Inspired by the legendary Ton Up Boys of the 1950s and 60s and the first 100mph lap in the Isle of Man TT by Malcolm Uphill in 1969, the new Thruxton RS Ton Up Edition pays tribute to those record-breaking Thruxton. The unique design is only available for one year.
The original Thruxton played an important role in the early days of motorsport. In the late 1950s, the Bonneville made its first in the legendary Thruxton 500 racing series, from which it takes its name, courtesy of British racing legend Mike Hailwood. From then on, the Thruxton was a dominant force – race winner and record breaker – with years of success in the 1960s.
In 1969 the Thruxton had won the Isle of Man TT, with Malcolm Uphill breaking the magical 100mph mark (lap times are given in average speed in the IOMTT) for the first time. And on the road, its twin-cylinder performance had also made it the motorcycle of choice, inspiring a new generation of youthful racers – a now-iconic subculture centered around British café racers and Rock n’ Roll music – the “Ton Up Boys”.
Driven by the common goal of doing “the ton” – riding 100 mph – the café racers of the era would modify their motorcycles to maximize speed and handling by stripping them down to the bare minimum.
Celebrating that passion, racing heritage and iconic style, the new Thruxton RS Ton Up Edition now celebrates the legendary period in the British motorcycle scene with a unique new classically inspired scheme, available for one year only.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.