Triumph Thruxton RS (2020+) Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule and serrvice intervals for the Triumph Thruxton RS, the update to the Triumph Thruxton 1200 R for 2020.
The Triumph Thruxton RS has an updated 1200cc “high power” parallel twin engine. It’s still a liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel twin with a 270 degree crank, but peak power is up by 8 PS to 105 PS (103 bhp), with peak torque delivered 700 rpm lower in the rev range — but a 500 rpm higher redline.
On top of that, the Thruxton RS gets higher spec brakes (Brembo M50 calipers up front), and fully adjustable front and rear suspension, with a Showa fork at the front and Öhlins twin shocks at the rear. The Thruxton RS is a genuinely sporty bike, that has as much go as it happens to have show — but it just happens to have a whole lot of show!
The maintenance schedule very similar to those for other motorcycles with similar engines in the Triumph Modern Classics, like the 2021+ Triumph Speed Twin, but the parts specs are different.
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What you need to service a Triumph Thruxton RS
Even though the majority of people who own such a new motorcycle will get it serviced at a dealer, a number of people out there will be doing their own service. Maybe you just want to do the obvious and easy stuff (or maybe you’re like me, and you enjoy it). Anyway, this guide is for you!
Here’s a list of the things you need to service your Triumph Thruxton RS.
| Part | Part spec for the Triumph Thruxton RS |
|---|---|
| Oil | Triumph recommends 10W/40 or 10W/50 semi or fully synthetic motorcycle engine oil that meets specification API SH (or higher) and JASO MA, such as Castrol Power 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 (fully synthetic) engine oil. |
| Oil filter | Replace the oil filter every time you change the oil. Use Triumph part number T1218001. You can also use Hiflofiltro’s HF204RC. |
| Brake fluid | Triumph motorcycles need DOT 4 brake fluid (the RS has a clutch cable, so you don’t need fluid for the clutch). |
| Coolant | Triumph uses Hybrid Organic Acid Technology coolant with a 50% ethylene glycol mix. This is a silicate-based HOAT coolant. You can use an equivalent, like PEAK OET European Vehicles Blue. See our analysis of equivalents to Triumph HD4X. |
| Front brake pads | The RS has Brembo M50 calipers at the front. Part numbers for the pads are T2028925. You can also use EBC FA447HH. |
| Rear brake pads | Use FA214/2HH (same for many Triumph motorcycles). Triumph part number for the pads is T2021541. |
| Spark plugs | NGK code LMAR8A-9. Note they’re sold individually. Make sure they’re gapped to 0.9mm with an appropriate spark plug gap tool. |
| Air filter | The part number for the air filter is T2201122. You can also use K&N part TB-1216. |
| Cable maintenance | Protect All Cable Life is a good-quality cable maintenance product. You can also use engine oil (but it’s a bit messy) |
| Chain maintenance | A good kit to have on hand is the Motul chain care kit — including lubricant, cleaners, a brush, and so on. |
| Battery | Dead battery? Grab a Yuasa YTZ10S. |
Maintenance Schedule for Triumph Thruxton RS
Below is the maintenance table for the Triumph Thruxton RS, modified from the manual to be
- Part of the below table includes checks you should do every day. Do these as part of the annual check too.
- We’ve removed the break-in schedule as the time would already have passed.
- Keep repeating this maintenance schedule beyond the end of the indicated time/distance.
