TRIUMPH THRUXTON 400 BOY, OH BOY!

Does Triumph's latest 400cc Modern-Classic deserve your money? We ride the new Triumph Thruxton 400 and here's our review.

- DR MANAN CHATURVEDI

ANY motorcyclist worth their salt is aware of the fact that Triumph makes some of the most desired motorcycles in the world.

They have been at it for a long time, and they certainly have not slowed down. However, for the most part, their motorcycles have been out of reach for a lot of people. That all changed when Triumph came with the 400cc TR range. And fortunately for us, that very prolific range has another member now. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Triumph Thruxton 400 and here's our review of it. Man... what a time to be a biker!

Backtracking a little, when Triumph announced that they were going to enter the entry-level market, we were overjoyed. Even then, we did not expect Triumph to price their motorcycles so aggressively. We expected a premium because, well, it is a Triumph for God's sake.

But the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X, in addition to being stellar motorcycles, knocked it out of the park with their price. Then came the T4 to make matters even betters. Ignore that, please.

Then came the announcement that there was going to be another motorcycle in Triumph’s 400cc Modern-Classic range. A legendary name, no less. Thruxton. Now, when manufacturers use the same platform for many models, things tend to remain... not too distinct, to put it mildly.

So when the Thruxton 400 was announced, we thought it would be a Speed 400 with a fairing. But Triumph, despite using more or less the same underpinnings as the Speed 400, have managed to create a motorcycle that is so distinct that the Speed 400 feels like a very distant cousin to it... in a good way, of course.