Why TAYM Chose a Hitchcox Motorcycles Aftermarket Exhaust for His Triumph Thruxton 1200RS
After Fifty Years in the Saddle, The All Year Motorcyclist chose Hitchcox Motorcycles
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For our latest Hitchcox Motorcycles ambassador spotlight, we spoke to a rider who has spent a lot of time on two wheels, long enough to know exactly what he wants from a motorcycle, and exactly what's missing when it isn't there.
"Having ridden motorcycles for over 50 years I have a full understanding of the benefits derived from doing so. For me, riding a motorcycle is an immersive activity, whether its popping to the shop, commuting, a blast to a café or the local bike meet, or longer rides. As a result, I believe it is important that the ride stimulates our senses. This includes the sound my bikes make as I ride. This sense above others seems prod and poke my memories, helps reset my mood and binds me to the bike through my hand to the throttle, to the engine, to the back wheel and ultimately the exhaust and the sound it produces."
That connection between rider, machine, and sound is the thread running through his whole experience with his Triumph and it's what eventually led him to Hitchcox Motorcycles.
Something Was Missing for TAYM...
Every bike plays a different role in a rider's life, and not every bike demands the same soundtrack. But for his Triumph Thruxton 1200RS, something was missing.
"Of course, different bikes can have different roles and for some bikes sound can come futher down on the priority list. I was content with the sound my Triumph Thruxton 1200RS made but had always felt that it needed more, almost like it need to breathe."
"As the chrome edition Thruxton, I didn't want to put just any off the shelf exhaust on it, it had to match the quality of the bike. In addition, the sound had to match the character and power of the bike but with out simply increasing the volume."
First Impressions: Hitchcox Motorcycles Build Quality, Straight Out of the Box
That search for quality over raw volume is exactly where Hitchcox Motorcycles aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to stand apart, and it showed from the moment the box was opened.
"When my cans arrived, I knew immediately I opened the box that the Hitchcox Motorcycles cans were going to be something special. From the quality of the finish, the perfect welds, the light weight and the precision lasered Hitchcox Motorcycles logo, I knew I had made the right decision."
Half the weight of the stock system, with fit and finish that held up to a chrome-edition Thruxton, first impressions were already doing a lot of the talking.
The Sound Test: Finding the Goldilocks Spot
Build quality is only half the story with any aftermarket exhaust, the sound is what a rider lives with on every single journey.
"Of course, all of this would be for naught if the sound they produce assimilates a strangled walrus. I had no need to worry, the moment I fired up the Thruxton, my life was complete. The sound was everything I had hoped for, not to load, not too timid, a real goldilocks spot. I can now hear the engine raw like it was always meant to, and the pops and bangs on the roll offs as you enter the narrow village roads are music to my ears."
Removing the DB Killers: Putting Hitchcox Motorcycles to the Real Test
With the DB killers fitted, the Hitchcox Motorcycles system had already delivered. But past experience with other off-the-shelf exhausts had made him wary of the next step.
"Now that is with the DB killers in place. In the past I have removed these on other bikes with other off the shelf exhausts only to immediately put them back on due to the obnoxious sound and volume created. As a result I was nervous of doing this with the Hitchcox Motorcycles exhaust and spoiling my experience of them as they are. Nevertheless, curiosity got the better of me and I bit the bullet and removed them. I don't think I have stopped smiling ever since. Instead of the crude, obnoxious overbearing sound I was expecting, I got the same, crisp, clean, roar as I accelerate, the same hollow, sharp pops and bangs, but at a perfectly pitched volume."
Rather than tipping into harsh or obnoxious territory once the baffles came out, the character stayed intact and just turned up, not turned crude.
The Verdict
After fifty years of riding, and no shortage of exhausts fitted along the way, his final word on the Hitchcox Motorcycles system for his Triumph Thruxton 1200RS was simple and direct:
"Without doubt, fitting Hitchcox pipes to my Thruxton 1200RS has improved my riding experience beyond whatever I could have imagined. Simply Perfect"
Looking for an aftermarket exhaust that matches the quality of your Triumph? Explore the full range of Hitchcox Motorcycles exhaust systems, built for riders who want the sound, the fit, and the finish to match the bike.
