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2016 Triumph Thruxton 865 Review
2016 Triumph Thruxton 865 on www.Totalmotorcycle.com
The Thruxton is born of the café racer culture that dominated motorcycling in the 1960s…
Inspired by the Triumph Bonneville-based café racers popular in the 1960s, and named after the Hampshire race track where Triumph enjoyed so much success, the Thruxton is Triumph’s sportiest classic. Back then, British twins, usually Bonneville engines, were used to form the basis of home built bikes. Used to race from one café to another, they featured extensive modifications such as dropped bars, single seats and upswept exhausts. To this day, we’ve kept many of these styling cues for the modern Thruxton. Named after the high speed British circuit where Triumph enjoyed great success in production racing, it follows in the tyre tracks of the legendary 1960s Thruxton T120R.
And just like those café racers of the 60s, the modern Thruxton is Bonneville based but nowadays, our engineers have made sure it rides like a modern Triumph twin. So it’s dependable enough for everyday use, easy and fun to ride yet still evokes the classic café racer look.
Iconic Engine
The air-cooled 45° V-Twin engine at the heart of every Softail model is a prime example of what makes a Harley-Davidson motorcycle more satisfying than anything else. Its clean, uncluttered shape fits perfectly in the downtubes of the frame.
Twist the throttle and the surge of torque hits you exactly where it counts. The knowledge of what makes an engine truly move a rider runs deep at The Motor Company, and it’s been put to particular good use to power the Softail family. We counterbalance the engine, which means we can bolt it directly to the frame. It keeps the styling tight at the center of the bike. It lets the rider feel the pulse of the V-Twin. Yet there aren’t any vibrations rattling the fillings out of your teeth. What’s good gets even better for 2016.
The Softail family gets a power upgrade to the new Screamin’ Eagle® Air-Cooled Twin Cam 110B™ engine. More power is always a Harley-Davidson tradition.
Technology
The beauty of the technology on a Softail motorcycle is that it never looks technological. That didn’t happen by accident and it doesn’t come easy, particularly when you consider that the inspiration for the family is the clean, wide-open lines of a vintage hardtail. Clutter it up with too many high tech doo-dads and you have a different machine entirely. Take a look at the anti-lock brakes now standard on many Softail models and available across the line. ABS gives you the control you want on a modern motorcycle. But our teams of industrial designers and engineers weren’t finished until the whole system had a streamlined design.
The same goes for the clean look to the handlebars, thanks to a new electronic throttle system on every Softail model. With each passing year, adding a little technology to the ride looks better and better.
Handling
If you’ve never experienced a Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle, it’s time to find out what you’ve been missing. The venerable Softail frame has logged untold millions of miles, and we’ve put every one of them to good use. The result: one of the most fun rides in all of motorcycling. We’ve spent the years making the frame stiffer, the geometry more balanced and the braking more precise.
The dazzling wheels are wrapped in premium Dunlop rubber. The low seats give you a confident feeling of being a part of the motorcycle. Get out on a rolling stretch of backcountry highway and it all comes together. The crisp and responsive ride. The killer looks. As long as we build motorcycles like this having a good time will never go out of style.
Comfort
The authentic look of a Softail motorcycle comes from the days before anyone knew much about building a suspension. The rigid hardtail frames of yesteryear had a pure, uncluttered look that riders still love. But the bone-rattling ride meant your grandpa needed to strap on a kidney belt to keep his internals intact. The Softail family uses modern technology to consign the kidney belt to the museum. We’ve kept all the modern comforts where they belong—below the surface of a rad bike loaded with authentic style.
You get the classic lines of a vintage “hardtail” frame with the horizontal rear shocks hidden in the guts. It’s a signature rigid look, and you’ll only find it on a Softail model.
Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).
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