Five Flavours, Two New Favourites

Triumph’s 398 cc single-cylinder platform now spans five quite different Modern Classics, with the new Tracker 400 and Thruxton 400 adding a little more power and a bit more attitude. Both remain around the $10,000 mark, but are these merely exercises in style, or sufficiently different to earn their own place in the rapidly expanding Triumph 400 family?

Triumph Tracker 400

There is an interesting contradiction at the heart of Triumph’s Modern Classic range. The heritage cues can transport those of a certain vintage straight back a few decades, but Triumph is increasingly using the same recipe to court much younger riders.

The new Triumph Thruxton 400 in Carnival Red

Perhaps it is simply another case of what is old becoming new again. Although, here in Australia at least, us older buggers clearly haven’t got the memo. Triumph told us at the launch that around 70 per cent of Australian 400 customers are over 40, and around 70 per cent are also new to the Triumph brand.

Either way, the recipe is working. Triumph says more than 150,000 examples of its original Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X have found homes globally since the 400 platform arrived a little over two years ago. And almost 1500 of those are now on Aussie roads.

The Triumph Tracker 400 gives flat track vibes

We have already spent plenty of time on the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X, and more recently I sampled the Scrambler 400 XC. With the Tracker 400 and Thruxton 400 now completing a five-bike family, Triumph has gone from offering two flavours of its 398 cc single to covering a surprisingly broad spread of tastes.

The Triumph Thruxton 400 seems to take some inspiration from the now discontinued Speed Triple RR, which sported a similar fairing and look

We covered the technical details of the Tracker and Thruxton when they were first announced, but this time around it was down to Melbourne to see whether the different personalities Triumph promises also come through from the saddle.

Triumph 400 Range at a glanceShe’s got the look

There is no discounting how handsome this new pair are. The Thruxton is the obvious cafe racer, with its clip-ons, bar-end mirrors, small cockpit fairing and elongated proportions. Its slimmer tank works with that fairing to exaggerate the motorcycle’s length, while still holding the same 13 litres of go juice as the Tracker.

Clip-ons, cockpit fairing, tail cowl all look the business, alongside ‘bar-end mirrors

The Tracker is nominally the flat-track member of the family. There is the number board, flat and wide bar, long seat and suitably purposeful stance, but to my eyes there is more going on here than simply a dirt-oval tribute.

Triumph Tracker 400

Particularly in yellow, I get hints of the Kawasaki ZRX1100 and the Yamaha XJR1300; a bit of Japanese muscle-bike attitude, somehow rendered at around one-third capacity. Some of the other details even take me back to early Speed Triples. It is only when your eyes arrive at the solitary front brake disc that you squint a little and remember this is a ten-grand LAMS bike.

The details are otherwise beautifully handled. I particularly like the way the exhaust header curls tightly around the single-cylinder engine before the Tracker terminates things with its twin upswept outlets. The Thruxton instead uses a single sports silencer, which better suits its leaner tail.

The Tracker 400 receives the number board and more upright seating position, plus dual exhaust

The powder-coated engine cases, machined fin detailing, paintwork and bodywork all help these motorcycles look more expensive than they are. You can see where a fair proportion of the budget has gone.

Triumph have also done a good job on finish quality, helping their 400 range stand out

The least convincing details for me are the switchblocks, which seem unnecessarily large and somewhat out of place on otherwise beautifully finished motorcycles. The area beneath the Thruxton’s instrumentation and top triple clamp also gets a little busy with cables and wiring when viewed from the saddle.

They’re fairly minor blemishes, though. The rest of both bikes is executed so smartly that they are pretty easy to forgive.

Two very different places to sit

The differences become much more obvious once aboard.

The Tracker 400 provides a wider stance at the ‘bars, with ‘pegs also moved back and slightly up

Triumph has gone to considerable lengths with the ergonomics rather than simply changing the handlebars.

The Tracker’s broad, flat handlebar puts your hands noticeably lower and wider than on the Speed 400, while the footpegs move 86 mm rearward and 27 mm upward.

Those wide Tracker 400 ‘bars offer plenty of leverage

The result is the upright, elbows-out position you expect from the Tracker’s styling, but it never felt contrived to me. Some might describe the peg location as a mid-mount arrangement, but I generally loathe most mid-mount set-ups, and these felt completely natural.

