Wide bars and accurate steering give it a
bit of that big trail bike feel, which got me
through gnarly gateways and other tight
spots. It feels solid and is packed with quality
components. The weight feels centralised
around the 1200 twin engine giving it a
compact feel for such a big bike which is
a bonus particularly in adventure riding
situations.
The Scrambler certainly looks the part and
proved to be capable and fun in some quite
muddy trail conditions. Interestingly, several
people asked me how long it had taken
to restore my vintage Triumph and were
amazed when I told them it was in fact new
– testament to Triumph’s attention to detail
and retro styling efforts.
When the trail gets gnarly, only a lightweight
dirt scoot is really going to do, but Triumph’s
Scrambler XE is a seriously capable machine…
as long as you’ve got the off-road skills to
match.
GEOFF OSBORNE
KIWI RIDER 69