Triumph Scrambler 1200XE

Triumph calls it a ‘modern classic’, and there’s no doubt the styling of the new Scrambler 1200 is pretty damn sexy. We thought it was an inner-city image bike, but Triumph encouraged us to ride and rate the bike as adventure mount. Hmm.

This bike was one of the most interesting we’d ridden in quite a while. The six rider modes, TFT instrument bank combined with a 1960s look would make a wheat-shot-slamming environmentalist’s man-bun wilt with desire. It’s even a twin-shocker.

But those two shocks are Öhlins.

‘What should we do with this bike?’ we wondered, sipping a non-alcoholic beverage at Bells Beach Brewing, an entirely appropriate venue to launch a bike like this one.

“Ride the beejeesuss out of it,” said Triumph. “The same as you do with all our bikes.”

We shovelled in another mouthful of pulled-pork, took a long draft of our lemon-lime-and-bitters and thought, “All right! This is looking very promising.”

Top shelf

There’ll be two versions of this bike: the XE and the XC. The XE is the top-of-line model. Compared to the XC – which wasn’t available in Aus when we rode the XE, but probably is now – it has a slightly higher seat, an extra riding mode, cornering ABS and traction control and heated grips. Both models also offer as an option an integrated GoPro operating system so the camera will run from the on-board controls and TFT screen via a phone app.

We rode the XE, so keep that in mind.

Tin tacks

Looks are a big part of what this bike is all about. The best thing we can do there is direct you to have a look at the images. Triumph makes no bones about using the Paul Newman connection with regard to its Scrambler range, and we reckon, in or out of the city, the Scrambler is horn and pretty much defines the classic scrambler look. You make up your own mind.

Mechanically, the 1200cc, liquid-cooled parallel twin is a punchy outfit.