Triumph Scrambler 400X: 1200Km Touring Test Review

The Plan

City. Highway. Mountain Roads. Off-road. Well, this was the plan. To take the Triumph Scrambler 400X on all terrains possible, and while I was at it, to also find a route that would lead to Goa. Luckily for riders, Google has started suggesting a new route to Goa, and that is exactly the one I was going to take.

This time around, I was going to be in Goa for around 10 days, and that meant, I needed to overpack. The test bike that I was supposed to pick up from Pune was all stock and didn’t have any luggage accessories. So the Rynox Navigator 50 was going to be overabused on this trip.

Things we like

The 400cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine is fantastic. Yes, the power figures of 40bhp and 37Nm of peak torque are still lesser than its Austrian counterpart, but the way this motor has been tuned will put a big smile on your face. Firstly, there’s a lot of punch in the low revs, and as the tachometer needle starts to climb up, the surge in that torque can be felt easily. 90% of my ride on this trip was on the highway, so I was hitting triple-digit speeds in no time. Plus, the bike continues to show its punch post 6,000rpm, and there were so many instances I was hitting 120kmph quite quickly. But for me, the best aspect of this engine was its mid-range – strong and quite addictive. In terms of overall refinement, well, it is not entirely there, but the motor does make you appreciate its performance. The six-speed gearbox is neat and offers great shifts.

The Scrambler 400X is mind-boggling on the corners – thanks to that chassis and those tyres. I still remember that first corner I took en route and the way it felt was something else. Post that, I ended up scraping the pegs multiple times. It’s quite easy to tip in the motorcycle and this Triumph can hold lines for long. Even in fast-switching corners, the Scrambler 400X kept me engaged and happy throughout that 80km mountain stretch.

I’m a big fan of the seating ergos of the Scrambler 400X. The seating triangle is upright and even after riding for close to 10 hours in a single day, there was barely any fatigue. I liked the seat size too. It is decently wide and has space to move and adjust. But the best comfort aspect of this motorcycle is when you transition from road to off-road. Even for a tall guy like me, the position of the handlebar and pegs allowed me to stand up and ride comfortably, and trust me, it hasn’t happened to me on any other motorcycle – be it an adventure or a scrambler.

Things we don’t like

The overall ride quality of the Scrambler 400X was on the firmer side. Even with the extra weight from the luggage, the rear was stiff. The springs also rebound faster and that effect was felt while riding through some of the bad roads on MH highways. A tad bit softer spring would have amped up the overall riding experience.

The front brake of the Scrambler 400X was quite bad. So bad that I decided to decrease the speed if I was not sure about the route I was riding on. There’s no issue with this brake while riding in the city or even while riding at 80kmph. But as you hit triple-digit speeds and there’s a need for braking, the front calliper and pad fail to drop the speed. There’s barely any power and bite from the pads at high speed.

Usually, Bajaj likes to advise its European partners to load up their bikes with some good features. But sadly, with this Triumph, this didn’t happen when it came to the instrument cluster. The tachometer is all analogue - something that a motorcycle at this price point shouldn’t have. The small LCD screen on the right does show more information, but the tachometer takes all the space, and as a result, knowingly or unknowingly, you keep looking at it.

When it comes to off-roading, the Scrambler 400X, even with the better ground clearance as compared to the Speed 400, isn’t a fantastic off-roader. Sure, it can be ridden over bad roads or dirt conditions, but you can’t ride it hard. In fact, on extremely rough terrains, the Scrambler 400X fails to entice the rider and the blame goes to the 19-inch front wheel. The overall feel while riding over rocks or trails wasn’t confidence-inspiring.

Conclusion

The Triumph Scrambler 400X is a fantastic motorcycle. It allowed me to have a great riding experience – something I honestly wasn’t expecting from this motorcycle. The combination of a powerful 400cc engine, agile chassis, grippy tyres, and also good cornering clearance allowed me to go berserk on the ghat section. Plus, that engine allows you to have high and consistent highway speeds, which means, you will reach your destination on time, if not earlier. But due to the lack of a windscreen, there’s a decent amount of buffeting. Moreover, if the suspension setup was a bit on the softer side, Triumph would have been an amazing motorcycle for long-distance touring.