VOLUME ISSUE JANUARY , P91
The XE, on the other hand,
can be ridden at a much faster
pace than the X and is overall
quite good off the pavement for
a 500-plus-pound, twin-cylinder,
80-horsepower, twin-shock
motorcycle. At first, the XE was
a bit of a handful for me in the
dirt, but I quickly adapted and
ended up enjoying riding it off-
road for the rest of the day, even
in the sand. The more I rode it,
the more I liked it. For this ride,
Triumph fitted our bikes with
Michelin Anakee Wilds knobby-
style tires that were surpris
-
ingly good both on and off the
road but showed signs of early
wear after just two days of hard
street and dirt riding. The only
time I preferred being on the X
over the XE on the dirt was in
the sand because of its lower
center of gravity and reduced
seat height. This makes the X
more controllable and recover
-
able in the soft stuff. In deep
sand, the XE suddenly feels
tall and heavy, but nothing that
grabbing a handful of throttle
wouldn't fix. You just have to
build up the nerve to do that. I'm
still working on that.
Any time the XE touched the
dirt, I'd switch to Off-Road Pro
mode, the X, Off-Road mode.
Unfortunately, every time you
turn the ignition off, they reset
to Road mode. It's irritating, but
thankfully, it takes just three
taps of a button on the left
switch block, and you're back
where you left off. Super easy.
Both bikes are comfortable,
but it wouldn't surprise me at all
if future Scrambler 1200 owners
sought out an aftermarket seat
down the road. The stock seat
pad is fine but a tad on the thin
side, which could be an issue
when the foam starts to break
down over time, however long
that might take.
Triumph has a boatload of
accessories for both models,
including a low seat (by nearly
an inch), a high windscreen, sev
-
eral luggage and bike protection
options, and anti-theft options.
One thing you won't have to
worry about buying is hand pro
-
tection. Both bikes come fitted
with high-quality hand guards.
Who doesn't like the
looks of a Scrambler?
