SCRAMBLER SHOOTOUT
Do you need more or less to really scramble? Triumph's Scrambler 1200 XC and Triumph Street Scrambler 900 square up for some fun
Modern scramblers seem to get a lot of stick. To many ‘proper’ bikers scramblers are the preserve of bearded hipsters with turned-up jeans and Bike Shed memberships – but is it a case of style over substance, or can these retro-style bikes really handle the rough stuff? After all, there was a time, not all that long ago, when scrambling was about serious off-road riding, not Instagram likes.
In the early days of motorcycling there wasn’t the huge array of models we’ve become accustomed to today. You could get a road bike, and that was it. But in 1920s Britain things started to change with the advent of point-to-point racing across the countryside. The general aim of the game was to get from one place to another in the fastest time, through fields, hedges, hills, streams and woodland. And because motorcycles of the day weren’t particularly adept at diving around in the dirt, conventional road-going motorcycles needed to be adapted for their new purpose. Naturally, as the sport became more popular manufacturers started to take notice, and before long you could soon get your hands on a Scrambler direct from the factory. But it wasn’t to last. In the 1970s factories began producing serious, lightweight, purpose-built dirt bikes specifically for racing – and with that, the traditional Scrambler all but disappeared from the wider public view. Until now.
To find out if Triumph’s latest scramblers can actually scramble, we’ve been riding the British factory’s new Scrambler 1200 XC and Street Scrambler back to back – putting them through their paces across Lincolnshire and Norfolk’s expansive countryside in both the pouring rain and scorching sunshine.
Triumph Street Scrambler
Triumph’s 900cc Street Scrambler was first unveiled to the world back in 2017 to widespread acclaim. Snapped up by stylish city types and sunny Sunday riders, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Street Scrambler’s not a serious motorcycle. You’d be wrong, though. It’s genuinely lovely to ride; smooth, simple and stable. Not necessarily thrilling – but a good, solid bike that looks great, sounds fantastic and goes pretty damn well. Ok, so there were a couple of small niggles, including a comparative lack of engine power and an altogether underwhelming front brake set up. But that’s why Triumph's engineers have been back to the drawing board to make its Street Scrambler even better for 2019.
The headline news for the updated Street Scrambler is its new 900cc ‘high torque’ Bonneville-derived motor. The previous generation machine kicked out a fairly meagre 54bhp, but that’s up to 64bhp for the latest model. Not exactly ground-breaking, but it does make a difference. It’s lighter, too. 3kg lighter in fact, thanks to the addition of a new magnesium cam cover and a new lighter weight crankshaft and balance shaft. So that’s more power and less weight. So far so good, right? That’s not all, though. There’s also a wider spread torque, improved front forks and upgraded Brembo brakes up front. The finish is lovely, too. You’d expect that though, wouldn’t you? It is a modern Triumph, after all.
Handling on the road is much better than I expected. It’s light and composed, and you don’t get any vagueness from that 19” front wheel, even on rain-sodden Tarmac. Some of that can be attributed to the Metzeler Tourance rubber that comes as standard. They’re a bloody good set of tyres on the road. Not quite so good off it, but we’ll save that minor niggle for later.
With an extra 10bhp on tap (and near universal criticism for the outgoing bike’s underpowered
“The Street Scrambler’s better on the Tarmac, while the Scrambler is better in the dirt. That’s not really news to anyone though, is it?”
front brakes), it was important for Triumph to up the Street Scrambler’s stopping power – and that’s exactly what they’ve done, upgrading from a Nissin to a Brembo calliper. It’s decent. Not revolutionary, but a definite step up – and most importantly, the Triumph will stop quickly and safely without too much trouble. Likewise, its KYB 41mm cartridge forks and KYB twin rear shocks aren’t exactly what I’d call sophisticated, but they’re more than up to the job.
