Triumph Thruxton R and rolling mill Ducati Louis 75 in comparison test

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Triumph Thruxton R and rolling mill Ducati Louis 75

From apples and pears

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There is a saying that one should not compare these two types of fruit with each other. Due to the different properties, no reasonable result can be obtained. Why that? A look at the two cafe racers Triumph Thruxton R and Walzwerk-Ducati Louis 75.

D.As is well known, life would be rather boring if one only did what is sensitive, sensitive, permitted and / or even healthy. And since PS has not set itself the goal of wanting to be the most sensitive of all motorcycle magazines, let’s take a closer look at these two red Zoras and let our gaze wander over the cafe racers. The standard Triumph Thruxton represents the apple group, so to speak, while the Ducati unique specimen symbolically belongs to the pear tribe. They are both long, flat and bare, and they have their handlebars clamped directly to the golden fork tubes. The Triumph is moderately sporty, and the rolling mill Ducati Louis 75 is super sporty.

Triumph Thruxton R and rolling mill Ducati Louis 75

From apples and pears

Triumph Thruxton R the new top model from the English

But let’s first look at the Triumph Thruxton R. It is the top model of the completely newly developed classic series presented in spring 2016 by the English. Regardless of its name, it is that of a racetrack in the south of England, the Thruxton is not intended for fast laps on the Kringel. Tea combination of 225 kilograms of weight and 97 hp of power makes racer circles at best a bored yawn. But it is always enough for extremely rapid progress on the country road. The seating position also fits. The pilot is placed old school, but not old-fashioned, the handlebars are at a moderate height. The long, narrow tank enables a narrow knee that four-cylinder drivers can only dream of.

But now enough has been talked about, let’s go! The 1200 series twin has a 270 degree crank pin offset, so it sounds like a 90 degree V2. It emits its sound waves through conical sound bodies made of fine steel. The Euro 4 homologated Triumph Thruxton R is also a good example that sound has nothing to do with volume. Because what escapes the two dampers is just as bassy, ​​voluminous and heart-warming as it is well-muffled. The one or the other noise-savvy reader might be uncomfortable with the topic of noise, but in the age of impending road closures and growing citizens’ initiatives against motorcycle noise, dealing with this topic sensitively and self-critically is not stuffy, but simply necessary.

Basic tuning of the Thruxton is quite tight

From just above idle speed, the twin of the Triumph Thruxton R picks up power, the power increases constantly, while the torque curve makes its way at a high level, almost horizontally. Of course, the twin has neither the revving power of a 600 nor the elemental force of a 1000, it is rather a huge fist that grabs you in the neck and presses you forward pretty quickly. Six-fold portioned, the power is passed on to the handling-promoting slim 160 mm rear wheel, when stepping down in front of the curve, the anti-hopping clutch prevents wild punching in the approach. The fully adjustable spring elements, Showa at the front and Ohlins at the back, are quite tight in terms of their basic set-up, thus making them fun for everyone. At a moderate speed, the response behavior leaves a lot to be desired despite the compression and rebound stages being almost completely open.

With a loose hand, the Thruxton rushes towards the meeting point in a thoroughly agile, neutral and unshakable manner. She can also convince in front of an audience. Because with many details, the question arises what was most important to the developers: appearance, feel or function? If you look at the carburettor dummies made of cast aluminum or the engine covers made of brushed aluminum, it becomes clear that real freaks have prevailed here. With the required 14,500 euros, the Triuimph Thruxton R is by no means cheap, but still worth its price. And compared to the bike we’re here for, it’s still a bargain. Thanks to Andre Walek, head of the Nolangroup, it is in person. The Louis Ducati Walzwerk Nolan Bike. Let’s call it Louise for the sake of simplicity. According to Walek, Louise is actually more suitable for looking at, something for the living room and less suitable for driving. The tank is so tiny, range is less than 100 kilometers. Sure, a show bike is a show bike, the look counts, nothing else. But why does it have a black license plate, albeit with an expired TÜV, and has lights and indicators and such? And why was she given the chassis that she carries? Probably not to look at! But before we start, let’s take a closer look at Louise.

