All the Duels – Harley-Davidson 48 Vs Triumph Thruxton: the Anglo-Saxons clash! – Nose to the wind …

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Harley-Davidson 48 Vs Triumph Thruxton: the Anglo-Saxons clash !

All the Duels - Harley-Davidson 48 Vs Triumph Thruxton: the Anglo-Saxons clash! - Nose to the wind ...

Post-modern bobber or neo-retro cafe-racer? While riding on such motorcycles, one is sure not to come across the same one on every street corner. But it comes at a price: that of exclusivity. Two Free Electron Test: Harley 48 Vs Triumph Thruxton.

Nose to the wind…

Our two machines can be appreciated in town and enjoyed on the road … but little more! This is particularly true for the Forty-Eight which offers a really painful quartered position to hold over time and zero protection..

Add to that a mini tank – admittedly cute as everything – with the grotesque capacity of 7.95 liters and you have one of the worst motorcycles to travel! On average, plan a passage in reserve between … 80 and 90 km !

For its part, the Thruxton is more apt to cut the road even if this is not its vocation either. It protects as little as the Harley, but the rider’s much more aerodynamic position allows it to withstand the air better. As for its autonomy, it is quite correct thanks to its tank twice as large as that of the 48.

Bobber slider

Let’s quickly leave our short motorway link to take advantage of our two free electrons on nice little roads !

First observation that is obvious and especially to the feet: the bobber is not intended to take an angle! Its ground clearance is frankly reduced and all the tight turns result in a shower of sparks emanating from the nipples of the footrests. Needless to say, they melt like snow in the sun…

Even if the arson is not at all on the program of the "Forty-eight", we would have appreciated that Harley allowed him to turn a little drier … Likewise, we will favor the beautiful surfaces rather than the macadam so stoned the American is hard. It makes you wonder if the US manufacturer has not forgotten to put a rear suspension !

Braking side, nothing very fabulous either … The single front disc pinched by a double piston caliper does what it can to brake the 260 kg of the machine, but the result is very far from current standards.

Cool attitude

It will be understood that sport is not at all the cup of tea or the glass of Coke at Forty-Eight, but it is far from boring. We even take great pleasure in cruising on the handlebars.

The bobber is easy to ride at a normal pace and its cycle part shows reassuring stability. The 1202 cc V-twin provides very nice sensations with omnipresent torque and flexibility, just like the vibrations filtered just enough by the silentblocs.

Only the very firm rear suspension with too short travel affects both comfort and traction on uneven surfaces.

The pace is necessarily more removed from the handlebars of the Thruxton, more playful at heart. But in the era of king-size tires (marketing obliges!), You have to get used to the sensations that can be provided by a very fine ride of 100 mm at the front and 130 mm at the rear….

These "small" tires give a surprising agility to the Triumph: at the beginning, an inexperienced motorcyclist on this type of machine will throw it almost too quickly on the angle! But we quickly get caught up in the game of this neo-retro sporting position: fortunately its braking – in the current good average – is there to keep watch.

Cafe go-getter

So we really have fun with the English on the small roads: she knows how to stay safe and comfortable at the same time. In these conditions however, unlike the city, the consensual character of the English parallel twin somewhat diminishes the driving pleasure. The twin responds to all speeds and the gearbox is forgotten … but almost too much !

Given the look and the universe to which the Thruxton would like to take us, we would like it to be a little rougher … Strangely, we almost regret not having to fight a little more with the machine. This also goes hand in hand with a sound too muffled.

But beware, these remarks are valid for a certain type of playful use … In most cases, we will be happy to enjoy the approval of a modern machine disguised as an old one. !

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