Test rode the trendy new Scrambler today.

The handling is sweet and precise, braking is very good and slow it is not.
It is a bike with some cool touches and quality finishes...but left me underwhelmed and ultimately very, very happy to be back on my Bobber.
I did not like the seating position or seat itself, but it was still easy to throw around and control.
I realise many bikes need time to grow on you, but the Scrambler did not do it for me on any level at any time during the ride. I did however, enjoy it alot more than the (900cc) Street Twin i tested a few months ago - which i could not wait to hand back to the dealership! Harsh, but true.

The best bits for me were the crisp gearchange, very cool color display and easy 1-finger braking.
And he worst bit for me: At 38c and stuck in (light) traffic the OEM exhaust is horrendous. My right inner thigh was bbq´d real good !
Anyone buying a Scrambler & living in a hot climate should think about an aftermarket setup as mod number 1.

Bottom line: I can understand why the Scrambler appeals to many, but it just wasn´t my kind of bike.

In todays sweltering heat, even i substituted my beloved coffee for a refreshing, healthy juice...

Stop picking on my bike. I am tall and don't suffer from the exhaust issue (zero issue moving , and marginally none if I keep my right foot on the peg when stopped) unless I drop my right foot to the pavement , and even then through blue jeans , it takes a few seconds to get uncomfortably hot. I will be taking mine places it doesn't belong (like I did my Tiger for many years) once I have it sorted correctly. It has been north of 90 for 3 weeks here. Summer arrived with a blow torch.

For me , I wanted a classic scrambler that could actually be used off road , and not just a name sake. I already loved the 1200 motor , so that wasn't a hard sell. Picking the front wheel up with just acceleration in 2nd gear is fun too. I bought the bobber thinking "well , all my friends are on cruisers" , so I'll drop back into the fold. In my year of owning it , I rode twice with my Speedmaster buddy. The rest of the time , I drove past perfectly good dirt roads that I couldn't fathom taking the Bobber down. By myself. Boo-hoo , right? So , I'm happy again , and there is plenty of dirt around me to enjoy.

My last Three , very good Triumph motorcycles.

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BB, I think taking the Scrambler off the beaten track will be brilliant and it will shine in those areas as it’s so light and easy to maneuver.
Whatever you do, don’t tip over on to the right! It’ll be mighty hot.

What other mods are you planning for the Scrambler ? I guess it’ll need some sort of protection for dirt tracks & different tires. Anything else ?

BTW - it’s looks fantastic in white/black.

I have the high front fender already on , and the crash bars , headlight guard and proper off road tires are in the garage. They are just waiting for me to stop being lazy. The heat is draining , so when I come home from work , my motivator is in stuck in neutral. I also plan to remove the cat , which is the foremost reason those pipes get so stinking hot. I have added larger , lower pegs which give me some much appreciated leg room , and make standing a little more comfortable. Risers or a bar change is likely , to help with the standing issue.

It looks white and black from certain angles , it's actually white and green. Since you rode one , you probably noticed the tune it has in it. It feels like Triumph designed it to be used off road. It has the motor characteristics of a big rowdy dirt bike. By that I mean all that power is on tap sitting low in the power band. 81 FPT at 3700 rpm is a great thing. But it is still a very civilized street bike , so it's a home run.

Take this away , I really enjoyed my Bobber , but I find myself wanting to sneak back into the non paved parts of the world enough where this made perfect sense to me. I'm really just pleased that Triumph has done such a fantastic job around this motor for a base in so many models , I feel it will pay dividends for them for years to come.

BTW , did you guys know Ernie Vigil (factory Triumph rider) ran the Baja 1000 on a stock XE (with a few personal changes) and finished 5th overall in the open class? He's a beast , but it shows the potential the bike contains. Pretty awesome , except for all the riders that he past and beat that had to tell everyone they got beat by a guy on a street bike.

Love ours

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A very cool looking Triumph, love the colours.

Cheerio,

Roy