#thruxton

Within  Triumph’s Modern Classics line there was always a sizable gap between the Bonneville T120 and the Thruxton. The Bonnie had a nice standard riding position and more sedate power delivery, while the Thruxton had a much more committed rider stance and sportier performance. What about riders who wanted an upright riding stance but craved more get up when the go knob was twisted? Well, the good folks in Hinckley have answered the call with the 2019 Triumph Speed Twin.

Ever since the 2019 Triumph Speed Twin was announced in early December, we’ve been excited about the prospects that it posed. The idea of Thruxton power wrapped in a more relaxed package intrigued us, and now, the moment is at hand. Thanks to the magical tubes of the internet, we have the skinny on the Speed Twin just hours after the press briefing at the riding launch in Mallorca, Spain.

2019 Triumph Speed Twin First Look

We’ll have a full first-ride review of the Speed Twin later this week. Until then, here are five facts you know about the 2019 Triumph Speed Twin.

The legendary Speed Twin is back, returning as the newest member of Triumph‘s 1200cc Bonneville lineup. The new 2019 Triumph Speed Twin slots into the line by combining the Thruxton‘s performance with the Bonneville T120‘s more comfortable riding position.

The original Speed Twin was introduced in 1938, helping establish the long tradition of British parallel-Twins, setting benchmarks with its lightweight chassis and an engine that out-powered the Singles of the era. The 2019 Triumph Speed Twin seeks to recapture the original’s glory as a modern, high-performance roadster.

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order certifying the 2019 Triumph Bonneville 1200 engine, revealing an as-yet-unannounced brand new Speed Twin model for 2019.

The executive order almost slipped past us, getting released by CARB late on Friday, confirming the new 2019 Triumph Speed Twin. At first, we were expecting the certification document to be for the Scrambler 1200, which Triumph has already confirmed will be getting the high power tuning version of the 1200cc parallel-Twin Bonneville engine.

Instead, we were pleasantly surprised to see the Speed Twin listed in the certified models alongside the Bonneville T120, Bonneville T120 Black, Thruxton and Thruxton R. Those four models had previously been CARB-certified for 2019 in an executive order dated March 20. The new executive order, dated Sept. 20, supersedes that earlier document, with the addition of the Speed Twin being the only change.

So, what can we expect from the 2019 Triumph Speed Twin? Lacking any other clues, we can only assume a bike that looks similar to the 900cc Street Twin but with the larger engine. That would mean cast aluminum wheels, a shorter, more modern-looking seat, a smaller front fender, a shorter wheelbase, a smaller tank and lighter weight than the Bonneville T120.

Marvel dropped a new trailer today for its upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp, which means it’s time once again to pore over any motorcycle chase scenes to see which models were used. To our surprise, the scenes in the trailer did not feature a Harley-Davidson, which has long been a partner of Marvel, but a Triumph Thruxton R.

Take a look for yourself below. Motorcycles feature prominently at the 0:46 mark and again near the end at the 1:34 mark (along with a giant-size Hello Kitty Pez dispenser).

Triumph’s efforts at reinventing the Bonneville platform (which includes the Street Twin and Thruxton along with the T120 Bonneville) deserve huge kudos. It’s one thing to create a terrific new motorcycle that meets contemporary emissions and performance standards, but it’s another to do so while making the bikes look almost like they stepped out of a showroom from 50 years ago. They appear more authentically retro than the previous air-cooled generation, which is a massive accomplishment for bikes with contemporary liquid-cooled motors.

Redesigning this platform from the ground up was obviously a massive undertaking for Triumph, and all those efforts are proudly on display from first look to first ride. The fit and finish is excellent and makes us think that manufacturing the bikes in Thailand isn’t much – if any – of a penalty relative to building them at Triumph’s home base in England. Not only does the trio work well on the road, they also have a way of connecting emotionally with riders, helping bridge the gap back to Triumph’s historic glory years while never leaking oil or hatching the old Prince of Darkness electrical issues of bygone Lucas equipment.

For 2016, Triumph launched two new Thruxton models, the base model Thruxton ($12,500) and the Thruxton R ($14,500). Both are huge improvements over the outgoing model Thruxton. The new 1200cc liquid-cooled parallel-Twin produces gobs more horsepower and torque, the chassis isn’t the flexi-flyer it used to be, and modern electronics (R-b-W, ride modes, TC, ABS) bring a touch of modernity to a motorcycle steeped in nostalgia. For a complete review of the bike and its performance check out our previously published  2016 Triumph Bonneville Thruxton R First Ride Review.

Having low expectations exceeded is always preferable to high expectations not being met. With all the hype surrounding Triumph’s Bonneville Thruxton reboot, I attended the press launch under the premise of the Thruxton being a stylized Bonneville racer lacking the performance for which it’s namesake implies. How surprised was I to discover that a traction-control system was the only thing keeping the fuel tank from smacking me in the chest when grabbing a fistful of throttle for the first time.

You probably know Ryan Reynolds from his many acting gigs, including his most recent gig as the star of the action/anti-superhero flick, “Deadpool.” But did you know he also rides motorcycles? A rider since the age of 15, when he bought a Honda CB750 – a “pile of crap,” as he calls it – from a friend of his. The machine itself may have been in tattered condition, but the experience changed his life as he has loved riding ever since.

