Refocused

Five years after launching the Scrambler 1200 XE and 1200 XC, Triumph has taken a fresh style in 2024.

- Adam 'Chad' Child

The British firm has opted to drop the 1200 XC and substitute it with a new 1200 X which surrenders its off-road ability, to become more accessible, whilst the top-of-the-range XE continues to have true off-road ability, with new long-travel suspension. MSL headed to Spain to try out the 1200X on the road, and have a play on the tweaked 1200 XE

Triumph Scrambler 1200 X

You either get Triumph's 1200 Scrambler or you don't. You either appreciate its uncompromising, slightly oldfashioned approach to its role as a dual-purpose retro bruiser, or you find its daunting seat height and lack of adventure-bike comforts and sophistication too much to contemplate, especially on dirt. You love the retro looks and scrambler styling, or you are perturbed by its weight and lack of tech.

Triumph appears to have recognised this fact because the new and significantly reconsidered 2024 Scrambler 1200 X is the Hinckley factory's olive branch to those who find themselves drawn to the Scrambler's unquestionable charisma and charm while being slightly intimidated by its size and bulk, too. Don't worry, I was.

With shorter stroke suspension and a lower seat height, the 1200 X is more accessible and easier to live with day-to-day and, with £800 sliced off its price tag, at £11,895 considerably cheaper than the Scrambler 1200 XC it replaces, too. When was a new bike cheaper than the bike it replaced?

Many will question why Triumph has replaced the older bike's Brembo M50 brakes, Showa forks and piggyback Öhlins rear shocks with less-aspiring Nissin stoppers and Marzocchi suspension units front and back, but the 1200 X is about giving more customers access to the Scrambler franchise. A lower seat, a better price plus an electronic upgrade that drops lean-sensitive ABS and traction control on to the table, point to a more road-focused package and a clear distinction from the off-road biased XE.