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Triumph’s new ‘ultimate café racer’

With their range of ‘modern classics’ among the most popular of all retros and cafe racers and with models such as the Bonneville, Thruxton and Scrambler the ‘go-to’ bikes for customisers and specials builders, it was probably only a matter of time before Triumph themselves began to offer custom, exclusive, hand-built special versions of its bikes.

Phil West

Words by: Phil West

Published on 29 January 2019 | 0 min read

And boy, on the strength of the first offering from its new Triumph Factory Custom division, it was really worth the wait!
That first bike, called the Triumph Thruxton TFC, is about as special and mouth-watering as the modern fashion for retro-styled café racers get – and with just 750 to be built, all individually numbered and priced at an expected £17,500, you’d expect it to be, too.
It’s based on the already class-leading Thruxton 1200, which is the high-powered, performance, café racer flagship of Triumph’s all-new Bonneville family launched in 2015. In top spec ‘R’ trim, producing a healthy 96bhp and equipped with classy Brembo brakes, Ohlins suspension and more, it’s already a stupendous café racer costing around £12,400.
But for this new TFC version, that’s just the start. First, you get beautifully engineered lightweight carbon fibre bodywork, including a stunning one-piece carbon cockpit fairing, front mudguard, seat cowl, heel guards and silencer end caps. On top of that there’s a billet machined aluminium top yoke with TFC branding, premium brushed nickel mirror centres, tinted screen, real leather seat with stitched detailing, and billet machined aluminium oil filler cap.
Next you get a whole host of blacked out features, including premium black anodised multi-spoked wheels, black Öhlins RSU springs with black decals, black engine covers and a black tail tidy. While all of that is then set off with gold detailing, badging and instrument faces, unique key with gold detailing and even a stylish custom gold chain.
And that’s just the cosmetics. Performance-wise Triumph haven’t held back with the Thruxton TFC, either. Peak power is up by a decent 10bhp thanks to a whole host of lighter weight engine components, high compression pistons and revised ports and cam profiles. There’s also a special, Vance & Hines exhaust with titanium silencers and carbon fibre end caps not to mention a unique laser etched co-branded logo.
While the chassis gets significant upgrades in the form of fully adjustable Öhlins upside down NIX30 front forks and fully adjustable Öhlins piggy back reservoir rear shocks not to mention Brembo four-piston M4.34 radial monobloc calipers and twin floating front discs. And finally, thanks in part to all the carbon-fibre and lightened components, overall weight is cut by 5kg, too.
See? Told you it was special…

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