Good news, if you like retro motorcycles but you also like off-road capability. Triumph is bringing the Scrambler 1200 XE back for 2024, and also a new Scrambler 1200 X model.
Gone is the old XC model, which was the more street-oriented member of the family. The X assumes that role, but the X now comes with much better electronic gadgetry on-board than the old XC did. The main difference between the X and the XE is now the chassis.
Both bikes have the same liquid-cooled parallel twin engine that was borrowed from the Bonneville 1200. Max output is more than the previous model. The updated engine makes 89 hp at 7,000 rpm,and 81 lb-ft of torque 4,250 rpm, and it reaches those numbers earlier in the rev range than it did before. It makes more power across the rpm range and builds it faster above the 5,000 rpm mark, Triumph says. A torque-assist clutch helps you work through the six-speed gearbox. Major service intervals are every 16,000 km, or every 12 months, whichever comes first.
Both bikes have a steel frame and die-cast aluminum swingarm. The X’s swingarm is shorter, for better street handling. Both bikes have a 19-liter fuel tank,
Scrambler 1200 X
This bike comes with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which powers leaning-sensitive traction control and ABS. Five riding mode are standard—Sport, Road, Rain, Off-Road, Rider Configurable—and the safety features and your engine performance are governed by these riding modes.
The X may be street-oriented, but it still comes with a 21-inch front spoked wheel, so it can handle a rough ride off-road. Up front, there’s a non-adjustable Marzocchi fork; the dual shocks in rear are also from Marzocchi, with preload adjustment. Suspension travel is 170 mm.
Seat height is 820 mm, but if you buy an accessory seat you can drop that to 795 mm.
The brakes are from Nissin, with axial-mount, two-piston calipers in front (and 310 mm discs). Metzeler Karoo Street tires are stock.
While the X comes with flashy fit-and-finish just like the more expensive XE, it has painted fenders, not the brushed aluminum fenders that the XE has. And instead of a full TFT screen, the X gets a mixture of LCD and TFT read-outs.
Speaking of expense: MSRP for the Scrambler 1200 X is $14,795 in Canada.
Scrambler 1200 XE
This bike comes with a fully-adjustable Marzocchi fork and shock for better performance off-road, although many riders will want to change out the stock Metzeler Tourance tires if they’re going to flog their new bike in the dirt (Triumph recommends Michelin Anakee Wild tires in this case).
A longer swingarm stabilizes the XE off-road, and a higher 870 mm seat height will also appeal to more aggressive dirt riders. An Off-Road Pro riding mode also helps riders extract max performance from their bike (the XE also comes with the five modes that the X comes with). Suspension travel is 250 mm, considerably more than the X model, to go with the better control afforded by this upgraded fork and shock.
Brembo Stylema radial monobloc calipers are standard equipment up front, mated to dual 320 mm discs. Adjustable hand and foot controls come standard.
And for those of us who appreciate the finer things of life, the XE comes with a highly customizeable TFT screen.
The XE is priced at $16,595 MSRP in Canada. Both machines can be ordered at your local dealer now, with deliveries scheduled for next February. As well, you can accessorize your bike with a catalog from Triumph. Hinkley says it has more than 70 accessories for these machines, including luggage, windscreens, heated grips and lots more.
