Triumph’s all-new Scrambler 400 X has been worth the wait... find out why in our deep dive review

When you look at the worldwide success that Royal Enfield have been enjoying with their unassuming middleweights, you have to wonder why it has taken Triumph so long to join the fray. But for 2024 they have, through the launch of two new models – the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X.

The two ground-up new 400s are based around an all-new 398cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. As well as helping Triumph establish a stronger position in the lucrative (and rapidly expanding) Asian market, the new 400s are targeted at European riders who want an easy-going A2-legal bike that looks smart and has a well-established name on its tank.

And with a price of just £5595 for the Scrambler, or £4995 for the Speed, both are remarkably appealing. But does this fresh-faced family of bikes live up to its potential? Time to find out as we put the new Triumph Scrambler 400 X through its paces on the road, one and two up, and on the dyno…

Dive into the detail: Triumph Scrambler 400X – £5595

• Engine 398cc 4v DOHC single, 33.7bhp, 23.5lb.ft
• Frame Hybrid spine/perimeter, tubular steel
• Suspension F: 43mm inverted forks, nonadjustable, R: Monoshock, adjustable preload
• Front brake 1 x 320mm disc with four-piston radial caliper. ABS
• Rear brake 1 x 230mm disc with one-piston caliper. ABS
• Seat height 835mm
• Kerb weight 183kg
• Fuel capacity 19 litres

It’s a budget bike, but does it look like one?

No, absolutely not. Both of the 400 models are built in India by Bajaj in a joint operation between the two firms, but that’s not an issue; remember the bulk of Triumph’s range is built in Thailand and not Hinckley anyway, so even with its more expensive models you aren’t buying a ‘British bike’.

What matters far more than its origin is the level of quality, design and craftsmanship that goes into the final product. And on this front, the Scrambler 400 X is impressive.

Visually, the new bike is neat and stylish with some lovely touches such as the twin upswept pipes, finned cylinder barrel, stylish stripe on the tank and rubber knee pads. And the additions the Scrambler gets over the Speed, which include brush guards, a headlight protector and a Triumph-branded handlebar brace pad, all add to its air of quality and elegance.

You could roll into any car park on the Scrambler 400 X and not feel embarrassed. It’s a great-looking machine that hides its affordable price point incredibly well. That said, our test bike’s immobiliser system did throw up a warning light (it never failed) and the fuel gauge suffered a brief moment of indecision, before recovering and working perfectly.

But can you fit on the thing?

Despite its small capacity, Triumph have ensured the Scrambler is physically quite a large bike. With its tall bars you sit very upright and there is enough leg room, so that even those over 6ft tall will feel instantly at home.

On paper the Scrambler’s 835mm seat height (the Speed is lower at 790mm) seems quite tall but in reality the bike is so narrow around its waist that this never becomes an issue and, when you factor in its light 183kg (tested, fully fuelled) weight, it all adds up to an incredibly reassuring machine. And one that is also
roomy for a pillion, as you’ll read below.

Is there enough poke?

The first thing you notice about the new TR-Series engine is its sound. Deep, thumping and really pleasing on the ears, it has none of that nasty whirring you often endure on a small-capacity powerplant and feels like a really grown-up and spirited engine as a result.

On the go the bike has a definite ‘happy zone’ at 60mph, which is a pace it naturally seems to end up at. While you can push it up to 70mph and even beyond (our bike hit a tested top speed of 91.8mph) once
you cross 65mph it starts to feel and sound like it is working very hard.

Keep the speed sub-65mph and life is far more enjoyable. Peppy off the line and with a surprisingly strong low-end, the TR motor is a real beauty with a slick gearbox, delightfully light clutch action and enough power to keep pace with modern traffic around town and backroads.

Overtakes, as you would expect, require dropping a few gears but for cruising around on, it is an excellent engine and one that, if you do allow it to rev, is pleasingly brisk. Does it need traction control? Not really, but it is nice to have and doesn’t detract from its performance or character.

On the dyno

The Scrambler recorded a peak power output of 33.7bhp at its rear wheel with 23.5lb.ft of torque, which is certainly more than respectable for a 398cc single. More important is the shape of the torque curve, which is lovely and flat, resulting in a fairly even spread of grunt throughout the bike’s rev-range. You can see the area where the single starts to respond to revs, which is the jump at 6000rpm, delivering a pleasing zing of top-end performance.

Can it go the distance?

Yes, as long as you keep the speed down. Once you push past 65mph the engine starts to get a bit vibey as it is labouring harder, and the Scrambler’s very upright riding position means your body acts like a large windbreak, putting lots of strain on your arms and neck as you hang on to the ’bars.

Sitting at 70mph quickly leads to arm ache as well as annoyance as the vibes render the mirrors next to useless. But knock just 5 or 10mph off your speed and life is considerably more comfortable. At 60mph the Scrambler is a joy as the wind blast is massively reduced and you can easily cover decent mileages.

The vibes are minimal, the mirrors clear and the upright seating position comfortable and relaxed. If you aren’t in a rush, you can certainly make sensible progress on the Scrambler.

City slicker

You have to assume a fair few Scramblers will be used as urban transport and the 400 seems perfectly suited to this role in life. There is bags of steering lock (you can easily U-turn in a road) and that upright stance offers you a very clear view over cars ahead.

