British fans of Triumph’s latest 400cc platform might be justified in feeling a little bit peeved this week, as the latest variant on the TR series 398cc-powered range was released in India before anywhere else. The new 2026 Thruxton is a neat little café-racer styled version of the Speed 400 roadster which has been such a big hit for the firm.
And it’s being launched in the sub-continent first, to some applause it seems. It makes sense in a lot of ways of course: the 400cc range is built in India by Triumph’s partner firm Bajaj and that market is massive, for the small bike class in particular.
The basics of the Thruxton are pretty straightforward, in similar fashion to the bigger Thruxton models from down the years. That name, borrowed from the UK’s fastest race track in Hampshire, has denoted a higher-spec machine, based on the firm’s classic sporty roadsters, with uprated running gear, a sharper engien tune, café racer clip-ons, rearsets and riding position, and sometimes with a small flyscreen or optional larger fairing.
And that’s what we have on this bike too – mostly. The Thruxton 400 takes the basic Speed 400 engine and chassis, and tickles it up a little for some enhanced performance and sharper style. The obvious change is to the bodywork, which gets a proper half-fairing with similar style to the Speed Triple RR, and a round LED headlamp, while the bars are swapped out for racier low clip-ons and the footpegs moved back and up a little. There’s also a redesigned 13 litre fuel tank, with a classic ‘Monza’ endurance-style fuel cap, which is a nice touch.
Less obvious are the changes to the motor – here the smart little DOHC 4v water-cooled 398cc single-cylinder unit has had a bit of an old-school tune-up, with altered cam timing to give a dollop more power up top.
Okay, there’s only an extra couple of peak ponies, now up to 41.4bhp from 39.5, but they come higher up the rev range, and peak torque, while the same as before at 37.5Nm, is now made 1,000rpm higher. A simple race cam fitment then, as you’d have done back in the 1960s, moving the torque curve higher up the rev range and adding some top-end shove to the standard TR series unit’s grunty road motor tune – classic stuff indeed.
There are fewer mods than usual to the Thruxton 400 chassis though; where you might see an Öhlins shock or an uprated brake caliper fitment on bigger Thruxton variants, the 400 sticks with essentially the same running gear as the Speed 400 – Showa Big Piston 43mm USD forks, and a Showa rear monoshock suspension unit with a piggyback reservoir and preload adjustment.
The front end has a little less suspension travel than on the Speed 400 – but just 5mm less at 135mm, which you’ll struggle to notice, we imagine. And the stoppers have the same spec, with 300mm front disc and a four-piston radial mount caliper from Brembo’s Indian arm ByBre.
The frame has some minor tweaks to the geometry to suit the new setup, with slightly shorter wheelbase and altered steering head angle, but is again very similar to the Speed 400 spec.
All good news then – but there has been a bit of a weight penalty, with the new Thruxton weighing in at a hefty 13kg more than the Speed 400. That’s still a weight wet of 183kg though – eminently manageable for most riders.
There’s no firm word on when (or if) we’ll see the new Thruxton in UK Triumph showrooms, but we’d be frankly stunned if it didn’t make an appearance at the European bike shows this autumn, for a 2026 launch. It will offer an interesting little choice in that 300-400cc class, with a more premium, sportier option to the more frumpy machinery like Royal Enfield’s Meteror/Hunter 350, BSA’s new Bantam and Honda’s GB350S.
Whether that will work for potential owners – do people want a classic-styled sporty small motorbike or will the prefer a more conventional performance bike in the sector like a Yamaha R3 – remains to be seen. Particularly considering the higher price that will be charged for the Thruxton 400 compared with those bikes.
We’re keen to have a spin on the new Thruxton 400, though, for sure – more on UK availability and pricing when we get it.
2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 Specs
Engine/transmission
Type: Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4 valve, DOHC
Bore/stroke: 89x64mm
Compression ratio: 12:1
Max power: 42 PS / 41.4 bhp (30.89 kW) @ 9,000 rpm
Max Torque: 37.5 Nm @ 7,500 rpm
Fuelling: Bosch electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Exhaust: Stainless twin-skin header system with stainless steel silencer
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate, slip & assist
Transmission: six-speed gearbox
Chassis
Frame: Hybrid spine/perimeter, tubular steel, bolt-on rear subframe
Swingarm: Twin-sided, cast aluminium
Wheels: Cast aluminium alloy, 17 x 3.0 in (front) , 17 x 4.0 in (rear)
Tyres: 110/70 17 (front) 150/60 17 (rear)
Suspension: 43mm upside down Big Piston forks. 135mm wheel travel (front), gas monoshock RSU with external reservoir and pre-load adjustment, 130mm wheel travel (rear)
Brakes: Single 300mm fixed disc, four-piston radial caliper (front), 230mm fixed disc, single piston floating caliper (rear), dual channel switchable ABS
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 1,376 mm
Rake: 24.5°
Trail: 101.5mm
Ground clearance: 158 mm
Seat height: 795 mm
Wet weight: 183 kg
Fuel capacity: 13 litres
2026 Triumph Thruxton 400 TECH HIGHLIGHTS
New engine tune with revised cam timing, more power at higher revs
Classic neo-retro half-fairing
Sportier café racer riding position with clip-ons and rearsets
Analogue speedometer with integrated multi-function LCD screen
Ride‑by‑wire throttle
Slip and assist clutch
Switchable ABS and traction control
USB‑C charging port
Full LED lighting