In full ‘scrambler mode’, with traction control and ABS turned off, I found the Street Scrambler absolutely perfect for light trails, but anything seriously rough found the suspension slightly too soft, and the ground clearance a fraction too small. The Metzeler tyres aren’t all that either, particularly when the going gets tough. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not bad off-road. In fact, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. You can get the back end sliding, and stood up on the pegs I felt completely comfortable and in control. But it’s not really an off-roader, it’s a road bike with a tiny little bit of off-road pedigree. And if you look at how people have been using Street Scramblers over the last few years, then that balance of on-road and offroad prowess makes perfect sense.
Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC
Triumph’s new Scrambler 1200 means business. The factory’s not just pulled bits from a parts bin, it’s a proper bit of kit and you can tell Triumph has spent some serious time and money getting it right. Defining the new Scrambler 1200’s a little tricky, though. It’s an alluring mix of retro off-roader, old-school trail bike and big adventure machine. Think of it as the overgrown lovechild of a Triumph Tiger and a Bonneville – and you’ll not be far off.
Unlike the Street Scrambler, there’s absolutely no question whether the Scrambler will scramble. It definitely does. What we really want to know is whether or not it lives up to the hype, and if it’s good enough on the road to truly deserve its scrambler name.
At this stage it’s important to note that we’ve been riding the more road-oriented XC, not the marginally more expensive hardcore off-roader, the XE. That means it’s a little lower. There’s a little less suspension travel. There’s marginally less ground clearance – and it’s missing a few other trick bits too, like cornering ABS and an additional IMU.
Never mind that though, it still comes fitted with the same superbike specification Brembo M50 monoblocs, fully adjustable twin Öhlins rear shocks and Showa forks. It also gets a 21-inch front wheel (and 17-inch rear) shod with Metzeler Tourance dual-purpose rubber, too. Oh, a range of riding modes, LED lights, an illuminated switchgear, keyless ignition, cruise control and a USB charger, too.
Its liquid-cooled, 1200cc, parallel twin power plant comes straight out of the Thruxton, but it’s been updated and tweaked with a new magnesium cam cover, revised clutch assembly, a lighter alternator and new crankshaft. It’s a cracking engine. There’s plenty of low-down grunt to tackle tricky terrain offroad, and there’s more than enough power to allow you to whip through the six-speed gearbox on the open road. And despite the bikes off- road prowess, it goes bloody well on the road. Its Showa/Brembo/Metzeler chassis combination performs with precision and predictability, allowing you to push harder than you might think possible for such a big bike. Its big wide bars help you really chuck the bike around, no matter whether you’re nipping to the shops or tackling some twisties.
Interestingly, Triumph worked with Öhlins to create a special set of 60s-styled, fully adjustable twin rear shocks for the Scrambler. As you’d expect (they are Öhlins, after all), they perform very well both on and off-road. As there’s a decent amount of suspension travel on the Scrambler (in its standard set up) you’re going to experience quite a bit of dive from the front end under heavy braking on the road. It’s nothing to worry about, and to be fair, the standard set up offers the perfect compromise between road and off-road performance. But if you knew you were sticking to the Tarmac, you could stiffen the suspension up just slightly, as the Showas are adjustable at both the front and rear.
For braking, the Scrambler comes with superbike-spec M50 4-pot Brembo callipers, which grab hold of twin 320mm discs. It really doesn’t get much better. They’re spot on. Perfect for hauling the big 1200 to a stop with the lightest of touches on the Tarmac, but progressive enough to mean you shouldn’t get caught out on the trails.
Up on the pegs and away from the Tarmac, Triumph’s Scrambler immediately feels at home. Ok, so the XC’s not a total out and out off-road animal (not compared to the marginally more expensive XE at least), but it’s still an extremely capable machine. It’ll tackle green lanes with ease, soaking up bumps, lumps and jumps, and you can even have a lot of fun snapping the throttle to kick the back end out into a slide as you exit corners. In short, it’s flattering to ride.