Long-term Triumph Scrambler 400 X review update three | A mistake leads Ben down a data rabbit hole

In my previous update I incorrectly stated that the Triumph Scrambler 400 X’s gearing was the same as its road-biased stablemate Speed 400. A keen-eyed reader correctly pointed out the Scrambler has one fewer teeth on the front sprocket.

Previous updates

• Update one: Is the Triumph Scrambler 400 X powerful enough for a bigger rider
• Update two: Triumph Scrambler 400 X vs Speed 400

Triumph say this is to counteract the effect of the Scrambler’s dual sport rear tyre having a larger circumference (the rim is the same). I was sure I could feel a difference in performance between the bikes, but it was the larger‑sprocketed Speed 400 that felt sprightlier under acceleration to me – the opposite of what you’d logically expect.

Plenty of folk at MCN Towers and beyond have ridden both bikes so I asked around, but the responses were mixed – so I got scientific. MCN datalogger Bruce Dunn had already tested the Scrambler on a runway so I asked him to test the Speed so I could compare the results.

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I’d be lying if I said the Speed blew the Scrambler away, but when you only have 35-ish bhp to play with small differences soon add up.

The Speed hits 10mph just 0.01 seconds before the Scrambler but the gap grows to almost a tenth by 20mph and two tenths by 40mph. The Speed is 0.33 seconds quicker to 60mph, half a second clear by 70mph, and hits 70mph over 15 metres before the Scrambler. It’s also between two and three tenths quicker from 30‑60mph, 50‑80mph and 60‑70mph.

At the top of the bikes’ abilities, the Speed hits 93.5mph 5.1 seconds before the Scrambler hits its best effort of 91.8mph. I would expect the Scrambler to have a lower top speed thanks to its larger frontal area, but still…

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While the differences would be obvious if you were riding both bikes side by side, I still question whether the difference I thought I could feel was more psychological than physical – even the best riders in the world would struggle to feel such small disparities in isolation.

Maybe the combined effect of the slightly modified riding position, sure‑footed sporty tyres and that smaller front wheel make you feel you’re moving faster than you are. When I asked road tester and MCN contributor Jon Urry his opinion, he said: “I think I just ride the Speed harder because it looks faster.”

So, there you have it; possibly the most pointless piece of consumer journalism ever written. If you find yourself having to choose between the two Triumph 400s for a runway drag race, take the Speed.