The Thruxton 400 runs narrower clip-ons, but isn’t overly aggressive

The Thruxton uses the same rearward-and-upward peg relocation, but its clip-ons are 40 mm narrower and are substantially lower than the Speed 400’s handlebar.

That sounds far more extreme than it actually feels.

The clip-ons themselves rise considerably from their mounting point, so you certainly aren’t folded over the tank like a jockey at Flemington. A few people on the launch weren’t fans of the forward lean and complained about the load through their wrists. I wasn’t quite sure what they were complaining about. Engage your core, and there is very little weight on your hands. #softinfluencers

The Thruxton 400 may feel sporty for a new rider, but is still a fair way off a full supersport machine, with the clip-ons above the triple

It is a sportier position than the Tracker, clearly, but still a long way from what I would call an aggressive sportsbike crouch. Some riders will need a little time to recalibrate after climbing off an upright nakedbike, but that is about the extent of the hardship.

The Thruxton’s bar-end mirrors also deserve a mention. Most mirrors of their ilk seem to offer a wonderfully detailed view of your elbows, but these actually work rather well.

Seat height is 795 mm on the Thruxton and 805 mm on the Tracker, but those figures don’t quite convey how accessible they feel. Both motorcycles are so narrow through the middle that throwing a leg over and planting both feet is easier than the numbers suggest.

The Tracker bumps seat height up slightly at 805 mm to the Thruxton’s 795 mm, with both narrow between the legs

The Tracker gets a particularly nice long seat with a ribbed, almost suede-like appearance, while its rear grab rail also gives a pillion something meaningful to hang onto and provides useful purchase for securing a seat bag.

The Thruxton looks particularly good with its rear cowl fitted, which further narrows its appearance from behind. Or perhaps just makes your own arse look wider. Remove the cowl, and there is still provision for carrying a passenger.

The hottest version of the TR-Series single

The biggest mechanical distinction between this pair and the Speed and Scrambler models is inside the 398 cc TR-Series single.

A revised camshaft profile, altered timing and revised engine mapping have liberated another five per cent at the top end. Triumph claims just under 42 horsepower at 9000 rpm, up around two ponies on the 40 that is mustered at 8000 rpm in the Speed and Scramblers.

A small bump in horsepower at 2 hp is the equivalent of five per cent more top end

Peak torque remains unchanged at 37.5 Nm, but it now arrives a little later at 7500 rpm rather than 6500 rpm. More importantly, Triumph says more than 80 per cent of that peak is already on tap from 3000 rpm.

On the road, that last number matters more than the extra two ponies on the spec sheet. There is no sense that Triumph has sacrificed the friendly bottom and mid-range in search of a more marketable peak figure. Both bikes jump away from the lights smartly enough and pull cleanly from low revs.

Peak torque is also reached 1000 rpm higher, with a 1000 rpm higher red-line

The extra power arrives by extending the useful top end rather than transforming the character of the engine. Triumph has also given these two another 1000 rpm of headroom compared with the Speed and Scramblers, so there is more reason to hang onto a gear and let the single keep working.

Forty-odd horsepower might not sound like much in isolation, but this 398 cc single continues to punch above its weight division. There is enough urge to be entertaining, enough flexibility that you’re not constantly dancing on the gear lever, and enough highway performance that these machines don’t feel like something you’ll necessarily outgrow the moment your L plates disappear.

The Triumph 400s punch above their weight for small-capacity singles

The six-speed gearbox is fuss-free, and the slip-and-assist clutch is beautifully light. There is no quick-shifter, but I didn’t miss one.

About that gearing…

All five 400s share the same internal gearbox ratios, but the Speed, Tracker and Thruxton use a 15-tooth countershaft sprocket while the Scrambler models run a 14-tooth.

Both new bikes run a 17 inch tyre clad in a 150/60 tyre, although rubber choices vary wildly

At first glance, that suggests the Scramblers are geared around seven per cent shorter, and from the saddle I certainly remember the Scrambler 400 XC feeling punchier and less inclined to ask for a downshift.

There is, however, another factor in play. The Tracker, Thruxton and Speed use a 150/60-17 rear tyre, while the Scramblers run a much taller 140/80-17. On nominal tyre dimensions, the increase in Scrambler tyre circumference almost perfectly offsets that one-tooth difference at the countershaft.

