Adamchildchad Forties, 5'7, has been professionally bike testing for 20-years and has attended more than 350 bike launches and covered over a million road test miles. International road racer, with race wins at Oliver's Mount, podiums in NZ and two top ten TT finishes. Chad is just as happy off-road or on a classic bike.
It might not look like a radical departure but the new 1200 X is a huge step in making Triumph’s big Scrambler accessible to a much wider audience – with a more affordable price and a low seat that opens ownership to a whole spectrum of potential customers who couldn’t have considered the Scrambler 1200 XC that it replaces.
Combine those new features with a range of revisions and updates that apply to both the Scrambler 1200 X and the more off-road-oriented Scrambler 1200 XE and the bikes can be seen as a substantial upgrade over their predecessors.
The new 1200 X is far more accessible, easier to live with day-to-day and, with £800 sliced off its price tag, considerably cheaper than before. Triumph has dropped the spec in areas – new Marzocchi forks, for example, are non-adjustable – but improved functionality, accessibility and safety with the introduction of lean sensitive rider aids.
It’s certainly refreshing to jump on a new model that, despite the increase in the price of seemingly everything, will be cheaper than the bike it replaces. But how much easier is it to live with? And has the introduction of basic non-adjustable suspension diluted the appeal of the new 1200 Scrambler? A full day, both on and off-road, should throw up the answers.
Pros and Cons
New, lower, Marzocchi suspension makes for a more accessible seat height
Improved tech including cornering ABS, but lower price than the old 1200 XC
Same power, torque and performance as the premium 1200 XE
More torque lower in the rev range
Few styling changes to distinguish from the previous bike – but again that’s not necessarily a bad thing
Suspension and brakes lack the ‘bling’ of the previous XC
Doesn’t have the presence of the premium 1200 XE
Despite a lower seat and lowered suspension, it has not lost any significant weight and is reasonably heavy at 228kg (wet)
2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 X and XE review
Chad’s been to Spain to ride the two updated Triumph Scrambler 1200s for 2024, both on-road and off.
With a starting price of £11,895 the new Scrambler 1200 X is £800 cheaper than the Scrambler 1200 XC it replaces – a remarkable step given the raging inflation that’s impacting virtually all other goods at the moment – and while there are some cost-cutting moves to achieve the reduction, they’re likely to be outweighed by the fact the X model is more accessible than its predecessor in both price and physical dimensions.
Triumph says that in previous years the more expensive, more off-road-oriented Scrambler 1200 XE has outsold the XC, with a 60:40 split between the two machines. That’s perhaps down to the relatively small differences between the two bikes. With the new 1200 X the distinction between the two models in the Scrambler 1200 range becomes much clearer.
Buyers of the 2024 Scrambler 1200 X will be able to choose between Carnival Red, Ash Grey or Sapphire Black colours, and dealers are taking orders now with deliveries due to start in January 2024.
Triumph has made cost savings, opting away from the Showa/Öhlins combination of the XC to Marzocchi units front and rear for the new X, and reducing the spec of the brakes. But this hasn’t just been a cost-saving exercise. Despite the reduction in price, Triumph has added lean-sensitive ABS and traction control (TC) for the first time.
In other words, Triumph has saved money in some areas but added value in others, which is why the price reduction of £800 is impressive. And while premium brands such as Öhlins and Brembo may be absent from the new bike, Triumph hasn’t cut corners on quality. The new X feels as robust and solid as ever, its finish as high-end as we've come to expect from a top-level Hinckley machine.
Like previous Scrambler 1200 models, the 2024 machines use the ‘High Power’ version of Triumph’s liquid-cooled, 1200cc parallel twin but the engine has been tweaked for 2024 to shift its peak power and torque lower in the rev range.
There’s a single throttle body, like the previous models, which is relatively unusual in itself and helps ensure there’s enough space for the high-level exhaust system that runs past it, but for 2024 it’s a new 50mm unit. Along with revised exhaust headers with improved flow, and an ECU tune to suit, the result is unchanged peak power and torque of 89hp and 81.1lb-ft, but both figures arrive 250rpm lower in the rev range than before, at 7,000rpm and 4,250rpm respectively. Triumph says the high-end torque from 5,000rpm to the 7,500rpm redline is also improved.
