So...noone knows what the hell a Thruxton is.

S

simpson

TT Racer
What the hell is wrong with people?

Of all the people that I have told about my new baby (2006 Thruxton) exactly ONE knew what the hell I was referring to.

How underground is Triumph brand?

I admit, it is cool when I have people ask me about it...they are genuinely curious about a great looking bike.

But, in conversation, with the bike not in sight it is a very rare thing to find an enlightened soul.

Maybe that is part of the beauty.

-simpson
 
KingBear

KingBear

Hooligan
I think it's cool to have a mysterious bike. Wouldn't you hate it if every time you told someone what kind of bike you have they said, "Oh yeah, I see those all over the place. My brother-in-law has one." Might as well ride a Harley.
 
DavidC

DavidC

Rocker
I do not think Thruxton was ever a model offered by Triumph until Hinckley came to be, rather it was a stylized Bonneville or Thunderbird. Anyone who knows a bit about bikes knows Bonneville, Trophy, Tiger, maybe Trident.
You have a beautiful, eclectic motorcyle there. Good for you!
 
S

simpson

TT Racer
Absolutely the rarity is part of the beauty...

The appeal is when I take it to the local Harley dealer for the state inspection and it gets more looks and inquiries than bikes that are 4x's as much $$.

She's like my girlfriend...Nice to look at...GREAT to ride!

-simpson
 
mikenva

mikenva

Rocker
DavidC said:
I do not think Thruxton was ever a model offered by Triumph until Hinckley came to be, rather it was a stylized Bonneville or Thunderbird. Anyone who knows a bit about bikes knows Bonneville, Trophy, Tiger, maybe Trident.
You have a beautiful, eclectic motorcyle there. Good for you!
Click to expand...
this true in the usa anyway back in the 60s and 70s everyone knew what a bonneville was no one talked about cafe raceing .Hell i never hread of the rocker thing till i started going on these forums.We had drag races and rat races on the street back then.I think its more a brit thing.I guess a rat race was the same thing from point a to point b no rules who ever had the most balls or was the best rider won.hell i road over a 100 mph many a year before i knew what the ton was.I never understood why it was such a big deal here in the USA most everyone had been over 100mph.
 
bdavanza

bdavanza

Street Tracker
Triumph did have a limited production Thruxton model in it's past but if you say Thruxton to an old britbike fan, they will probably think you are referring to a Velocette.
Here is some Thruxton info, and a link to the Velocette Thruxton wiki below:
What's a Thruxton?
Here's Triumph's explanation: Thruxton Race circuit, near Andover in Hampshire, Great Britain, is well known as the fastest racetrack in the UK. Originally an RAF base the first race - organised by the Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club took place on the 4th of August 1952, on a 1.89-mile circuit. In 1953 a 2.75-mile circuit was used but in 1968 the British Automobile Racing Club took over the track, and on the 1st of March that year a 2.35-mile circuit - virtually identical to the one in use today - saw its first race.

Nowadays, only one motorcycle race a year is held at Thruxton, a round of the British Superbikes. But back in the sixties Thruxton was a popular venue for two-wheeled racing action. One of the events - the Thruxton 500 - was of major importance to the various British motorcycle manufacturers because it was a 500-mile test of their machinery, in public. Scoring a result in the Thruxton 500 meant selling bikes, so competition was fierce and the racing tough - and Thruxton is a fast, bumpy and demanding track, equally hard on riders and machinery. A win in the Thruxton 500 was well deserved.

The 650cc twin-cylinder, twin-carburettor T120 Bonneville had proved itself a worthy racer since its introduction in 1959 and in 1962 Tony Godfrey and John Holder rode their T120 to victory in the Thruxton 500. An advert titled 'Thruxton Triumph by Bonneville' appeared in The Motor Cycle, and so the Triumph Thruxton came into being.

The era of the production racer for sale came into being. The Triumph T120R Thruxton was hand built by a team of dedicated Triumph technicians, using specially picked components and precision-machined cylinder heads and crankcases. Power was increased but not at the expense of reliability and each Thruxton engine was bench tested to deliver around 53bhp, at 6800rpm with a safe rev ceiling of 7200rpm.

This was no mass-market machine, however as only around 55 Thruxton T120Rs were built and today they are extremely rare. Back then though they represented speed, reliability and a distinct edge, which only helped to reinforce the desirability of the Bonneville even further. And replicating the Triumph Thruxton look for the average Bonnie owner was easy - and bolting go-faster race-bred accessories to bikes became an essential past-time for the enthusiast.

The zenith for the Thruxton Triumphs was reached in 1969 when Percy Tait and Malcolm Uphill finished first in the Thruxton 500, ahead of two other Triumphs. So while Thruxton Circuit remains a fast but little used track in rural Hampshire, its name was leant to a breed of motorcycles that captured the hearts and minds of an eager public.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocette_Thruxton
 
Texas94fs

Texas94fs

Hooligan
I love how most likely all of us thruxton owners didn't know exactly where and what our bikes name came from ha ha.. I knew the racetrack but, not the rest of that stuff
 
S

Seamusm

moped
I gotta say, even without knowing the fine points of the marque's history, there's something about it that I think people -- bikers or not -- just immediately sense. I mean in all my years of riding, I've never had a bike that attracted small crowds whenever I stop for coffee the way my Thruxton does.
 
BillTheCat

BillTheCat

Scooter
Seamusm said:
I mean in all my years of riding, I've never had a bike that attracted small crowds whenever I stop for coffee the way my Thruxton does.
Click to expand...

I have and it was a 1973 TR7 Cafe Triumph. Back then I rode with a lot of Harley guys even back then panheads and shovels were twice the cost of my Triumph but when we stopped people would gather around the Cafe and ask questions it got to be a on going gag in the group I rode with. It seemed like it was worse than the Thruxton It gets its share of attention but not like that old 73 did :c
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top