The 2015 Triumph Thruxton 900 Ace Cafe Special Edition sold on eBay is one of just 325 made to celebrate the historical tie-in between the British manufacturer and a famous North London biker’s meeting point - opens in new window or tab..
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The Ace Cafe London was where post-war clothing, music, and motorcycle culture developed in the UK. Bikes like the original Triumph Thruxton were at the epicentre.
Fast-forward several decades. The Leicestershire firm’s contemporary Thruxton was the basis for a limited-edition tribute machine. The very handsome Thruxton Ace seen here was for sale in Orlando, Fla. The seller claimed it rolled a mere 1,450 miles in its first 10 years.
The images show not only the Triumph’s exemplary condition but also an array of advertising material included in the sale. This is a nice touch, especially if the next owner planned to store the bike in their collection.
One-Off Livery
Close-ups show the Special Edition plaque atop the handlebar clamp, the one-off Thruxton 900 Ace livery, and the single seat, trimmed in diamond-stitched Oxblood material. The cosmetic treatment is a home run.
So is that unmistakable cafe-racer profile: Low bars and foot controls set back to encourage the rider to hunker down over the front wheel. The detachable tail section could be wheeled out onto a classic race grid as it stands.
Triumph launched the retro-styled Bonneville - opens in new window or tab. in 2000. It was a universal hit, like the original 1960s item. It looked right, sounded right, didn’t cost the Earth, and gave fans of classic British styling a bike they could use every day. Three years later, Triumph issued a cafe-racer derivative of the Bonneville, fittingly christened the Thruxton.
Very Fast
The Thruxton was named after a narrow and fast road course in southern England. It was fitted with the same 865-cc parallel-twin engine - opens in new window or tab. as the Bonneville. It resembled the original Thruxton’s motor but was all-new. It even featured fuel injection that looked like the original’s twin-carburetor setup at a glance. That’s how strongly Triumph was determined to keep up appearances. The result was 69 horsepower, although this could be enhanced easily.
The Bonneville and Thruxton sold well the world over for years as part of Triumph’s renaissance. They helped make Triumph the best-selling European brand in the US. When production of the 900 was scheduled to end in 2016, Triumph decided to build a fitting swan song. This example has to be one of the finest you can get.
But the fun doesn’t end there. Have you seen how many Triumph/Ace Cafe shirts - opens in new window or tab., badges - opens in new window or tab., and jackets - opens in new window or tab. eBay has, just for starters?
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