Triumph Thruxton 400 first ride review: A proper Thruxton or a Speed 400 in fancy clothes?

When you think of modern classics, there’s a very good chance you’re thinking of a Triumph Motorcycle. The very essence of the modern classic is classic styling with modern guts. A perfect harmony of then and now, something Triumph has done a very good job of democratising with its 400cc range of motorcycles – the Speed 400, Scrambler 400 X and XC and the Speed T4. Properly modern machines, with styling that seems timeless. The folks at Hinkley (and Chakan) have now decided to serve a strong shot of nostalgia by way of the Thruxton 400. A cafe racer that is steeped in history and serious racing pedigree, the Thruxton 400 promises to offer an honest Triumph cafe racer experience at an accessible price point. A lot of work has been done to ensure it feels authentic and offers a different riding experience than its stable mates. Is this then a proper Thruxton or is it a Speed 400 in fancy garments? Let’s find out.

Triumph Thruxton 400 design

Triumph has paid a lot of attention to detail while designing the Thruxton 400. With the name associated with one of the most beautiful bikes in the world, the 400 has big shoes to fill and Triumph has done quite a good job with the Thruxton 400. Seeing the many thousand spy shots, I wasn’t too convinced with the styling of the bike, but seeing it in the flesh changed my opinion quite quickly. It is well proportioned and captures the Thruxton aesthetic very well. Like the Speed 400, it’s still a compact and lithe machine. The addition of the fairing and the bubble windscreen does add to its visual mass. The tank has been reprofiled to aid the more aggressive riding stance that comes courtesy of lower and narrower clip ons that replace the single piece handle bar, and footpegs that are taller and more rear set. The seat is a single piece unit, again reprofiled with the riding position in mind. The seat also gets a classic cafe racer style cowl that can be easily removed when you begrudgingly want to take a pillion along for the ride. The rear subframe is narrower than on the Speed 400. Which means a narrower rear section and a new tail light as well. The tail section is the only sore spot in an otherwise very well thought out design. The narrower rear subframe is the reason Triumph couldn’t use the Speed 400 tail light on the Thruxton 400. Which, in my opinion, would look much better.

The new fuel tank also gets a new ‘Monza’ style fuel filler cap finished in brushed aluminium. This again, is the only weak link, in terms of the finish levels, on an otherwise very premium feeling motorcycle. The Thruxton 400 will be available in four colours – the red that we rode, a yellow with a grey strip on the tank, a black and a white with black and blue accents. While these colours look great, why there isn’t a British Racing green colour way is beyond me. Triumph, are you listening? The cafe racer styling is completed with bar-end mirrors and on the whole, the Thruxton 400 is an honest attempt at making an accessible cafe racer. One that looks properly handsome.

Triumph Thruxton 400 engine and performance

Powering the Thruxton 400 is the same 398cc TR Series engine that does duties on the other Triumph 400s. In the cafe racer, it is in its highest state of tune with revised camshafts and other internals that have resulted in a 1000rpm higher red line. Power has gone up by 1.9bhp to 41.4bhp and peak power and torque, which is the same 37.5Nm is made 1000rpm higher at 9500rpm and 7500rpm respectively. While the gear ratios remain unchanged, the final drive has been altered with a two-tooth smaller rear sprocket. With the higher redline of 10,200rpm and the 15/43 front/rear sprockets, the Thruxton 400 has been tuned to be naughtier in the top-end of the rev range. Credit where it’s due, Triumph has done this without compromising on the low-end and mid-range power delivery too much. The slip and assist clutch remains and the gear box is slick as ever. Unlike the Speed 400, the Thruxton feels lively after 6000rpm but sadly, that’s where the refinement issues creep in as well.

6500rpm is where you start to feel the vibes creep in, especially on the footpegs. Keep wringing the throttle and the vibrations get more aggressive and by around 8500rpm it gets quite prominent and a bit annoying. This takes away from the fun a bit because at higher revs is where the Thruxton is the most fun to ride. The turn of speed is rapid without being scary. On the flip side, the low and midrange tractability is not as potent as the Speed 400 but is still pretty good. If you are riding quickly then you need to work the gearbox a fair bit. But if you’re out on a Sunday cruise you can easily ride at slower speeds in a higher gear and get away with it. The exhaust has been tuned along with the engine and it does sound a little more throaty. Triumph should have certainly used the Thruxton 400 as an opportunity to introduce a quickshifter to the TR series of engines. If not as standard fitment, at least as an optional extra. All in all, I’m really glad that Triumph went the extra mile to give the Thruxton 400 a bespoke tune and with that a character of its own.

Triumph Thruxton 400 chassis, ride and handling

Underpinning the Thruxton 400 is largely the same chassis setup that you find on the Speed 400 but with a few key changes that make it a whole lot sportier than the roadster. Starting with the steering geometry. With a 24.5 degree rake angle, 0.6 degree sharper than on the Speed 400, the Thruxton 400 responds quicker to steering inputs. The clip-on handlebars that are 40mm narrower and considerably lower than the single piece upright handlebar on the roadster. This along with the rear set foot pegs translates to the rider being able to put more weight on the front wheel. The sharper rake has also resulted in a 10mm reduction in wheelbase. Apart from that the 43mm big position fork and the monoshock have been tuned with damping characteristics that are ideal for sportier riding without compromising on ride quality. To that end, the suspension at the front and rear has 10mm more travel at 140mm and 130mm respectively when compared to the 2025 Speed 400 UG.

On the handling front, the Thruxton 400 certainly feels sportier and poised to attack the corners. More so than the Speed 400. It turns in quickly and holds the line well, all while feeling nimble and stable. It doesn’t feel as rabid as something like the 390 Duke but certainly much better than the Speed 400. The riding position has a lot to do with this. It’s committed but not supersport committed. This means that you have as much fun commuting on the Thruxton as you would attacking a set of corners. It does feel a little soft but that’s because Triumph has also ensured a plush ride. It certainly copes with our cratered roads with a level of sophistication and a lot better than you would expect a bike like this to. While I would have preferred a stiffer, more committed setup for the suspension for sport riding, I completely understand Triumph’s decision to go for a ‘best of both worlds’ setup as buyers will actually enjoy riding the bike even when not in a sporty setting. Braking is handled by the same setup as on the Speed 400 and it feels just as good. The Thruxton 400 stops very well with a well calibrated lever feel that allows for linear braking. All the changes made to the bike have resulted in a weight gain of 4kg over the Speed 400 with the Thruxton 400 tipping the scales at 183kg. But the extra oomph from the engine more than compensates for the extra weight.

Triumph Thruxton 400 verdict

The Thruxton 400 is priced at ₹2.74 lakh (ex-showroom). That makes it roughly ₹24,000 dearer than the Speed 400. But that money is money well spent, because what you get with the Thruxton 400 is not just a cosmetic mod. Proper work has gone into transforming the modern classic roadster into a modern classic cafe racer. Apart from the fairing, the engine is more potent and fit for purpose, as is the chassis, with all the small changes that have resulted in a motorcycle that not only has a character of its own but also lives up to its name tag rather well. Arguments can be made for calling this the Speed 400 RR owing to the fact that it does resemble the Speed Triple 1200 RR in some ways. I prefer the Thruxton name and the history it brings with it. History that Triumph is proud of and have done a good job of channeling into the Thruxton 400. No, the bike is not perfect. There are a few refinement, fit and finish issues that need to be resolved, but I trust that these things should get sorted out. Do I recommend that you go out and get a Thruxton 400? If a fun cafe racer is what you seek, one that is accessible, fun and easy to live with. 100 per cent yes.