It’s a no-brainer, the
Scrambler XE just wins
I
I wish to make a few things clear right up front. Yes, by all means pile the knotted angst-
panties over in that old field of mine where they may nourish the rat’s intercourses I still
do not give.
Everything I state will be qualified.
STATEMENT 1: THE XC SCRAMBLER IS A GAME-
CHANGING MOTORCYCLE.
QUALIFIER 1: It is the only seriously dirt-
capable and seriously road-capable
“adventure bike” that actually looks like
someone put some thought into crucial
aesthetics.
STATEMENT 2: YOU SHOULD BUY THE XE
($24,490) OVER THE XC ($22,590) VERSION.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
QUALIFIER 2: Firstly, I would have thought
Secondly, for a measly $1900 more, you
get some proper off-road bang. There’s
250mm of adjustable Showa fork-travel
(versus 200mm), longer-travel adjustable rear
Öhlins, a longer-travel swingarm (579mm),
six riding modes (Road, Rain, Sport, Off-
Road, Configure Your Own Doom, and Off-
Road Pro), adjustable folding foot controls,
heated grips, aluminium-braced hand guards,
Brembo MCS lever, and optimised cornering
ABS with an Inertial Measurement Unit. Oh,
and some very nice bling, like gold-anodised
forks and a nice tank badge.
It’s a no-brainer – the XE just wins.
Triumph might have considered that “XC”
sounds exactly like “XE” when you say it out
loud. So make sure the salesman hears you
ordering the XE.
KIWI RIDER 55