Triumph Thruxton 400 (2026) - Technical Review

The Triumph Thruxton as we previously knew it was dropped at the end of 2024 with the flourish of a Final Edition variant but the name’s demise has proved only temporary as 2026 sees a new Thruxton join the lineup in the form of a single-cylinder café racer.

Dubbed Thruxton 400, the new bike is a far cry from the 1200cc machine that last held the title but it’s laser-focused on the burgeoning market for small-capacity bikes that’s attracting not only new riders but also existing motorcyclists looking to step down from bigger bikes or to add an additional, affordable, fun machine to their garage.

Having made its debut in India in mid-2025 – after all, that’s where Triumph’s single-cylinder, 400cc machines are built, by partner brand Bajaj – Triumph has decided there’s enough demand to bring it to other markets including the UK in 2026.

Pros & Cons

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Price & PCP Deals

Already on the market in India, the Thruxton 400 reaches UK dealers in March 2026 with an RRP of £5,995, only £750 more than the base Speed 400 that it borrows its main components from. It’s £250 more than the Tracker 400 that debuts alongside it as a new 2026 model, and only £150 more than the base version of the Scrambler 400 X, while undercutting the Scrambler 400 XC by £550. In short, all Triumph’s 400s are tightly packed in a small span of prices, so it’s likely to be desirability rather than cost that decides which of the growing array of models proves the most popular.

Those that pick the Thruxton will then have to decide between four colour options: the Carnival Red, Phantom Black and Metallic Racing Yellow versions each get an Aluminium Silver stripe across the tank, matching the finish on the throttle body cover, and another on the pillion seat cowl, while the Pearl Metallic White model gets a Storm Grey version of the graphic. Each also gets a smaller, contrasting stripe in blue, black or red depending on the chosen base colour. There’s no price difference, regardless which colour you choose.

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Engine & Performance

The engine is the same 398cc ‘TR’ single that debuted in the Speed 400 but the Thruxton, like the Tracker 400 that was launched alongside it, gets a fraction more power thanks to longer duration and higher lift cam lobes on the intake side along with revised mapping.

That pushes the peak output from 39.5bhp to 41.4bhp, arriving at 9,000rpm instead of 8,000rpm. The revvier nature of the engine is arguably more significant than the outright power increase, encouraging riders to keep it on the boil and suiting the bike’s sportier style.

Max torque is unchanged at 27.7 lb-ft, but again arrives 1000rpm higher than the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 models, at 7,500rpm, although Triumph says four fifths of that output can be accessed as low as 3,000rpm so you don’t need to keep the engine screaming.

An assist-and-slipper clutch takes the power to a six-speed transmission, as on the other bikes in the range, and the use of ride-by-wire throttles means there’s switchable traction control as standard.

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Although the basic elements of the Thruxton’s chassis – the steel frame, 43mm Big Piston forks and piggyback-reservoir gas shock – are similar to the parts used on other bikes in the range, the café racer has been tailored to have a character of its own when it comes to the handling.

At 1376mm, the wheelbase is a gnat’s shorter than the Speed 400 (1377mm) and substantially less than the 1418mm Scrambler 400 X, but it’s longer than the Tracker 400’s 1371mm. The rake, at 24.5°, splits the difference between the Tracker’s 24.4° and the Speed 400’s 24.6°, but, somewhat surprisingly, it’s the Scrambler 400 X and XC that have the steepest forks in the 400cc range, at 23.2°. At 101.5mm, the Thruxton has less trail than any of the other 400s, though, pointing to sharp steering. It’s also worth bearing in mind the Thruxton is the only model in the 400 lineup that doesn’t carry the weight of the headlight on its steering assembly, which should make it sharper still.

That’s a result of forks that are a fraction shorter than the others, with 135mm travel where the other 17-inch wheel models, the Speed 400 and Tracker 400, have 140mm. The rear wheel movement, at 130mm, is the same as its siblings.