| Mi x 1000 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Km x 1000 | 16 | 32 | 48 | 64 | Every |
| Lubrication | |||||
| Engine – check for leaks | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Engine oil – replace | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Engine oil filter – replace | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Fuel System and Engine Management | |||||
| Fuel system – check for leaks, chafing etc. | • | • | • | • | |
| Throttle body plate (butterfly) – check/clean | • | • | • | • | |
| Autoscan – Carry out a full Autoscan if you have Triumph tools | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Air cleaner – replace | • | • | • | • | |
| Fuel filter – replace | • | • | |||
| Throttle bodies – balance | • | • | • | • | |
| Fuel hoses – replace | 4 years | ||||
| Evaporative loss hoses* – replace | 4 years | ||||
| Ignition system | |||||
| Spark plugs – check | • | • | |||
| Spark plugs – replace | • | • | |||
| Cooling system | |||||
| Cooling system – check for leaks | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Cooling system – check coolant hoses for chafing/cracks/damage. Replace if necessary. (Zerex G05) | • | • | • | • | |
| Coolant level – check/adjust | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Coolant – replace | 3 years | ||||
| Engine | |||||
| Clutch cable – check function and adjust as necessary (lubricate as needed with Protect All Cable Life) | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Valve clearances – check | • | • | |||
| Camshaft timing | • | • | |||
| Wheels and Tires | |||||
| Tire wear/tire damage – check | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Tire pressures – check/adjust | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Wheels – inspect for damage | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Wheel bearings – check for wear/smooth operation | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Steering and Suspension | |||||
| Steering – check for free operation | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Front and rear suspension – check for damage/leaks/smooth operation | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Fork oil – replace | • | ||||
| Steering head bearings – check/adjust | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Steering head bearings – lubricate | • | • | |||
| Brakes | |||||
| Brake pads – check wear levels (check parts table above) | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Brake master cylinders – check for fluid leaks | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Brake calipers – check for fluid leaks and seized pistons | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Brake fluid levels – check | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Brake fluid – replace (Castrol DOT 4) | 2 years | ||||
| Drive Chain | |||||
| Drive chain slack – check/adjust | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Drive chain – wear check | 500 mi (800 km) | ||||
| Drive chain – lubricate (Motul Chain Care Kit) | 200 mi (300 km) | ||||
| Drive chain rubbing strips – check | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Electrical | |||||
| All lights, instruments and electrical systems – check/adjust | • | • | • | • | Day |
| General | |||||
| Instruments, chassis ECM (if equipped) and engine ECM – check with Triumph tools (if available) | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Fasteners – inspect visually for security | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Bank angle indicators – check for wear | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Side stand/Center stand – lubricate/check operation | • | • | • | • | Day |
| Side stand pivot pin – clean/grease | • | • | • | • | |
| Carry out all outstanding Service Bulletin and warranty work (are you a Triumph mechanic?) | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Carry out road test | • | • | • | • | Year |
| Complete the service record book and reset the service indicator (if you can) | • | • | • | • | Year |
* Evaporative system fitted to models for certain markets only.
Wheel and Tyre/Tire Specs for the Triumph Thruxton RS
The Thruxton RS comes standard with Metzeler Racetec RR tyres on lightweight 12-spoke cast wheels.
The tyre sizes and recommended pressures are below.
| Wheel | Tyre (Tire) size | Tyre (Tire) pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 120/70 ZR17 | 2.5 bar / 36 psi |
| Rear | 160/60 ZR17 | 2.5 bar / 36 psi |
General information about the Triumph Thruxton RS
The Triumph Thruxton RS is — like the other Thruxtons 1200s before it — the sportiest bike in Triumph’s “Modern Classic” line-up. It has the fastest motor, the best braking and suspension, and the most aggressive riding position.
So it’s interesting that it’s all that, and yet it’s not the fastest bike Triumph makes — that would be one from the Speed Triple family. But the Thruxton RS is a stylishly designed classic that refuses to be pigeonholed as an “all-show, no-go” bike — in fact, it goes pretty much exactly as fast as it looks like it can.
The Triumph Thruxton RS is powered by the 1200cc motor shared by other fast bikes in the Modern Classic line-up, like the latest Speed Twin. It’s a liquid-cooled 8-valve parallel twin with a 270 degree crank.
In the RS, the engine produces 77 kW (103 bhp) at 7500 rpm, and 112 Nm (83 ft-lb) of torque at 4250 rpm. Those figures and rev ranges mean that this is a bike that really hauls without you ever having to take it to north of 10,000 rpm as you would on a sport bike.
The power and torque figures are also slightly higher than those that you’ll find in the Thruxton R. This comes via quite a few upgrades — a low-inertia crankshaft, clutch, and balance shafts, a rare-earth alternator, magnesium cam cover, high-compression pistons (the compression ratio is a not-too-aggressive 12.1:1), revised ports and a revised camshaft profile — all reducing inertia by 20%, giving the engine more ability to rev quickly. This also helps the Thruxton RS get to peak torque lower down — a rare treat in the age of emissions restrictions.
The maintenance of the Thruxton RS is easy. It’s basically a naked bike, which means you can do its relatively infrequent oil and fluid changes without having to muck around with removing panels.
The only slightly inconvenience is doing a valve service, which means removing the tank. Boo-hoo! It’s only every 16000 km (10000 miles) so while not infrequent, isn’t so frequent (or complicated) that it’ll bleed you dry.
The riding gear on the Thruxton RS is advanced, stopping short of high-tech gadgetry like electronic self-adjusting suspension.
Front suspension on the RS is via a fully adjustable Showa 43mm upside down fork, and rear suspension is via fully adjustable Öhlins twin shocks with piggyback reservoirs. Both ends give 120mm (about 4 inches) of travel.
Front braking on the RS is via Brembo M50 front brake calipers, the kind often found on superbikes of a couple of years ago (which these days are upgrading to Brembo Stylema calipers).
Manual for the Triumph Thruxton RS
The above maintenance schedule comes directly from the user’s manual for the Triumph Thruxton RS, which is available on the Triumph website, consulting other manuals to cross reference.