That power is put down via a cornering traction control system governed by a Continental inertial measurement unit, with five riding modes: Sport, Road, Rain, Off-Road and Rider Configurable.
As before, there’s a conventional six-speed transmission with chain drive, connected to the engine via a torque-assist clutch.
Triumph hasn’t drastically changed the familiar 1200cc parallel twin; just given it a tweak to make the power and torque more accessible lower down in the rev range – not that it was lacking in the older XC. I’m sure the Moto2 engineers who breathe so much fire into the 765 triples could have worked their magic and added more power at the top end, but it’s simply not needed on a naked, 21-inch front-wheeled Scrambler.
Triumph has tweaked the distinctive exhaust system for 2024, to take heat away from the rider, and redesigned the headers to create more torque in the lower revs, but it still starts with a charismatic bark. It’s Euro 5 (and beyond) compliant, so it’s hardly going to wake the neighbours but, for a standard bike, it sounds good and throaty.
There are five riding modes to choose from (using the familiar controls on the left bar): Sport, Road, Rain, Off-Road and the Rider Configurable, which allows you to create your own custom mode. We had perfect weather conditions in Spain, which is why I stayed with Road and Sport modes. There isn’t a massive step in power and feel between the two as we’re only managing 89bhp here, and I spent 90% of the road element of the test in the standard Road mode.
This is all you’ll ever need: smooth throttle delivery, strong drive from low down, and more than enough zip at the top end. While peak torque remains unchanged from the XC, Triumph claims to have increased the lb-ft available lower down, but without riding the old and new bike back-to-back it’s not overly apparent. I can state, however, that the spread of torque in the lower rpm it lovely and awash with delicious big-Bonnie grunt.
From as little as 2,000rpm it starts to pull and, at 3,000rpm, gathers its stride, pulling hard right through the mid-range. Short shifting becomes second nature, and I rarely revved the new X as there’s simply no need. Peak power is at 7,000rpm, but you can make brisk progress changing up at just 5,000rpm. It's meaty and tasty, a proper, no-nonsense twin which, with the TC off and a whiff of clutch in second gear, will loft the front without drama or revs. Nice to know on the road, useful on the dirt.
Although the essence of the steel cradle frame is identical to the previous XC model and the Scrambler 1200 XE, the new 1200 X takes a different direction with its suspension.
Where the XC had Showa 45mm USD forks and Ohlins piggyback rear shocks, with a full range of adjustment at both ends, the 1200 X makes a wholesale switch to Italian Marzocchi kit. As before, there are upside-down forks and piggyback rear shocks, but the adjustability is reduced, with no adjustment at the front and just preload adjustment at the rear.
The suspension is also lower than before, with 170mm of travel at each end compared to 200mm for the old XC and 250mm for the XE variant. Like the XC, the X also has a swingarm that’s 32mm shorter than the Scrambler 1200 XE’s, reducing the wheelbase and seat height even further.
The brakes are another substantial change, with Nissin two-piston, axial-mount calipers at the front gripping 310mm discs, where the old XC model had four-pot, radial-mount Brembos on 320mm rotors. At the back there’s now a single-pot Nissin caliper on the 255mm disc where there used to be a two-pot Brembo.
That might seem like a downgrade, and on paper it is, but the addition of cornering ABS thanks to the Continental IMU – a tech that was previously only on the XE version – is a substantial safety improvement.
As before, the wheels are wires with alloy rims, 21 inches in diameter at the front and 17 inches at the rear, shod with tubeless Metzeler Karoo Street rubber as standard, with the option of Michelin Anakee Wild tyres if you want a chunkier tread.
The bike’s weight, at 228kg wet, is a couple of kilos lighter than its predecessor.
It’s interesting what Triumph has done here because a manufacturer usually adds more spec and more sophistication to its model updates, which in turn adds to the price. But Triumph has opted for lower specification suspension and less off-road focus by significantly reducing the suspension travel and ground clearance to make the new 1200 X more accessible to more riders. These transformations make the 1200 X a very different package to both the new XE (which we also tested alongside the X) and the outgoing XC.
