

Looking to add a newer bike this summer and love the Bonnie. Unfortunately, about 2k over my expected limit for even the least expensive. Sigh.

[open1mind]

I own a 2010 Thrux, and really like it. It is not a touring bike, nor a cruiser, nor a hardcore sports bike rocket. Doubt if anyone is buying it for those purposes anyway. For me, it is a way to own some vintage british iron, without the advil moments. It gives me an excuse to buy some cool triumph gear. Now that I am closing in on 50yrs old, I really dont have the stones to ride a hard core sport bike near its max ability-- but I can ride the thrux at about 70-80% of its ability. Gets lots of looks and questions wherever you go, and you dont see many locally.

You definitely need to test ride one. I was headed to a Bonne but loved the looks of the Thrux. After a test ride, I found the ride position pretty tolerable. Note however- THE STOCK EXHAUST MUST BE BANISHED BEFORE YOU EVEN LEAVE THE DEALER. The bike is a completely different experience once you ditch those whiney wimpy mufflers and replace them with BC Predators- see youtube.