RIDE REVIEW I 2024 TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 400 X & SPEED 400
P70
600cc is pure overkill. Every
other market will come second
to this, regardless of what the
Triumph honchos tell you.
However, just because a mo-
torcycle is made in and for India
(yes, the Speed and Scrambler
range will be made in India, Thai
-
land and Brazil) doesn't mean the
rest of us can't get in on the fun.
It's a good time to be in the
small-capacity game and not
just if you're a new rider. KTM
has proven this with their 390
range that has been created
with Bajaj, who are, coinciden
-
tally, also in collaboration with
Triumph and are also responsi-
ble for the creation of the Speed
and Scrambler 400s, Kawasaki's
Ninja/Z400, Honda's CB300R,
Yamaha MT-03, Husqvarna Vit
-
pilen 401, the list goes on. Little
bikes are now good things—well
made, reliable, and, most of all,
enjoyable to use even if you've
got years of miles under the
wheels already.
The Street and Scrambler 400
X models are essentially the
same things but with obvious
changes like the Scrambler's
19-inch front wheel wrapped
in a Metzeler Karoo Street tire,
off-road mode on the traction
control and ABS to allow you to
lock the rear brake on the dirt, a
touch more suspension travel,
different exhaust muffler and a
taller handlebar for, you know,
scrambling.
Under the hood of both bikes
sits a new 398cc liquid-cooled
single-cylinder pumping out
39 horsepower and 27 lb-ft
of torque, which isn't going to
stretch anyone's arms out of
their sockets but still provides
plenty of power for most ap
-
plications you find yourself
in. There are no riding modes,
which is fair enough, just the
single throttle map that's been
tuned so the hit of torque from
opening the throttle is nice and
smooth so as not to scare off
new riders.
Despite the price tag, the new
Triumphs have a quality look
and feel to the finish. The paint,
fittings, hose routings, and little
nit-picky things that drive bike
journalists nuts are all thank
-
fully well-catered. But seeing as
we're talking two different bikes,
we'll split them off now and test
them on their own.
The Speed 400 is a handsome
little bike. The single-cylinder
motor it holds is more than up to
the task of easy city riding and
urban commuting.
