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2020 · Retro Classic · A variant of the Thruxton
Differences between the standard Thruxton and the RS
Café Racer Looks That Deliver
The Thruxton RS runs a 1197cc liquid-cooled parallel twin making 103 hp at 7,500 rpm and 83 lb-ft at 4,250 rpm, a torque-rich engine that still loves to rev toward the top. Underneath the classic silhouette sits real sporting hardware: an adjustable Showa SFF-BP fork, Brembo M50 calipers on a 310 mm front disc, and Triumph's ride-by-wire throttle maps with three ride modes, ABS, and traction control tucked out of sight behind the twin analog clocks. This is the sharp end of the modern café racer, where style and genuine pace finally share the same machine.
It rides like a bike built to be owned for years rather than flipped. The finish, the detailing, and the design carry the whole proposition, and the deep aftermarket lets you shape it to your taste without fighting the platform. It suits the rider who wants real café-racer style with enough sport to back the look. Be honest with yourself about the trade: at 470 lb wet with a committed forward lean and a 3.8-gal tank, this is a weekend seducer and a short-hop stylist, not a long-haul tourer. Buy it for character, and it delivers.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 103 hp (77 kW) @ 7,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 83 lb-ft (112 Nm) @ 4,250 rpm |
| Displacement | 1197 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 310 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70 R17 |
| Rear tire | 160/60 R17 |
| Wheelbase | 55.7 in (1415 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.9 in (810 mm) |
| Wet weight | 470 lb (213 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.8 gal (14.5 L) |
| Top speed | 130 mph (210 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 43 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Braking
Thumb the starter and the argument for this bike begins with your ears. The parallel twin has a hard, mechanical bark that fills in as the revs climb, and you feel it through the pegs and tank as a low, steady pulse that keeps reminding you a real engine is doing the work. You sit forward and low over the bars, weight on your wrists, the classic café crouch that looks the part and asks a little of your body in return. Out on an open road it settles and feels planted at a fast cruise, holding its line with a reassuring heft under you. The switchgear, the clocks, the tank finish all reward a second and a third look. Every touchpoint tells you where the money went.
The Thruxton RS (986ME-RS) builds on the standard Thruxton: the upgraded hardware, the key spec changes and where its character shifts. The full ride, specs, scoring and verdict are all right here on this page.
| Spec | Standard Thruxton | RS | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 68 hp | 103 hp | +35 hp |
| Torque | 53 lb-ft | 83 lb-ft | +30 lb-ft |
| Displacement | 865 cc | 1197 cc | +332 cc |
| Top speed | 115 mph | 130 mph | +16 mph |
| Seat height | 31.1 in | 31.9 in | +0.8 in |
| Front brake | 320 mm | 310 mm | -0.4 in (-10 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.2 gal | 3.8 gal | -0.4 gal |
The read here comes from listening rather than testing: the owner threads that run for pages, conversations in paddocks and parking lots, and the steady stream of messages riders send once they've lived with the bike. Filter all of that down to this Thruxton and two threads dominate the chatter: how it pulls, and how it turns.
The loudest, most repeated praise is for the engine. Riders describe a strong, willing twin with a sharp, snappy throttle and no shortage of punch, and they keep coming back to how satisfying it is to wind out. The response reads as crisp and immediate to them, the kind of motor that rewards a rider who works it rather than short-shifts. Across the community this is the single point owners agree on most.
Close behind sits the way it handles. Owners consistently report a composed, communicative chassis that corners with more precision and poise than the classic bodywork suggests, and at an everyday backroad pace it feels light and easy to place, willing to change direction without fuss. There is a caveat a smaller number of riders raise. Pushed genuinely hard, they find the suspension can go soft and start to wallow, leaving the bike feeling unsettled right when they are asking the most of it. For most owners that limit sits well beyond how they actually ride.
Rider mode and clock resetting
Some owners report that the selected riding mode and clock time spontaneously reset to default when the ignition is cycled off and on. The cause is not well understood, and there is no universal fix.
Check engine light from exhaust sensor misreading
One owner reported an engine warning light caused by a misreading from the exhaust sensor at the catalytic converter. The issue was resolved by a dealer in 10 minutes, likely a false lean/rich condition.
Where this Triumph Thruxton pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Thruxton is actually built for.
This is exactly your kind of machine for classic style on historic two-lanes, and the looks and sound carry the whole trip. Just plan your stops around that small tank on the longer legs.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
You get real sport for the Hill Country ridgelines and the style that fits the after-ride BBQ. It's a superb weekend weapon, just not the bike for big all-day mile counts.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
The character and the exhaust note deliver the identity you ride for. Know that this is a lean-forward café racer, not a cruiser, so the posture and the range play differently than a bagger.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Triumph Thruxton. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