And now that he’s got a few bucks to his name he’s able to afford some nicer motorcycles, including this Triumph Thruxton he commissioned Kott Motorcycles to build for him. Noting that there are many custom motorcycle builders out there, Reynolds says he naturally gravitated towards Kott’s style for the minimalist cafe racer style.

Kott’s custom Thruxton for Reynolds may look nothing like a wild build, but closer inspection will reveal that a lot of work goes in to making a motorcycle appear as minimal as possible. Many of the visible differences center around the rear of the motorcycle, as the factory subframe was removed and a custom one installed in its place. From there a custom tail and seat were fitted and extraneous parts were removed, including both fenders, emissions equipment, and a portion of the front sprocket cover. Engine-wise, it appears a less restrictive exhaust was fitted to let the parallel-Twin breathe a little easier, and the throttle bodies that look like carburettors have done away with the stock airbox in favor of individual runners. All this is capped with custom paintwork.

What do you think of the Reynolds’ Triumph Thruxton done by Kott Motorcycles? See the video below to learn more about Reynolds’ history with two wheels and leave a comment below.

Each year around this time the MO staff gathers to contemplate the new breed of tasty two-wheelers coming our way. This is also when each editor begins positioning himself for a particular press launch. Last year, Preemptive Editor, Troy Siahaan made it abundantly clear that only an act of God would keep him from the R1 launch. This year he’s communicated the same thing about the new Suzuki SV650, a bike that, democratically, didn’t even make this list (Ouch. -TS).

Top 10 Anticipated Motorcycles of 2015

Top 10 Anticipated Bikes Of 2014

As good as last year was (R1, H2, Super Adventure, 1299 Panigale, Tuono 1100), 2016 is shaping up to be equally exciting. From a small-displacement beginner bike via a company unknown for producing such models, to a performance cruiser, a flagship superbike, a more comfortable version of our 2014 Bike of the Year, and a few concepts we’re betting will be rideable production versions before year’s end, the MO anticipation meter is topping out. So here, in alphabetical order, are the 2016 motorcycles we’re most erect to ride.

Carrying the banner of the Bonneville’s racing heritage, Triumph looked to the Thruxton, appropriately taken from the 500-mile racing series that first helped garner the Bonnie’s racing cred. While, as with all the new Bonnevilles, the authentic appearance is important, the primary emphasis with the 2016 Triumph Thruxton and the R was on power and handling.

Be sure to visit our 2016 Triumph Bonneville landing page to learn more about the background and details of the new Thruxton’s engine and chassis, including discussions with engineers who brought this critically important new platform to life for Triumph.

To take care of the power of the Thruxton, Triumph massaged the engine into what it calls the 1200cc “high power” state of tuning. While the 1200cc parallel-Twin maintains its same basic eight-valve configuration, the performance increase comes from the “low inertia” components, including a lighter crankshaft, higher compression head, high-flowing intake and exhaust, plus revised EFI tuning with sports mapping (in addition to the Rain, Road, and Sport ride modes). The resulting 82.6 lb-ft of torque at 4950 rpm is a whopping 62% more torque than on the previous Thruxton. (Since the 1200cc engine is 38% bigger than the existing 865 mill, even in an identical state of tune to the old engine, one would expect about a 40% bump in torque from the increase in displacement alone.) Also, note the higher rpm of the torque peak which points to the revvier nature of the engine. This type of jump in power would be difficult to achieve without the upgrade to liquid-cooling.

Suppose you ran a motorcycle manufacturer lucky enough to have produced one of the most iconic motorcycle lines of an era. For the past 15 years your factories had assembled a popular family of motorcycles based on that previous generation to steady increase in sales, ultimately totaling 20% of the company’s international purchases. Still, progress marches onward, global emissions laws change, and the time is ripe for refreshing and broadening the model line. Having stewardship over an icon carries a special weight, making any revision fraught with risk. However, where there is risk, often there is great opportunity nearby. Triumph Motorcycles found itself in just that position with the Bonneville and set about the task of updating and broadening the family to meet today’s motorcycling while remaining true to its heritage.

At a recent gathering of the world moto-press in London, Triumph outlined the design philosophy for its project to evolve the Bonneville icon. Miles Perkins, Head of Brand Management, outlined the delicate standard that the company felt must be met, saying that when transforming an icon, “it shouldn’t be a new, new thing; it should be today’s version of the thing.”

Motorcycle.com has acquired these spy images of two new Triumph prototypes undergoing testing in Spain, and they reveal a new liquid-cooled powerplant that will surely underpin all future Bonnevilles, Thruxtons, Scramblers, etc.

Triumph filed trademarks for the Street Tracker name in October 2012, and here’s the reason why. Looking at the photos, it would be easy to mistake the bike as a revision of a Bonneville or Thruxton, but upon closer inspection you’ll notice a small radiator tucked nicely between the two header pipes – a giveaway to it having liquid-cooling. Up until now, the only twin-cylinder Triumph with a radiator has been the big Thunderbird cruiser.