Conclusion

It’s quite easy to argue that the modern scramblers are nothing more than fashion accessories. With styling that hints at them being formidable in the dirt, the reality is the vast majority won’t see any serious off-road action throughout their lives. And you can sort of understand that. Their relatively high price tags might make some owners a little reluctant to wander out of their comfort zones and get stuck into some trails. It’s down to the individual. That doesn’t mean they’re not capable, though. In the right hands they can perform exceptionally well. After all, pretty much any bike can tear up some trails in the hands of the right rider and to be fair these two Triumphs do it better than most.

There’s absolutely no doubt they’re both cracking bikes in their own right. The big 1200 has got the potential to be a proper bit of off-road kit, even in its more roadoriented XC form. Ok, so the Metzeler Tourance rubber’s not going to cut the mustard on anything serious, so you’ll need to switch them out for something more dirtfriendly, but the way I see it, it’s essentially a retro-styled adventure bike. Sure, it’s missing a few bits and pieces to make it a comfortable big miles machine, but you could easily stick a big screen on it and cover a serious distance in relative comfort.

In contrast, the real strength of the Street Scrambler is its ease of use. Seriously, it is so easy to get on with. No matter whether you’re new to motorcycling or stepping down from a bigger machine, the Triumph is an absolute doddle to ride. And for more experienced riders, that means you can really push the Street Scrambler to its limits and have some fun.

Ultimately, there’s no point drawing direct comparisons between Triumph’s two latest Scramblers. They’re different machines with very different intentions. 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? The real question is which Triumph best suits the riding you’re planning on doing? How serious are you about taking to the trails? Or will you be sticking to the road most of the time?