The Louis-Nolan-Ducati inspires even when it is stationary

As already mentioned, interested parties could vote on Louise’s figure via the internet, with the stipulation that as many attachments as possible should come from the Louis range. Where that was not possible, something new was created. The tank and rump on the shortened rear frame were hand-hammered from aluminum, the spars of a Ducati 999 R are in the self-made fork bridges. The complete titanium system is a one-off from Akrapovic. So far so good. The only stupid thing is that the guys from the MotoGP department took on the task. That’s how Louise sounds too. And what meets enthusiastic ears at the biker meeting or at festivals can only fail the reality check. In order not to let the milk in the udder of the cows, which fortunately stood in a sparsely populated area, get sour, or even to attract the cops, extreme restraint on the throttle was called for during the photo production.

Which is a shame in that, thanks to the successful suspension set-up and very good feedback from the front wheel, Louise lets herself be chased through the Winkelwerk both quickly and with pleasure. The faster, the better. The small tank is less of a problem than the torture stake in suede, known as a bench, which stifles the desire for longer rides before the ears bleed. Finally, there is one more tip left: Dear Andre, get Louise a decent pipe, then paragraph 29 will work, too. And the driving pleasure afterwards. Because it is definitely too good to stand around.

Conclusion

In a story like this there cannot and should not be a winner, the requirements for the respective concepts are too different. In addition to the approval regulations, the Triumph Thruxton R also has to submit to commercial aspects during manufacture, and must appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. With the Thruxton, the British have succeeded in putting a functional, emotional and by no means boring bike on the wheels. Compliment. This makes the rolling mill Ducati Louis 75 much easier, after all, exactly one person has to like it. It is all the better that the result is such an agile driving machine. You can live with the tank, which is as beautiful as it is small. But the killer noise doesn’t work at all. But that could also be changed without watering down the look too much.

Technical data Triumph Thruxton R

drive

Water-cooled two-cylinder in-line engine, four valves / cylinder, 72 kW (97 PS) at 6750 / min, 112 Nm at 4950 / min, bore / stroke: 97.6 / 80.0 mm, 1197 cm³, compression: 11.0: 1, ignition / injection system, 44mm throttle, mechanically operated multi-disc oil bath slipper clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain

landing gear

Double loop frame made of steel, steering head angle: 67.2 degrees, caster: 92 mm, wheelbase: 1415 mm, Ø fork inner tube: 43 mm, spring travel from / h .: 120/120 mm

Wheels and brakes

Light alloy spoked wheels, 3.50 x 17 / 5.00 x 17, front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 160/60 ZR 17, 310 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 255 mm single disc with double-piston floating caliper at the rear, Traction control, ABS

Weight

(full tank) 225 kg *, tank capacity: 14.5 liters super

Base price

14,500 euros (plus 450 ancillary euros costs) *

* PS measurement

Technical data rolling mill Ducati Louis 75

drive

Air-cooled two-cylinder 90-degree V-engine, two valves / cylinder, 68 kW (92 PS) at 8000 / min, 91 Nm at 6000 / min, bore / stroke: 94.0 / 71.5 mm, 992 cm³, Compression: 10.0: 1, ignition / injection system, 45 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-plate anti-hopping dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, chain

landing gear

Steel tubular space frame, steering head angle: 66 degrees, caster: 96 mm, wheelbase: 1440 mm, inner fork tube Ø: 43 mm, spring travel from / h .: 120/148 mm

Wheels and brakes

Steel-spoke wheels with aluminum rims, 3.50 x 17 / 5.50 x 17, front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 180/55 ZR 17, 320 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 245 mm single disc with single-piston floating caliper at the rear

Weight

(full tank) 167 kg *, tank capacity: very few liters of super

Redeemed price

34,000 euros

* PS measurement

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