Thus I wouldn’t put my subjective impression entirely down to the sprocket sizes. Tyre construction and loaded rolling radius can alter the real-world numbers, while mapping, acoustics and even riding position can influence how hard a motorcycle feels like it is pulling.

You’ll get a formidable set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres on the Thruxton 400

What I can say is that I would be tempted to try a 14-tooth front sprocket on either of these new models while retaining their 150/60 rear tyre. That would genuinely shorten the overall gearing by a meaningful margin, cost very little to experiment with, and the additional 1000 rpm available with the newer engine tune would give you plenty of headroom to play with.

The standard gearing certainly isn’t objectionable, though. Both remain relaxed enough at highway speed and have more than enough legs for the job. Unless you are planning a crack at Bonneville, however, I reckon I would trade a little theoretical top speed for a bit more snap everywhere else.

Wet roads and subtle chassis differences

Melbourne turned on a decidedly wet day for our introduction, which rather limited the appetite for heroics but did provide a useful look at how friendly these bikes are when conditions turn ordinary.

The Tracker has a 1371 mm wheelbase, 24.4-degree rake and 107.6 mm of trail, while the Thruxton stretches another five millimetres between the axles but has slightly steeper geometry at 24.5 degrees and considerably less trail at 101.5 mm.

The Tracker 400 was actually the quicker steerer of the two, talking small differences

You might therefore expect the Thruxton to be the noticeably sharper of the pair, but that isn’t quite how it came across to me. If anything, it felt fractionally more settled and a little lazier to steer than the Tracker.

I stress fractionally. We are talking about small differences here on wet roads while quickly swapping between two motorcycles. Neither asks for any meaningful effort to change direction, and both are easy to shuffle around at walking pace.

The different bars, riding positions and tyre profiles probably have as much influence on that initial impression as those few millimetres in the geometry chart.

The Tracker gets 140 mm of fork travel and 130 mm at the rear, while the Thruxton loses a bee’s dick at the front with 135 mm. The rear remains at 130 mm.

Suspension adjustment on both Tracker and Thruxton 400 is limited to preload at the shock

Neither offers fork adjustment, and the rear shock provides preload only, adjusted via the somewhat inconvenient threaded collar. That’s fairly basic hardware on paper, but Triumph has done a decent job with the damping and spring rates. The bones of these motorcycles are good enough that the lack of knobs to twiddle wasn’t something I dwelled on while riding. Even though I am not against a bit of knob twiddling…

Smokin!No skimping on rubber

Triumph has also resisted the temptation to save a few dollars where it really matters.

The Thruxton rolls on excellent Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV rubber, which is a pretty spendy tyre to find on a motorcycle at this price point. They even smell pretty sweet when smoking…

Pirelli MT60 RS tyres are standard fitment on the Triumph Tracker 400

The Tracker wears Pirelli MT60 RS hoops. Their chunky tread contributes heavily to the flat-track aesthetic, but from the saddle they behave like the road-focused tyres they fundamentally are.

Despite some seriously wet surfaces, neither tyre choice gave me anything to complain about. They’re good.

Brakes do the job; feel could be better

Braking is handled by a single 300 mm front disc and four-piston radial-mount caliper, backed by a 230 mm rear disc and ABS.

There’s sufficient stopping power for the performance on offer, and the brakes are nicely progressive, though I suspect many experienced riders would prefer more immediacy and feedback through the front lever.

Bybre provide the brakes, limited to a single front rotor and four-pot caliper for the 176 kg Thruxton (173 kg Tracker)

Triumph explained that its research suggests newer riders favour this softer, more progressive response.

Although after also telling us that around 70 per cent of Australian 400 buyers are over 40, perhaps some of those beginners have been taking their sweet time getting around to it…

Personally, I’d rather newer riders learn to properly modulate a strong set of brakes from day one. A powerful front brake with beautiful feel at the lever is, for me anyway, one of motorcycling’s almost sexual pleasures. I do remember catching myself actually sighing when sampling Brembo Hypures for the first time… Right, probably best we steer this back out of the Adults Only section.

Simple instruments, useful information

The cockpit follows the established 400 formula. A large conventional analogue speedometer dominates the binnacle with a relatively small LCD display integrated alongside it.