At low speed the Scrambler’s chassis feels very naturally balanced and its light weight makes it effortless to manoeuvre into tight gaps or make rapid changes of direction. That said, if you are heading into a congested area you need to a be a bit wary of the wide bars and their brush guards, which are exactly the same height as most cars’ mirrors, and it’s easy to accidentally bash them as you filter.

Solid suspension

On B-roads, the Scrambler is fun and very assured, helped by its quality Metzeler Karoo Street tyres. There is a definite feel of it having a large front wheel, which manifests itself as a slight reluctance to turn, but it doesn’t put a dampener on the riding enjoyment. You can merrily blast along on the Scrambler 400 X and for the vast majority of the time its suspension is more than up to the task in hand.

Adding a pillion or some fairly serious bumps does highlight the limits of the shock’s damping but overall, there isn’t much to find fault with in terms of the chassis.

The brakes, however, are a bit of a let-down with the front ByBre caliper feeling a bit spongy and lacking in power despite braided lines (I suspect the master cylinder is the culprit), and it is also a touch disappointing that the lever lacks any span adjustment.

There again, their relative lack of bite does make them more reassuring for less-experienced riders so it is a debatable point, and the ABS is very good.

How does the 400 X stack up on value for money?

Costing £5595, when you compare the Scrambler to the likes of the £6250 Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 or £6799 BSA Gold Star, or even the £6149 Honda CL500, the Triumph certainly seems extremely good value for money.

During our test ride we consistently averaged over 60mpg (a worst of 53.6mpg, a best of 65.2mpg), which is pleasingly frugal – although oddly the onboard realtime mpg calculator stops at 60mpg. If you are looking to buy the bike on finance, Triumph offer APR rates of 9.9% on both PCP and HP finance at time of writing, which is about average and the TR-Series engine has 10,000-mile service intervals with the valve clearances requiring checking at 20,000 miles so running costs shouldn’t be an issue.

Triumph Scrambler 400 X: Optional extras

Topbox and fitting kit £290 – Triumph’s 30-litre topbox costs £92 but you need to also add the £150 luggage rack and £48 mounting kit to fit it on the bike, bringing the total to £290, plus fitting. Triumph claim the top box is water-resistant and it has a maximum payload of 3kg.

Fly screen and fitting kit £102 – To aid the weather protection, there’s an accessory screen that costs £66 but you also need the £36 fitting kit. The polycarbonate screen looks good and would be a useful addition for anyone looking at using the Scrambler 400 X as a daily commuter.

Heated grips £TBC – Should you fit the accessory heated grips to the Scrambler (price tbc), they are integrated into the dash so that you can see their heat level simply by scrolling through the menu, which is a neat touch. If you plan on winter rides to work they could make all the difference.

Triumph Scrambler 400 X: Pillion opinion

The Scrambler is super-easy to get on, you can just swing a leg over with it upright! It is so refreshing to
get on the back of a bike without mountaineering. Brilliant. I thought the Scrambler would be uncomfortable or cramped but it isn’t – far from it.

The seat may look tiny but despite two large riders (combined weight of 25 stone) there was loads of room. Plus, because you are seated directly behind the rider you are very sheltered from the elements,
which is excellent. Although your vision ahead is a bit limited, which I wasn’t 100% happy with, and my right boot seemed to rest on the exhaust’s heatshield.

On the go, the single seemed a bit lacking in power when pulling away and performing overtakes, but it was very smooth as long as the revs were kept down. When the engine was revving hard it did get a bit vibey. On bumpy roads the shock felt like it was nearing the end of its travel, which isn’t surprising considering the weight, but on smoother roads it was fine and ride quality was really good.

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The MCN Verdict

In January, the Speed 400 was the UK’s best-selling bike, shifting more units than even the new BMW R1300GS, which is very promising indeed for both of Triumph’s new 400 models.

Given how the market is now, and buyers’ appetite for adventure bikes, I’d expect the Scrambler X to at east match or even possibly out-sell the naked version once it is in general circulation. And for very good reason, it’s a brilliant machine.

Unassuming and fun to ride, there is very little I could find to dislike about the 400 X. True, if you take it above 60mph the wind blast is a bit of a strain, and it would be nice if the front brake boasted more performance, but for the vast majority of its target audience this won’t be an issue.

Take it easy, enjoy the feel and sound of that peppy single and the Scrambler 400 X will certainly make you smile. And it all comes with low running costs and for a very reasonable pricetag. What’s not to love?

Over the last few years Enfield’s low-capacity bikes have consistently been in the top ten of the UK’s best-selling bikes and I’d bet my house that Triumph’s two new 400s will also sit there. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were both in the top-five best-sellers by the end of 2024 due to Triumph’s more widespread dealer network. They have certainly been worth the wait.

Pros:

• Lovely engine
• Affordable price
• Great build quality

Cons:

• Front brake is spongy
• Becomes hard work over
• 70mph on motorways

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While you’re here: How MCN tests bikes

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Using years of riding and racing experience (on and off-road), our expert journalists are able to assess the capabilities of a machine and translate that into understandable language to help MCN’s readers make an informed buying decision. Pitching bikes against their main rivals, we aim to give a conclusive verdict on which bike is best for your needs and your budget.

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When we ride the bikes in the UK we tend to do at least one full day of riding on various different types of road and in varying conditions. Our testers will then spend another day riding the bike – with rivals – to get images and video footage for our print and online reviews.

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Find out more about how we test bikes right here.