The Scrambler motorcycling culture dates back to the fifties wherein biking blokes would strip down their motorcycles to the bare minimum, slap on bash plates, knobby tires and hit muddy fields and desert terrain for an added shot of motorcycling adrenalin. Though the Scrambler culture went missing thanks to the new species of motorcycles which spelt hardcore adventure and off-road testimonials. But these bikes still left a void for segment of riders who still loved street riding and an occasional venture onto the trails. This very gap relents the need for Scrambler motorcycles and Triumph looks to plug and establish itself as a major player with the launch of the new Triumph Street Scrambler motorcycle. Though we’re not sure how many owners would actually take the new Scrambler to the trail, but heck if we had to buy one- we’d do just coz it looks SO COOL!
We happened to ride the new 2017 Triumph Street Scrambler post the launch event. We feel that the modest ride time allocated to us – thanks to bad weather, wasn’t enough to even call it a first ride review. Plus being a Scrambler we rather ended up riding on smooth tarmac slashed by heavy rains with its off-roading credentials remaining a suspense. We expect the Street Scrambler to be made available for an exhaustive hands on review soon. But we did take a few extra laps on the motorcycle to get a decent first impression of riding the Street Scrambler.
Scrambler essentially being a streetbike with trail updates, the new Triumph Street Scrambler is the Street Twin’s off-road sibling. We take a look at the features what makes the Street Scrambler and differentiates it from its road going relative.
The liquid cooled 900cc engine produces power and torque figures of 55 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 80 nm @ 2850 rpm mated to a five-speed gearbox. Rider-focused technologies include ride-by-wire, switchable ABS), switchable traction control and torque assist clutch.
Brushed stainless steel 2 into 2 exhaust system with twin silencers
Ribbed Alcantara-style twin seat with contrast stitching and Triumph embossed logo.
Interchangeable pillion seat and aluminium rear rack beneath the seat as standard
Removable pillion pegs/hangers and competition inspired number-board side panel.
Steel high grip ‘Bear Trap’ adventure style front foot pegs and all terrain style bash plate
Aluminium headlight bracket and black headlight bezel
New front mudguard mounts to suit the larger wheel
Detailed dual compound rubber knee pads for enhanced grip
New mirrors
Digital dashboard displays revs, gear position, odometer, twin trip meters, service indicator, distance to empty, fuel level, average and real time fuel consumption, clock and traction control settings.
**Other features covered in the technical specifications chart at the end of the post.
STYLE, BUILD QUALITY & PERFORMANCE IMPRESSIONS
Styling wise, we’d say the Scrambler does look attractive- particularly in the Korosi Red and Frozen Silver scheme. Other shades include Jet Black and the Matt Khaki Green which should appeal to the more adventure minded riders. Get closer to the motorcycle and it smacks of high quality build and should convince the buyer when he decided to put his money over the counter.
The 900cc Bonneville High Torque engine mated to a 5 speed gearbox produces max power of 55 bhp @ 6000 rpm while churning out a peak torque figure of 80 nm at an astoundingly low 2850 rpm. The engine felt smooth throughout the rev range and the fantastic low end grunt makes the Scrambler feel more powerful than it actually is. The straight offered for the test ride was a short one and we pushed the motorcycle as far as we could in the very first gear and it demonstrated good levels of refinement. The clutch pull is effortless, shifts were precise, smooth and there were no clunks even while shifting to first from neutral.
The Street Scrambler feels light and agile for its capacity. The wide spaced handlebars and the comfortable seating position impart great sense of control over the motorcycle. The turning radius is short which should aid in crawling through routine traffic chores and the bike feels alert to quick directional changes. A more detailed account on handling should be available when we get the Street Scrambler for a full blown review run. Comfort and ride quality is fantastic thanks to the supple rider seat (not for the pillion though) and the suspension with 120mm travel at both ends.
Stopping power is provided by 310mm and 255mm single discs at the front and rear respectively grabbed by 2 pot Nissin calipers. The wet roads offered a good testing ground for the brakes and they performed flawlessly with the ABS rushing to the rescue whenever we tried to lock the wheels- impressive indeed.
In conclusion, the 2017 Triumph Street Scrambler felt a great motorcycle to have between your legs. Though as afore mentioned, it was a short ride- but we could get a good hang of the motorcycle. Overall it was a delight to ride offering great comfort and control, a smooth torquey engine and lovely brakes- we were itching to take the motorcycle on a long ride and we believe it should be great fun. That makes the wait for a full review even more painful.
TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER IMAGE GALLERY
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