By modern standards the dash is very simple, split between analogue speedo and LCD display

It isn’t particularly flashy, but it works. The gear-position indicator is easy to read and the information you actually want – fuel level, distance to empty and the usual trip functions – can be seen without needing a magnifying glass or navigating six menus.

There is also a USB-C charging outlet, ride-by-wire throttle, switchable traction control and ABS.

The round headlight is run across both bikes, including DRLs

The round LED headlight is another nice styling touch. Viewed in the mirrors of another bike, its DRL and low-beam arrangement can almost make the following Triumph look like a twin-headlight machine.

A little buzz

One thing did surprise me after my recent time on the Scrambler 400 XC.

I had been impressed by how smooth the Scrambler felt for a relatively small single, including during plenty of high-speed highway running, but I picked up some vibration on both the Tracker and Thruxton around the point where the front edge of the seat meets the tank.

Some vibes were noticed on the 400s, but more testing is needed to confirm their prevalence

It was considerably more noticeable on the Tracker than the Thruxton.

Our rapid-fire model swapping didn’t give me the opportunity to determine whether this was characteristic of the Tracker or simply specific to the individual bike I rode, so I wouldn’t make too much of it without trying another example.

That said, the vibration does arrive at a part of the rider’s anatomy where some may consider it a feature rather than a fault… And somehow we’ve ended up back in the Adults Only section.

Where the ten-grand compromises appear

There has to be some compromise involved in making motorcycles that look and ride this well while landing around ten grand.

3.6 L per 100 km will take you places on a 13 L tank

There are no adjustable levers, no cruise control, and no quick shifter. Heated grips and a quick-shifter weren’t offered among the factory options presented to us; the forks are non-adjustable and rear preload is your only suspension adjustment.

Look at the motorcycles as a whole, though, and that seems a fairly sensible allocation of the budget.

I would rather Triumph spend the money on decent suspension calibration, excellent tyres, a radial front caliper, good paint, attractive bodywork and general fit and finish than load the specification sheet with electronics while cutting corners on the fundamentals.

The narrowing tank at the seat helps ensure a thin profile for new rides between the knees when mounting and putting a foot down

Both bikes carry 13 litres of fuel, with Triumph quoting consumption of 3.6 litres per 100 km. Realistically, you should be able to bank on around 300 kilometres from a tank.

The 16,000 km service interval should help keep running costs in check, but warranty cover is another story. Two years with unlimited kilometres is really the bare minimum these days, and it might be about time Triumph upped its game on that score.

16,000 km service intervals keep ownership costs down

Triumph’s online accessories configurator also makes it easy to see the various cosmetic and practical options without having to work your way through a parts catalogue.

Triumph Tracker 400 and Thruxton 400 verdict

The Tracker 400 is currently listed from $9,900 in Australia, with the Thruxton 400 from $10,390.

That is not an insignificant amount of money for a 400 cc single, but neither motorcycle feels cheap. More importantly, Triumph hasn’t simply bolted a different tank and handlebar onto the Speed 400 and called it a day.

The Triumph Tracker 400 will set you back $9,900

The new engine tune gives both bikes a little more enthusiasm up top, while the ergonomics, tyres, bodywork and chassis changes deliver genuinely different experiences from the saddle.

The Tracker is immediately easy to get along with, upright, roomy and playful, while the Thruxton asks the rider to lean forward and get involved a little more. Even then, its cafe racer riding position is nowhere near as committed as its appearance might suggest.

Neither offers every toy; the suspension specification is basic, and I’d like a little more feel from the front brake lever. I also want another ride on a Tracker to see whether that vibration was specific to our test bike.

The Triumph Thruxton 400 demands a slight premium at $10,390

Against that, the core package is impressively sorted. They’re light, approachable, nicely suspended for the money, shod with quality rubber, remarkably well finished and powered by a single-cylinder engine that continues to feel considerably more capable than its capacity and modest output figures might suggest.

Then there are the looks.

As Roxette said, she’s got the look.

Actually, both of them do.

No wonder Triumph’s little 400s are proving so popular. Despite the youthful pitch, the adults seem to be enjoying them every bit as much as the kids…

Triumph Tracker 400 v Thruxton 400 – Key DifferencesTriumph Tracker 400 ImagesTriumph Thruxton 400 Images