Triumph Scrambler 865cc, DOHC, air/oil-cooled twin. What's good. What's not good. What to watch 2012 Triumph Scrambler Pros Performance: Low down torque suits laid back riding. Rideability: Nice stable platform. Perfect for town work. Desirability: People just like 'em. Instant eye-appeal. Sound: 270-degree crankshaft gives lazy offbeat throbs. Support: Triumph customer care is generally excellent. Accessories: Lots of stuff from Triumph and 3rd parties. Easy going: Speed is down, profile is high. Perfect. Kudos: Triumph is a world class brand. Be proud. Price: Very competitive. Reasonable re-sale values. Engine: Tried and tested Bonneville motor. Smooth: Ideal for touring solo or two up. Pillion: Not a great saddle, but better than any bike perch. Steve McQueen: US desert racer lookalike. Enjoy. Economy: We've had 65 (high-speed) mpg from these. Arrow exhaust: Triumph extra. Better looks. Better sound. Electric start: Perfect for the ageing Meriden-era boys. Colour: Nicely understated. Just add mud and dust. | 2012 Triumph Scrambler Cons Bulky: Lardy when compared to '60s Triumph Scramblers. Silencers: Lacks elegance with poor ergonomics. Warranty: Irritating faults need a good running-in shakedown. Options: Basic stuff costs extra (centre stand, grab rail, etc). Bash plate: Shouldn't it be standard fitment? Fake: Carburettors. Front breather "pushrod" tube. Weight: These really need to diet and lose 50-60lbs. Suspension: Bottoms-out easily. Needs upgrading. Brakes: Some riders will need more than offered. Seat: Unattractive, and plankish. Retro: Triumph should be looking ahead, not backward. Throttle: Occasional poor low-speed response. Torque: Flat curve makes life easy (but risks blandness). Kayaba forks: 41mm. 4.7 inches travel. But no adjustment. Silencers: Emissions regs makes 'em way too bulky. Cleaning: Tricky access around the header bikes. Horn: Feeble. |
▲ The 2015 Triumph Scrambler 900. The same, but different. Clearly, Hinckley feels that it's got the basic formula right and is intent on enjoying it while it lasts. The bikes were never intended as serious off road machines, and most will stay on the black stuff throughout their "lives". But we riders buy with our eyes, and there are plenty of eyes on these machines. The OTR price, incidentally, is £7,988, which is pretty competitive. |
£19.99 plus p&p The Triumph Scrambler 900 first appeared in 2006 and pretty much hit the ground running, metaphorically speaking. The price was around £6,000 and a queue formed not so much instantly as, perhaps, inevitably. At first glance, after all, it wasn't exactly the ugliest thing that ever rolled down the turnpike. Actually, if you squinted, it looked pretty fit and cool and hinted that it might be a nice little earner for Bloor & Company. But if you were brought up on a diet of Meriden Triumph-era scramblers, the Hinckley bike looked as phoney as a nine bob note. For any kind of scrambler, it was heavy at around 500lbs fuelled and oiled (compared to around 400lbs for a Meriden Triumph). It was also higher, and longer, and wider, and you needed an extra joint in your leg about six inches about your right knee to get around those huge exhausts that definitely need a nip and tuck. The Hinckley Scrambler didn't even have a kickstart, and the performance was ... well, pretty flaccid. But to anyone from, say, the post-1970 generation, the Hinckley bike had a lot of stuff going for it that the Meriden iron didn't, and was therefore not only acceptable but vastly preferable. It was oil-tight. It was smooth and vibration free. It had pretty good (if not superlative) 2-piston floating caliper brakes front and rear. It was reliable. It came with a warranty. It was untainted by four or five decades of bodging. And it kept its cool in any kind of traffic. So naturally, Hinckley—which was in it for the long haul—kept banging out its Scrambler tune until eventually a lot of people were happy to whistle it. And today some owners need to be levered off the bars before their wives can roll the Scrambler back in the shed, such is owner passion for this machine. The 2013 model isn't a whole lot different to the first-of-type Scrambler. The engine is still 90mm x 68mm. The crank still has a 270-degree firing order. The gearbox is still 5 speed. The wheels are still 19-inch front and 17-inch rear. But the original carburettors are gone. Instead, fuel injectors lurk behind dummy carburettor bodies. So okay, it's still not very fast. You'll bimble along at around 60-70mph rather than hustle along at 90-100. You'll make the most of the fact that 90-percent of the torque is developed at sub-2500rpm (with the rest trundling in at 4,750). And if it doesn't excel anywhere, it's pretty decent as an all round, all weather bike. And it's British, albeit Made in Thailand. Extras include: headlamp grille, tank bag, centre stand, single saddle and rack, chrome chain guard, engine dresser bars, handlebar brace, alarm immobiliser, gel saddle, chrome grab rail, tachometer, all-weather cover, fly screen, tank knee pads, and bash plate. And by the time you've got all (or most of that) on the bike, you'll be reminded that it could use a little more oomph. Overall, it's not so much an off-roader as an off-roadster, if you can appreciate the difference. Price new? Around £6,500. [Triumph Bonneville buyer's guide] |