2015–2016 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
Ace Cafe Style, Delivered
The Thruxton Ace is the special-edition build of Triumph's café racer, put together around the Ace Cafe in London, and the styling is where the effort went. Pure White over Jet Black paint, an oxblood seat, bar-end mirrors, and a low bar position give it a shape that holds up at ten feet, at three feet, and with your hand on it. Underneath sits the air-cooled 865 cc parallel twin, 68 hp and 51 lb-ft, fuel injected and tuned for a broad useable spread rather than a peak. Suspension is adjustable front and rear. There is no rider-aid package, and this motorcycle is better for it.
What comes back is a bike with real personality, and one that ages well. The air-cooled twin is mechanically simple, servicing is straightforward, and reliability holds up over the long run. Parts and custom pieces are everywhere, so most owners end up making it their own. This is for the rider who wants style first and knows exactly what that costs. The honest caveat: ABS is not fitted, the five-speed gearbox and a 115 mph top speed mark the ceiling, and 4.2 gal at 37 mpg means you think about fuel on a long day. Judge it on character, not on the numbers.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 68 hp (51 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 51 lb-ft (69 Nm) |
| Displacement | 865 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-18 |
| Rear tire | 130/80-17 |
| Seat height | 32.3 in (820 mm) |
| Wet weight | 507 lb (230 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.2 gal (16 L) |
| Top speed | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 37 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
First thing you notice is the reach. The bars sit low and forward, the 32.3 in seat puts you into a proper café-racer crouch, and your body settles into a shape that feels right on a back road and rather less right in stop-and-go traffic. The air-cooled twin talks to you through the pegs and the tank, a steady low-frequency pulse at cruising speed that never turns into numbness, and an exhaust note that's more thump than bark. The bar-end mirrors ask for a small shoulder tuck before you can see what's behind you. At 507 lb the bike settles the moment you're rolling, and the 18-inch front wheel gives everything an unhurried, deliberate rhythm. Close the throttle and you hear honest mechanical noise. You are a working part of this motorcycle, not a passenger on it.
None of this comes from my own miles on the bike. It's what has collected over the years from people who actually ride one: talk in the paddock, evenings when owners roll their machines out, and the notes riders send me directly once they've lived with theirs. The pattern holds steady across all of it. The affection is genuine, and so is the short list of things owners quietly work around.
The look dominates. Riders raise the café racer stance and the finish first, and they are still raising it long after the novelty should have worn off. The engine sits right behind it: owners describe a twin with soul, torque spread wide, and a sound that makes a short ride worth taking. Servicing gets called easy and serious trouble rare. A smaller group talks about how light and willing it feels on a good road.
Push it and the suspension loses its composure, and the front brake draws steady criticism for weak bite and vague feel. Some riders expected more punch from a twin this size and put the blame on the quiet exhaust. Distance is where the grumbling collects: the low bars and rearsets turn sore after a few hours, and there is very little between you and the wind once the speed comes up.
Ignition pickup coil failure at high mileage
The ignition pickup coil can fail around 40,000 miles, causing a no-start condition. The repair is relatively straightforward and inexpensive.
Where this Triumph Thruxton Ace 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 Ace is actually built for.
Small towns, old routes, an unhurried pace: this is exactly the bike's world, and it looks the part everywhere you stop. Just plan fuel stops and accept the forward-leaning position on long days.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
It flows nicely through Hill Country curves and turns heads at every stop, but 68 hp and no ABS mean it rewards a smooth rider more than a fast one. Style first, pace second.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
The identity and the sound are there, but this is a café racer, not a cruiser. No luggage, a committed crouch, and long interstate slogs to the rally are the part you won't enjoy.
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 Ace. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