As soon as you throw a leg over the bench seat you immediately feel the difference. Seat height now drops from 840mm to 820mm and is considerably lower than the new XE at 870mm. With an optional lower seat you can reduce that figure to 795mm. For shorter riders like me – I am 5ft 7in, just –the 1200 Scrambler and its 230 kilos has always been a little intimidating, but Triumph has drastically changed all that by simply shortening the suspension travel, meaning I no longer have to plan where I’m going to stop in fear of not being able touching the floor. Triumph could have gone one step further and opted for a 19-inch front instead of the 21-inch, but still wanted to maintain some decent off-road ability – it is, after all, called a Scrambler.
As noted, the new X ditches the fully adjustable Showa forks and Öhlins shocks of the outgoing XC for Marzocchi units front and rear, with the only adjustment possible being to the rear spring preload. Some may miss that adjustability and seductive Öhlins' X-factor, but the forks are still 45mm inverted units, and the new set up has been designed to work like the previous suspension.
Marzocchi may not exude MotoGP raciness but do manufacture good suspension units, and Triumph certainly haven't swapped fillet steak for McDonald's. On the many twists and turns in the roads of lovely Malaga, I didn’t feel the need change the suspension settings as the factory-set Marzocchis worked out of the box. I was riding at a brisk pace, and the feedback and support were excellent for this type of bike. With its travel reduced from 200mm to 170mm front and rear, the suspension feels more suited to the road, less of a road/dirt compromise than the older XC, and as the pace picked up I felt my confidence grow as the X warmed to the task of ripping up a few miles of prime Spanish asphalt.
Big Scramblers traditionally feel quite solid and the X's 228kg are still noticeable at a standstill, but when it's flowing on the roads it was built for the suspension holds and controls without drama, and the bike rolls sweetly over that 21-inch front wheel into turns. It's a Scrambler still, and no mistake, but as the miles slipped by, its road focus and less intimidating nature came pleasingly to the fore.
The 1200 X is easier to ride than before. It has nicely balanced, softly set road focused suspension that remains stable and planted at a brisk pace. The power delivery is urgent and there's that wider spread of gooey torque to shovel it past cars and out of turns. Unlike before there are mode dependant lean-sensitive rider aids should you get a little carried away, and on a cold early morning road surface there is enough grunt to get the TC working overtime.
The downside to the new suspension set-up is reduced ground clearance, which means on occasion the pegs tickle the road and, if you ride aggressively, try to bury themselves like a frightened ostrich. That preload adjustment on the rear might well be needed heavier riders looking to enjoy their favourite B-road.
Given the road-biased Metzeler Karoo Street tyres fitted to the 1200 X, I don’t think Triumph was overly happy that I took the new Scrambler for an unofficial off-road test. But the new 1200 X handled a few dusty challenges with relative nonchalance. Ground clearance is reasonable (185mm), there's a specific off-road map and, of course, that large-diameter 21-inch front wheel. With the TC deactivated, the X's accurate fuelling, balance and accessible torque made it easy to slide the rear without inviting disaster. (Should you get a little carried away, the ABS is designed to work off-road).
So long as you're not intending to hit the trails hard, or jump and bounce over rocks, then the 1200 X is still capable of green lane sorties. While its off-road ability is less than the new 1200 XE's, it is arguably better than any other scrambler-style machine on the market. I'd fancy its chances against BMW’s R nineT Scrambler and certainly Ducati’s 1100 Scrambler.
There is, however, no hiding the fact the 1200X has reduced braking power compared to the previous model, with smaller discs now and axial-mounted Nissin calipers instead of the racy radial-mounted Brembos of the XC.
Triumph has added cornering ABS, which arguably adds more safety and is pleasingly non-intrusive on the road, but stopping nearly 230kg, plus rider, is a lot to ask of relatively basic brakes. On occasions, when braking hard into tight downhill hairpins, the usual, gentle brush of the lever with one or two fingers was quickly replaced with a firm pull to get the X stopped, and a pillion and luggage would have demanded an even more urgent squeeze. But for most of our test ride there wasn't an issue, and I'm sure it won't be won’t be at all for 90% of 1200 X owners. In fact, with lean-sensitive ABS now on board I'd argue that the emergency stopping distance for many riders has even been reduced.
Accessibility is the keyword for the Scrambler 1200 X, in terms of both its price and the range of riders who can enjoy it, and in pursuit of expanding that customer base Triumph has dropped the seat height.