When it comes to the brakes, the Thruxton borrows from the Speed 400 and Tracker 400, using the same four-pot ByBre caliper on a 300mm disc at the front and a single-piston floating caliper and 230mm disc at the back.

Given the similarities between the bikes, it’s no surprise their weights are also close, the Thruxton coming in at 176kg thanks to that fixed front fairing, 6kg more than the Speed 400 and 3kg more than the Tracker 400.

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Comfort & Economy

If comfort is your priority, the Speed or Tracker might have the edge over the Thruxton, which understandably has the most head-down riding position of the bunch.

The bars are 40mm narrower and 246mm lower than the Speed 400’s and 63mm narrower and 112mm lower than the Tracker 400’s, and while the pegs – 86mm further back and 27mm higher than the Speed 400’s – are in the same position as the Tracker’s, the seat is 10mm lower than the Tracker’s at 795mm, making for the most knees-bent riding position of the bunch.

The tank shares its 13-litre capacity with the other models in the range, but it’s reshaped with indents to give space for the low-mounted bars and topped by a Monza-style filler cap. Like the Tracker 400 that shares the same engine spec, the fuel economy is fraction worse than the Speed 400 or Scrambler 400 X, coming in at 78.5mpg where those bikes manage 80.7mpg, and resulting in a small loss in potential tank range, which comes down from 230 miles to 224 miles from brimmed to dry.

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Equipment

The rider is faced with the same instruments used on the other models in the range, with a large, analogue speedo flanked by a small LCD readout for revs, fuel level, gear position and odometer. There’s none of the colour screens, navigation or phone connectivity that are fast becoming the norm on a growing number of bikes, and notably their absence hasn’t deterred the vast number of buyers who opted for the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X in their first years on the market. Triumph does offer a Beeline nav system as an option, though.

There’s ABS, of course, and the switchable traction control system, plus a USB-C socket.

Optional extras specific to the Thruxton include a quilted seat, and many of the existing add-ons for the rest of the 400cc range can also be spec’d on the café racer.

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Rivals

While the 400cc class is booming at the moment, if you want a neo-retro, faired café racer in that segment your choices are slimmed dramatically. In fact, the Thruxton pretty much has the market to itself. If it’s a faired, single-cylinder sports bike that you’re after, the KTM RC390 is an obvious option, and closely matched to the Triumph on price, while spreading the net to include twins or naked retro bikes opens a much bigger array of possibilities, from the Yamaha R3 on the sports end of the spectrum to the Thruxton’s sister models if you’re open to an unfaired alternative.

KTM RC 390 - Clearly not a retro machine, but probably the raciest single-cylinder machine on the market in this capacity category. Has the edge on the Triumph in terms of suspension, with adjustable damping at each end, and it’s a lighter bike overall, but not as visually appealing as the British offering.

Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 - Not faired, perhaps, but the closest approximation of a neo-retro café racer on the market at the moment, it shares its basis with the KTM 390 range. It’s also a bargain at the moment, albeit for unsold 2024-spec machines.

Triumph Speed 400 - While the idea of bait-and-switch probably isn’t on Triumph’s mind, it’s easy to imagine customers being drawn into showrooms by the Thruxton’s glamourous looks only to decide that the closely-related Speed 400, with a more upright riding position, lower-revving motor and lower price tag, is actually what they need.

KTM RC390 | Price: £5,899

Read more

Power/Torque

44bhp / 27.3lb-ft

Weight

158kg (dry)

Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 | Price: £3999 (normally £5599)

Read more

Power/Torque

44.3bhp / 28.8lb-ft

Weight

159kg (dry)

Triumph Speed 400 | Price: £5245

Read more

Power/Torque

39.5bhp / 27.7lb-ft

Weight

170kg

2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Verdict

With the ongoing interest in retro bikes and the 400cc market, plus something of a resurgence for small sports bikes at the moment, the Thruxton could prove to be a hit. The real decider will be whether customers that have been calling for a café racer in the range are prepared to reach into their pockets now one is actually available.

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2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 - Technical Specification

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