With the way the economy is and the wave of new riders hopping on bikes, small bore, low-cost bike sales are on the up. And, to be honest, why wouldn’ t they be? I mean, a brand new bike for around that $ 10k mark just makes so much sense. Manufacturers have seen the trend and all the big players have thrown their hats into the ring. Not one to be left behind, Triumph, the British motorcycle giant, has engineered a tasty selection of 400cc treats in recent years, and choice is certainly a good thing for customers.
WHAT IS IT? Within Triumph’ s 400cc range is an offering which I think is one of the best buys, a 400cc scrambler bike that not only looks the part, but performs too.
The Scrambler 400XC sports a pair of very tasty, spoked black rims that are at home on bikes costing a lot more. The bike sporting 7 / 8th handlebars, a tidy bar pad with easy to use switch gear and to keep the wind down is a cool bikini fairing and a set of smooth looking handguards. The seating department is well catered for with a very comfy‘ tuck and roll’ style seat and a set of pillion pegs. Vital signs are taken care of by an easy to read and easy to use TFT digital cluster that also gives access to the rider modes. Stopping power is courtesy of a set of callipers made in the Brembo factory and for what they are, they do a great job. The bike also has adjustable clutch brake levers, so if you have dainty wee hands or gorillas mitts, either will be
36 KIWI RIDER