With a seat height over 34 inches, there’s no denying that the XE is a tall drink of petrol. If this chassis existed in the ’60s, it would have topped the podium at the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix. Same goes for the high-caliber Brembo brakes. With nearly 10 inches of travel and a premium, fully adjustable Showa fork paired with Öhlins dual shocks, the suspension is nothing short of amazing. Any sense of worry about its appearance is quickly replaced with pure, unfiltered joy once you start hooning around on the XE. Some motorcycles may be art, but this one is built to be ridden hard. ![]() The idea of scuffing the classic Triumph teardrop fuel tank and a bevy of brushed aluminum finishes is almost too much to bear. It feels like a sin to get such a good-looking bike so dirty. I’m of two minds when covering the Scrambler 1200 XE in a thick layer of dust. Those with the chops can disable all of the nannies and select Off-Road Pro mode. Dedicated off-road ABS and traction control settings allow you to do your best “On Any Sunday” impression without too much risk. The Triumph’s get-up-and-go is as exciting as it is controllable, allowing effortless launches out of corners on pavement and long drifts of the rear on dirt. The 1200cc parallel-twin engine’s tractability makes the Scrambler manageable off-road, and the advanced electronics will get your back. Strapped to the Jett Tuning dyno, the 1200 XE put up a respectable 76.2 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 69.5 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. The twin’s bottom-end grunt is richer than your nana’s famous pound cake, and its torque curve is flatter than the plate she’d serve it on. Those lovely pipes have heat shielding, but my right thigh still got roasted when wringing out the Triumph. The sound is as sweet at idle as it is echoing off canyon walls while clicking through the smooth 6-speed gearbox. Sitting at the heart of the Scrambler 1200’s tubular-steel frame is a torque-rich twin with a 270-degree crank that emits a soul-satisfying blast out of the sculpted high pipes. Conveniences aside, the XE is raucous and undeniably capable, with enough panache to make the legendary Harvey Mushman jealous. A full-color TFT dash has all the contemporary fixings, and an add-on Bluetooth module provides turn-by-turn navigation and GoPro integration. Triumph has done well to maintain the old-school feeling of tuning up a Bonneville, leaving the tarmac and heading for the hills, even if it does have modern electronics like riding modes, cornering ABS and traction control. Give the Scrambler XE a bit of direction and put your faith in its planted chassis. That 21-inch wheel and ADV geometry won’t slow you down in canyons one bit. Pop in the “high power” version of the 1,200cc parallel-twin engine, add a purpose-built frame and an aluminum swingarm, bolt on long-travel suspension and voila! The Scrambler 1200 is available in two styles, the off-road focused XE and the street-biased XC. Potato Head, a platform that is the basis for the Bobber and Scrambler 1200. ![]() The modern Bonneville T120 has become Triumph’s two-wheeled version of the ever-versatile Mr. Those homebrewed steeds were the forefathers of today’s dual-sport and adventure motorcycles, and they weren’t for the fainthearted. Many of the scramblers prowling American deserts or trails in the late 1960s were modified Triumph Bonnevilles, bestowed with high pipes, knobby tires and heavy-duty suspension. Triumph considers itself to a humble steward of the scrambler genre, which is fitting since the brand is intimately tied to its origins. What many missed is an authentic and tangible connection to the past, which the XE has in spades. Offerings have spanned the spectrum from warmed-over retro rehashes to hotted-up beasts ready for action. True time travel may be pure fantasy, but a motorcycle like the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE comes pretty close.įew manufacturers were immune to the scrambler craze that hit a fever pitch over the past few years. Who wouldn’t want to rewind the clock to alter history for the greater good, avoid making big mistakes or just order cheese enchiladas instead of the taco salad – oh, the places a mind will wander! Science fiction usually depicts time travel with awe-inspiring vehicles navigating the temporal plane. Time travel is one of those concepts that holds universal appeal. ![]() With top-notch equipment, it’s ready for any terrain you can throw at it. The 2021 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is no wallflower.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |