The Scrambler 400X is Triumph’s most affordable scrambler in line up. There are two more – the Scrambler 900 and the Scrambler 1200- both of these bikes are sold in India.
The Scrambler 400X sits above the Speed 400, a modern retro motorcycle. These bikes are built around the same chassis and have the same engine. But the Scrambler 400X gets some different cycle parts to suit the bike’s scrambler nature.
The Scrambler 400X has more rugged design elements, making it look off-road-ready. It gets a headlight protector, radiator, sump guards, and hand guards. The bike also has a handlebar brace and a longer front mudguard.
The Triumph Scrambler 400X is powered by a new 398cc liquid-cooled engine, which makes 39.5bhp of peak power at 8000rpm and maximum torque of 37.5Nm at 6500rpm. The motor is mated to a six-speed gearbox. Regarding the rest of the cycle parts, the bike gets a 43mm big piston with 150mm travel suspension at the front and a mono-shock with preload adjustment at the rear. Due to its off-road nature, the Scrambler 400X gets a much larger 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch alloy wheels are the rear. Metzelers have given this bike their Karoo Street tyres, which can perform off-road functions.
The brakes on the Scrambler 400X are slightly different from the ones on the Speed 400. The front brake disc is bigger at 320mm, whereas the rear gets a 230mm disc. Dual-channel ABS is standard, but Scrambler can switch off the rear ABS.
Regarding features, the Scrambler 400X gets a ride-by-wire, switchable traction control system, LED lights throughout and a part digital-analogue instrument cluster. This cluster shows ride data like fuel, gear indicator and two odometers. There’s a C-type charging port that comes as standard.
The Scrambler 400X will be sold in Khaki Green, Carnival Red and Phantom Black. The bike will be launched in India on 5 July, and the deliveries are expected to commence by August.
The Triumph Scrambler 400 X is the bigger, more desirable twin of the Speed 400. And after having ridden it extensively, we also find it to be the more versatile motorcycle of the two.
Not just that; in our time over good tarmac and bad, around twisting roads and arrow straight sections, and off the road too, we discovered it to be a worthy alternative to the KTM 390 Adventure and the Himalayan.
How and why? Read on…
As far as visual cues go, the Scrambler looks just like the Speed 400 from a distance. And that is a good thing. The Speed 400 is a beautiful-looking motorcycle with premium touches all around. This continues on the Scrambler 400 X as well.
The latter has the same traditional yet gorgeous British thumper design elements like the round headlamp, a teardrop fuel tank, and minimal side and rear bodywork. Plus, the attention to detail on these elements is striking and worthy of a double take.
More importantly, the Scrambler addresses the Speed’s one big Achilles heel – lack of road presence. The Scrambler, owing to its taller stance, the bigger front wheel, and the wider handlebar complete with knuckle guards, has a beefier and bigger visual presence.
Now, it might not be obvious, but apart from running different wheels, the Scrambler has a different chassis to the Speed as well, giving it a significantly longer wheelbase compared to the latter. Other changes include different footpegs, a split seat, and a more purposeful-looking exhaust. These play a subtle but significant role in upping the 400 X’s road presence.
The big change in the 400 X’s chassis is a longer neck for the main frame. Otherwise, it is still a tubular unit with a bolt-on sub-frame. The Scrambler also has longer travel for both the front USD forks and the rear monoshock.
The front forks are set at a steeper angle now to improve response since it runs a bigger 19-inch wheel. And, to compensate for the twitchiness a sharper steering geometry might bring – especially when riding off-road – the 400X also runs a front axle offset.
As mentioned, the bike uses a larger 19-inch front wheel, while the rear retains a 17-inch unit. The front also runs a narrower 100-section tyre with off-roading in mind. And the rear too is slimmer compared to the Speed 400 with a 140-section width. Finally, there’s no change to the rear brake setup, but the front brake runs a larger 320mm disc on the Scrambler.
As for the engine, it is the same unit and in the same state of tune as the Speed 400. The 399cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine makes a little under 40bhp and almost 38Nm of peak torque. But Triumph has played with a bigger airbox and engine internals to deliver a higher and flatter torque curve than what the engine’s oversquare bore and stroke ratio might otherwise suggest.
The six-speed gearbox is carried over from the Speed 400 as well with the same gear ratios. But to give the Scrambler more grunt off-road, the 400X runs a smaller front sprocket. This has resulted in a shorter final drive, and with it, an even stronger drive in lower gears.
Feature-wise, there’s nothing extraordinary on offer. One gets a part-analog-part-digital instrumentation with readouts for two trips, range, rpm, selected gear, fuel level, and time. It is a unit that looks past its prime. One can nonetheless access a menu through the instrumentation to turn off both traction control and the ABS at the rear wheel. But again, it is not the most intuitive and it can feel a tad tedious at times too.
The Scrambler does two things exceedingly well when it comes to riding – it checks the comfort and ease-of-riding boxes, comprehensively.
So, whether you are staring at peak hour traffic for your commute back home at the end of a long day, or a state highway you have never been on, you will rarely want to leave the 400X keys on the table. It feels light and easy to filter through traffic with, and with no real engine heat bothering the rider, one can sit in chock-o-block traffic without cursing. It is also comfortable, absorbent, and stable over poor roads. So one’s apprehension about taking on unknown roads will be far less when astride the Scrambler.
What’s more, when you take it on a twisty road, the larger front wheel doesn’t get in the way. The 400X flows uninterrupted through corners and it has a sense of balance and predictability which instills loads of confidence in the rider. It responds with alertness and accuracy to steering inputs; it rarely feels soft or wallowy no matter how bumpy the corner; and it never feels lazy through quick direction changes.
It’s a motorcycle you instantly connect with and feel at home. So much so, that you can’t really go wrong with it. Having said that, it could do with better brakes and nicer tyres. The front brake in particular needs more bite and the tyres in general could do with more grip to complement the chassis.
Now, Triumph says this is a Scrambler. So, we had no choice but to take it off the road as well. And true to its specs, the 400X is happy handling the hard-packed stuff. There’s decent travel, the suspension handles the beating off-road without complaint, and it doesn’t feel heavy or unmanageable.
Rocks, ruts, jumps, and what have you, if it’s not too serious, the 400X handles it without throwing a fit. Plus, the more you ride it, the more you realise it doesn’t do anything funny; it is predictable off-road that way. This in turn builds confidence to go faster and take on more difficult trails. But yes, it needs a little more off-road-focused rubber to enjoy it properly.
As we said, you can’t go wrong with the Scrambler. Moreover, with its bigger front wheel, higher suspension travel, and more comfortable and upright seating ergonomics compared to the Speed, it is better suited to different riding scenarios. One can take on the rough, twisties, and fast city commute with equal vigour on the 400X. So, it is more versatile.
Now, compared to the entry-level 390 Adventure X, not only is the Scrambler cheaper, but it has more electronics on board too. Yes, it has lower clearance and suspension travel than the KTM, but given its stronger engine characteristics, we feel it makes for a worthy alternative.
It is a good alternative to the Himalayan too, even though a pricier one. One must also note that the 400X is not as good at taking on the challenging stuff off-road as the Royal Enfield. But, if someone is looking at spending more time on the road with some off-roading thrown in, the Scrambler – with better road manners, performance, tech, and a premium build – should certainly be on the list.
Photography by Kapil Angane
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Triumph Scrambler 400 X is available in the following colours in India.
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Matt Khaki Green/Fusion White
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4.7/5
Visual Appeal
Reliability
Comfort
Service Experience
Value for Money
It is a beautiful, quick, and easy-to-handle bike that can be driven almost anywhere.
3 weeks ago
Prajwal
This bike has it all! I bought the Scrambler 400x not too long ago in Hyderabad and have put a decent number of kilometers on it already. It can cruise at 100 with no problem, and the transmission feels like butter. The potholes feel like they are not even there. It is perfect if you commute daily through a mix of highways and rough patches of roads like I do. I did think the handling would be bad at first, but when I rode it for the first time, it felt really easy to control, even for a beginner like me. I would say that it can be scary to drive if you have no experience and are on the shorter side. I mean, I am 6’1 (and a noob), and I got scared the first time, but you get used to the size and weight pretty quickly. It is quite peppy, and the brakes may feel spongy to a few who have only ridden sporty bikes, but they are perfect for the kind of use this bike is built for. I bought this bike at the Kukkatpally Triumph showroom, and I would recommend you buy it from there if you are in Hyderabad because of its fast and easy delivery. The only con I have noticed so far is that it heats up very quickly in city traffic, but that could just be because of my lack of experience riding a motorcycle. It is a beautiful, quick, and easy-to-handle bike that can be driven almost anywhere.
Rating Parameters
(out of 5)
Visual Appeal
Reliability
Comfort
Service Experience
Value for Money
About the Reviewer
Used it for
Everything
Owned for
< 3 months
Ridden for
< 5000 kms
Got mileage of
29 kmpl
Tips for other riders
You might want to get PPF done to prevent scratches and change tires to Michelin Road Series if you want to get more performance out of it.
Was this review helpful?
5
0
Best launch of 2023.
5 weeks ago
Ankit Dinkar
I really like this engine. it’s actually pretty usable even for a beginner. Triumph has added a bit of rubber below the pegs to smooth things in case of any refinement issues. The Handlebar though feels slightly Buzzy at 80 km per hour but it won’t spoil your riding experience cruising between 100 and 120 kmph should not be a problem if you are of the touring kind. It is a tall motorcycle so most of the guys will find themselves tiptoeing in City to City traffic but once the roads open up there is a sense of comfort almost immediately. The wide handlebar, position of the pegs & the overall Riders triangle are really comfortable. A long wheelbase might mean stability but it usually compromises with handling. Personally, handling was probably the strongest attribute of this motorcycle so easy to steer and so much fun around fast Corners. A good set of tires will make this even better I feel but the way the motorcycle responds to your inputs and never feels out of line is actually incredible even with the bigger tire at the front. If you’re looking at City usage but if your commute involves some kind of Highway run, if your commute involves going through a bad patch of Road, and if you really don’t like slowing down at those places I feel the Scrambler 400x at rupees 2.63 lakh X showroom is fantastic value for money.
Rating Parameters
(out of 5)
Visual Appeal
Reliability
Comfort
Value for Money
About the Reviewer
Used it for
Everything
Owned for
< 3 months
Ridden for
< 5000 kms
Was this review helpful?
4
1
Short msg of bike
6 weeks ago
Sundar
Nice bike to drive and comfort was okay. I bought this bike for 2.7 lakh and it looks good when compared to other me.The performance was superb and the services were brilliant. The riding experience was good, On the first ride I travelled 150 km which made me very comfortable and I wasn’t tired after the ride.
Rating Parameters
(out of 5)
Visual Appeal
Reliability
Comfort
Service Experience
Value for Money
About the Reviewer
Used it for
Daily Commute
Owned for
6 months-1 yr
Ridden for
5000-10000 kms
Was this review helpful?
21
6
By Vikrant Singh1 month ago
By Anuj Mishra10 days ago
By Anuj Mishra1 month ago
By Pratik Bhanushali 1 month ago
₹ 11,00,000
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