Triumph Thruxton R 1200 T120 2016-2023 Service Manual

Rider Magazine's own comparison against the Thruxton R's Bonneville T120 stablemate says everything about this bike's character: "from the T120, you get a reserved, gentlemanly riding experience. On the Thruxton, well... crack the throttle and hang on for dear life." Launched in 2016 as the modern reinvention of a nameplate tracing back to the 1960s Thruxton 500 endurance race, the R designation marks the range-topping, premium-suspension version of Triumph's café racer.

Power comes from Triumph's "High Power" 1,200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin, SOHC with 4 valves per cylinder, sharing its core architecture with the T120's "High Torque" engine but running a low-inertia crank and a 500 rpm higher redline for a genuinely livelier, quicker-revving character. Output sits at a claimed 96-97 hp at 6,750 rpm and roughly 82.6-83 lb-ft of torque at 4,950 rpm, run through a 6-speed gearbox with a torque-assist clutch light enough for single-finger operation. Ultimate Motorcycling's launch review at the Portugal press debut praised the linear torque curve and quick low-rpm spin-up, delivered through twin throttle bodies and ride-by-wire fueling.

What separates the R from the standard Thruxton 1200 is genuinely premium chassis hardware: fully adjustable Showa Big Piston inverted forks, twin Öhlins piggyback rear shocks, Brembo monobloc four-piston front calipers gripping dual 310-340mm discs, and sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires — equipment that Bennetts' buying guide notes puts genuine distance between the R and the base model's conventional fork and fixed calipers. Standard electronics include switchable ABS and traction control, three ride modes (Rain, Road, Sport), and a classic twin-clock instrument cluster blending vintage looks with modern function. A 2019 special edition, the Thruxton TFC, brought carbon fiber bodywork and further weight savings in a 750-unit limited run. Dry weight sits around 203kg (448 lbs), with a 31.9-inch seat height. This generation was eventually succeeded by the further-updated Thruxton RS, which bumped output to 104 hp.