2016 Triumph Thruxton 1200 R

2016 Triumph Thruxton 1200 R sits at the top of Triumph's modern classic range, replacing the old air-cooled 865cc Thruxton with a genuinely more capable machine underneath the same cafe racer silhouette. This is a bike built for riders who want the low clip-ons and humped seat aesthetic but don't want to sacrifice real-world usability getting there. The liquid-cooled parallel twin pulls with a torquey, unhurried character at low revs, and that 270-degree firing order gives it an uneven, almost V-twin-like exhaust note that suits the retro styling better than the old bike's engine ever managed. Twisty back roads and short commutes are where it feels most at home, not long highway slogs.

As the first year of the 1200cc generation, the 2016 model carried over without significant mechanical changes from the prior year, since it introduced the platform outright with no predecessor to compare against within this new architecture. There were no special editions or recalls tied to this launch year.

Buyers tend to be experienced riders moving up from smaller standards or older air-cooled Triumphs, drawn by cafe racer looks paired with modern brakes, suspension, and fueling. Collector interest is building steadily rather than spiking, making early well-kept examples worth watching.