XCTERIOR EFFORT

The Scrambler 400 XC looks ready for the rough stuff, but underneath lies a machine that's happier sticking to the script — and the street

- By Manaal Mahatme Photographs Yash Gawde

Don't judge a bike by its wire-spokes. ' That was the first thought that popped into my head as I looked at the Triumph Scrambler 400 XC parked on a scenic trail. On paper — and in pictures — it ticked all the boxes: the right silhouette, the high fender, and now, wire-spoke rims. It looked ready to leap off a dusty trail into a puddle of nostalgia. But the moment I dug a little deeper — or stood on the 'pegs for more than ten minutes — I realised this Scrambler was more coffee shop than cross-country. Don't get me wrong, it was a good bike. Just not in the way the 'XC' badge had led me to believe — it had never been just a couple of letters.

On bigger Triumphs, it had meant something: the Tiger 800 XC, the Explorer XC, even the Scrambler 1200 XC — all bikes that backed up their rugged looks with proper off-road gear. Long-travel suspension, sump guards, off-road modes, the works. So when Triumph slapped the badge on the 400, it brought along expectations. And while the Scrambler 400 XC nailed the aesthetic, it didn't carry the same spirit.