mistaken. I did a trip that included 60 / 40 gravel and sealed roads and, honestly, it was great. Everything about the 400 feels easy. It’ s light, easy to manage and certainly feels like a bike you can just hop on and go. The tyres are great on both the tar-seal and the gravel, the bike grips and hangs on- only breaking traction when I wanted it to. The suspension holds up well on and off road, with the back only feeling a bit soft if I really pushed through some big dips. That being said, I was pushing to see how much it would take and I’ m happy to report it’ s pretty darn good. The power is pleasantly surprising, when you think of a 400cc road / trail bike, the bikes that spring to mind aren’ t particularly smooth to ride, but this is where the 400XC differs. The powerplant is smooth and torquey, not feeling like the usual single-cylinder thumper, it has no issues getting up to or running at highway speeds( and faster I suspect). Even with my big carcass, it got along great. On the gravel, the power is predictable and it’ s easy to get along at a good pace and feel comfortable and planted. The rider triangle works, plain and simple really, it gives a very comfortable ride.
WHO’ S IT FOR? It’ s actually a shorter list for who ISN’ T the 400XC good for. The XC covers a huge range of riders including learners, commuters, experienced riders, a great bike for women given the weight and seat height. It really is an almost-do-anything-bike, and it does gravel and tarmac with ease. Maintenance is easy and servicing is every 16,000km or 12 months, backed up by a two year, unlimited kilometre warranty. The 400 range from Triumph is shaping up to offer some solid options, especially with the new Tracker and Thruxton that have just been released. All-in-all, the Scrambler 400XC is a fun bike at a good price point. I’ m sure they’ ll sell as many as they can bring in. Get down to your local Triumph dealer for a test ride.
+ Fun. Manageable. Premium finish. Great value. – It’ s‘ only’ a 400
42 KIWI RIDER