The lower, shorter-travel suspension means that in standard form the 1200 X’s seat is 820mm from the tarmac, compared to 870mm for the XE version and 840mm for the old XC variant. With the addition of the optional accessory low seat, the figure drops to 795mm, the first time the Scrambler 1200 has been available with a seat below the 800mm mark. That means you no longer need to have a towering physique to get your soles flat on the floor.
When compared to the XE version, the bars are 65mm narrower, while reversible risers mean their fore and aft position can be shifted to suit different riders’ preferences.
Triumph has yet to confirm the final, type-approved fuel consumption figure but it’s unlikely to be far from the 61.4 mpg of the old XC model, which means the 15-litre tank will take you around 200 miles.
As mentioned, Triumph has lowered the seat by reducing the suspension travel. With narrower bars that can also be adjusted, it’s much more accessible than before. Overall weight has only been reduced by a few kilos but it feels lighter because the smaller dimensions give you a more secure and reassuring feeling. 170mm of travel is still substantial and the ride quality from the new Marzocchi units is soft enough to offer a comfortable ride, but not overly soft – you can still have some fun. That said, the Scrambler 1200 has always proved popular with taller riders and the flip side of the X's more compact design is that the second-row forwards among us might prefer the bigger 1200 XE.
On test, I averaged 4.6l/100km which equates to 61.41mpg, the same as the old bike. Official figures haven’t yet been released but returns of over 60mpg during a reasonably brisk ride can’t be ignored. The fuel tank capacity is only 15 litres but will be fine for 170 miles and a little more before panic sets in. Unlike the premium XE cruise control isn’t standard, not even optional – shame.
On board you’ll find another change from the old Scrambler 1200 XC to the new 1200 X in the form of simplified instruments, with a single, circular dash pod instead of the colour TFT used on the previous version.
It’s actually made of two separate displays, with a white-on-black LCD for the upper section and a small, colour TFT in the bottom half. With the optional Bluetooth connectivity module, the dash becomes a control panel for app-based music and phone operation as well as turn-by-turn navigation. Under the seat there’s a USB port and a foam-lined storage box to put your phone in.
All the lighting is LED, including new, smaller indicators and a redesigned taillight, which make up the only styling changes over its predecessor.
A range of more than 70 accessories includes screens, luggage, heated grips and protection parts.
The new LED/TFT hybrid dash is simple and easy to navigate. Some may actually prefer the classy minimalism of the X's display to that of the pricier XE, but you don’t get backlit switchgear as like the XE.
The long list of accessories is impressive; you can, for example, transform your 1200 X into a tourer with factory luggage options offering 102 litres of total storage, including a 35-litre tail pack. Or you can opt for off-road biased rubber, fit crash protection and a bash plate, and head for the green lanes.
We asked Triumph about integration of accessories, and this is what they said, ‘In most cases accessories from the previous generation of the Scrambler 1200 will fit the new models. However, we have taken the opportunity to improve some accessories eg. The pannier is now lockable to the pannier rail, so check the recommended accessory part number on the configurator or with your Dealer to see if a new part is available’.
Triumph’s Scrambler model range has expanded substantially since the company created the modern retro-scrambler class with the Bonneville Scrambler back in 2005, but despite its success there aren’t a vast number of rivals in the large-capacity end of the market.
You might want to consider the BMW R nineT Scrambler (or its recently announced replacement, the R12 nineT), and Ducati’s Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro, while Moto Guzzi’s 850cc V85TT should also be on the radar.
Triumph has re-drawn its range of big Scramblers, producing two very different bikes in the 1200 X and 1200 XE. There is now a sizable gap between the two models, with the 1200 X a bike with a clearly defined purpose and not just a 1200 Scrambler with different accessories and looks.
Triumph has clearly listened to customer feedback and produced a new Scrambler that is easier to live with day to day. It is more accessible for smaller and less experienced riders yet shares the same character, power, torque and looks of the premium 1200 XE.
Yes, the suspension and brakes have dropped in spec but Triumph has added lean-sensitive rider aids, a new dash and more low-down torque whilst reducing the price by £800 in a market where costs continue to rise.
The 1200 X is still capable off-road, with improved torque over the old bike, but is now much more friendly than before. For those of us honest enough to admit to ourselves that our off-roading ambitions probably don't include long rides into the wilderness and our real-world need to adjust our suspension damping is probably non-existent, the new Scrambler 1200 X certainly hits the mark. Cheaper, easier, safer than before – there is much to like.
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