Triumph Scrambler 900 set to ramble
New Scrambler doesn’t do what it says on the box. Don’t take it so seriously, says Paul Owen.
Should we care that the new breed of modern classics that purport to be ‘‘scramblers’’ are actually hopeless to ride off-road? Should we worry that they look more at home as some background prop in a photo shoot for a fashion magazine?
Nah, we need to lighten up a little. Machines like virtually the entire Scrambler by Ducati range (new Desert Sled model excepted), the Moto Guzzi V7 Stornello, the BMW R nine T Scrambler, and this new Triumph Street Scrambler are patently not dirt bikes.
In this burgeoning niche sector, the term ‘‘scrambler’’ simply refers to the aesthetic of the bike. It is in no way their job description.
Like the other scramblers mentioned, the new Triumph has high-ish exhaust pipes, faux semiknobbly tyres, a big front hoop, and a bash plate. But let’s not pretend that it’s ready to tackle Thompson’s Track or Napoleon’s Hill, OK? That bash plate doesn’t even extend its protection as far as the oil filter for Triumph’s sweetrunning single-overhead-cam, eight-valve, 270-degree cranked, liquid-soothed parallel twin, making the filter a prime candidate for decapitation-byrock.
While the exhausts might be placed high, and the lengthened rear shocks and larger front wheel (19in instead of 18in) of the Street Scrambler might raise the bike up a little above the Street Twin model that provided the starting point for this variation, there still isn’t much in the way of ground clearance beneath the bike. My guess is that the gap between sump n’ surface is roughly half that of a bona fide adventure bike like the Honda Africa Twin.
So what are scramblers then? Simple: they’re street bikes with more upright riding stances. Triumph even provided a strong hint of the urbane nature of the model by prefacing ‘‘Scrambler’’ with ‘‘Street’’ in the model name. It would probably earn our congratulations for the clarification had it not chosen such an ugly retro font for the description.
But they’re the only visual sin committed by the Triumph to my eye. The rest of the bike is more candy than the entire contents of a Steven Joyce budget.
With its beautifully-crafted seat, exhaust system, luggage rack, and upright stance, the Street Scrambler is arguably the best looking of the Triumph’s latest ‘‘Modern Classic’’ models. Just looking at it makes me want to dig out my old Bell Moto 3 helmet, dust-encrusted waxed cotton Belstaff jacket, buckle-up AXO historic motocross boots and ... ramble.
For rambling is something British trampers do. They walk at a slow measured pace (presumably so that they can listen to/watch the birds without scaring them into flight), and this makes rambling the perfect term to describe the sort of riding that this Triumph tends to encourage. Every time I backed down the pace of the Triumph, whether riding it on motorways, gravel roads, or an experimental fire break, both the bike and I felt more comfortable.
It helps that the Street Scrambler puts out the same 40kw and 80Nm peaks as the Street Twin but delivers them earlier in the rev range, the full quota of force arriving at just 2850rpm. This near-instant access to grunt makes the Scrambler very hard to stall, along with the ride-by-wire throttle. You can therefore potter around at jogging speed on the Triumph, a boon if venturing beyond the ‘‘street’’ definition of the model, as the slow pace won’t test either the basic suspension or the lack of clearance.
A further factor in this ability to ramble is the riding position, which makes standing on the pegs feel as natural as sitting on the seat. At 206kg, the Street Scrambler is no trials bike, but it’s fun to take it further away from the road than you would most road bikes for a few low-key skids. The Metzeler Tourance tyres also allow you to get your sideways groove on while cutting some grass, as both the traction control and ABS can be turned off. But don’t get too carried away. The Tourance treads are designed primarily to provide grip on sealed roads.
The Triumph can do more than ‘‘ramble’’ on the latter surface.
The longer rear shocks steepen the steering geometry at the front, and the effect is a quicker-steering bike than the lower Street Twin, one with a smidge more cornering clearance.
Any doubts about the Tourances not being able to provide similar grip to the retrotreaded Pirellis fitted to other Triumph 900 will be quickly dispelled any time you use the leverage of the Scrambler’s wide bars to flick it into a corner. There is some initial squirming from rubber, but the bike quickly settles on the wide tread blocks and rails through the turn. It’ll happily use all the edges of the tyres and drag the pegs if you’re really keen.
The suspension and brakes of the Street Scrambler are adequate rather than outstanding, but the performance of the bike feels balanced and isn’t let down in any one area. Meanwhile Triumph hasn’t skimped on the details of this, or any other members of the new Bonneville family. The Scrambler adds some quality pieces of its own like the sturdy aluminum luggage rack where most bikes at this price point would add this as an accessory.
At $17,990, the Street Scrambler occupies the same price position as the cafe racer Street Cup and more trad-looking T100 Triumph 900 variants. It’s also arguably the best of the 900s, especially if you’re a fan of the Scrambler design theme and recognise the comfort and versatility that often comes with it.