LAUNCH TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER X & XE
I was taught as a child that you should never judge a book by its front cover, but I’m still a bugger for doing it, and my racer ego often gets in the way. If it doesn’t have aero fairings and clip-ons, I’ve often turned my nose up at a bike, and when I first clapped eyes on the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE, I’ll be honest, I really didn’t know what to think.
For starters, I’d never ridden anything like this before; it doesn’t look particularly sporty, and I’d have to wear a flip-up adventure lid, Christ! That said, what does strike me with this Triumph is that it’s clearly not trying to be anything other than itself: a classic British-styled, modern scrambler derived from its 1960s heritage and loaded with goodies, and for that reason alone I was drawn to it, but high expectations of this heavyweight thumper weren’t on the cards and I wasn’t sure where it would fit in a magazine full of fire-breathing sportsbikes. Well, that’s where the old adage comes into play… was this going to be the sedate experience its looks suggest, or did the Scrambler 1200 XE have a few tricks up its sleeve?
For a bit of context, the Scrambler 1200 joined the Triumph line-up back in 2019 and was an instant hit, and when you’ve got the likes of James Bond thrashing through the streets of Matera, Italy, on the CV, it’s hard not to take the bike seriously. New for this year, we see a reinvented 1200it being the all singing, all dancing spec’d up model, but that’s not to say the X isn’t worthy of some limelight. Costing £800 less than the outgoing XC model, it’s also armed with a new philosophy which answers many questions asked by the Scrambler fanbase. For starters, and possibly most importantly, the lower seat height, which comes in at 820mm and is a whopping 50mm lower than the XE model. This bike is way more road-focused with its reduced suspension travel and a stiffer, more progressive suspension setting, a shortened swingarm that adds agility to faster road rides, narrower handlebars, and higher foot pegs for better ground clearance when you’re cranking it over in the corners. This bike has been designed for maximum accessibility: to give the shorter riders a chance to try the package, and for those wanting to spend a little less cash. In essence, the X model shares all the same core capabilities and character as the XE but has a slightly lower spec.
