Triumph Scrambler 1200

The whole purpose of a scrambler is rather straightforward: a minimalistic motorcycle that is designed to go over rough terrain quickly and effortlessly. Quite popular in the mid 20th century, scramblers were essentially production bikes that were stripped down and tweaked to go over territories that are beyond the end of the road. 

Simply put, the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC follows a properly no-nonsense scrambler design language to the T. But Triumph being Triumph have really gone out of their way and paid a lot of attention to beautiful little details. The first thing you notice as you swing your leg over the motorcycle is the simple yet elegant brushed metal strip running across the fuel tank. I got the black colour variant but it’s the British racing green colour (Triumph calls it Khaki Green & Brooklands Green) which takes the cake as far as authenticity is concerned. Both colour variants get alternating layouts of matte and gloss finish on the fuel tank separated by a pinstripe.

If that wasn’t retro enough, look around the motorcycle and you’ll find plenty of bits that will take you back in time. For starters, you get a circular headlamp with bullet-style indicators and classic-style tail light - all housing properly modern LED units. There’s also a vintage-styled off-set Monza-style fuel tank cap, chopped aluminium fenders and neat scrambler-style high-set twin exhausts.

The instrument cluster may look simple at first but take a closer look and you’ll realise it is shaped like a watch, and even the digitally-rendered ‘needle’ looks a lot like the way it is on wristwatches. Plus, you get all the information that you’ll ever need on your ride. But more on that later.

Overall, Triumph has done a stellar job of concealing contemporary features behind the facade of a tastefully-done retro theme.

Triumph has equipped the Scrambler 1200 XC with a Thruxton-derived 1200cc High-Power parallel twin 8-valve liquid-cooled engine. This motor gets a dedicated ‘Scrambler’ state of tune with more emphasis on low-down torque. As a result, its peak torque figure of 110Nm arrives at 3,950rpm, with 100Nm arriving at just 2000rpm. That’s 90 per cent of the peak torque coming in with just a small throttle input! With so much torque at such low-rpm range, the motorcycle was able to go over the most challenging inclines and water crossings quite effortlessly.

The engine produces a maximum power output of 90PS at 7400rpm. Most of it is concentrated in the mid-range and you can ride at 100kmph in 6th gear with the motor sitting calmly at 3000rpm. 80kmph comes in at as low as 2500rpm and it is evident that the gear ratios bring out the best of the bike’s low and mid-range performance. The shifts feel effortless thanks to the assist clutch and the gears slot into place with a positive click. Also, the slipper action made it a hoot to downshift aggressively with relative safety on twisty roads. However, to mitigate wind blasts at high speeds, you might feel the need for the flyscreen that is available as an optional accessory. In case you were wondering about its fuel efficiency, Triumph claims a figure of 20.4kmpl.

During our ride, we mostly stuck with Road, Rain and Off-road modes. Off-road mode allows for deliberate wheelspin just to keep the momentum going and cuts in immediately when it senses too much of it. Essentially, its sensitivity is just about enough to make you feel like a pro. However, in Rain mode, the electronics cut in even at the slightest hint of loss of traction and that makes it perfect for wet roads. That being said, this mode results in a major loss of momentum especially on loose, sandy surfaces as it misinterprets the terrain as being slippery. Road mode offers a linear power delivery and the traction control ensures there are no surprises when you twist your wrist. The intervention is fairly apparent both in terms of traction control and ABS. I didn’t use the Sport mode as the riding conditions didn’t really allow us to fully flex the Scrambler 1200’s muscles.

Further enhancing the motorcycle’s dynamics are the top-spec underpinnings. The front end gets a 45mm Showa inverted fork and the rear features twin Ohlins shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs. Both are fully adjustable, offering a massive 200mm of travel at both ends. The damping is ever-so-slightly on the stiffer side compared to the Triumph Tiger 800 because there is no bulky bodywork up front like the Tiger to compensate for the added weight. That said, the suspension stroke is well controlled to ensure there are no shocks transferring to the rider. This scrambler goes over sharp speed bumps and large foot-high rocks like it’s nobody’s business. And when you hustle it through some twisty roads, there is no mid-corner wallowing either, despite the long-travel suspension. Moreover, the large 21-inch front coupled with the relatively smaller 17-inch rear spoke wheel are also responsible for its composed mannerism on rough terrain. But on the flip side, the larger front wheel along with a relatively relaxed rake angle (at 25.8 degrees, it is 2.4 degrees more than the Tiger 800 XCx) do result in a bit more effort to manoeuvre the wide handlebar in the twisties.

The Metzeler Tourance tyres offer brilliant grip both on and off the road, and I was able to make use of the sidewalls as much as they permitted. For an even more leech-like grip off the road, Triumph also offers Scorpion Rally tyres approved specifically for the Scrambler 1200. Another great practicality aspect about this motorcycle are the cross-laced wheels which allow the bike to run on tubeless tyres.

As far as stopping power is concerned, the twin radial Brembo M50 calipers do a stellar job in offering powerful and progressive retardation. Even the rear brake felt communicative on the road, and in off-road mode the ABS for the rear is switched off to allow for some sideways action.