2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 X and XE review: retro perfecto!

In 2019 Triumph shook up the modern retro sector with the launch of two Scrambler 1200 models. The two bikes launched were the XE and XC, with the first being the top-level and more off-road biased option, and the XC a more entry-level and affordable version.

The trouble was though, that both were fairly closely matched, and the only real defining difference between them was that one featured fully adjustable suspension and was leaning more towards off-road riding. Even the price of each bike was fairly close. 

There was another sticking point too, the seat height. With the XC coming in at 840mm and the XE at a hefty 870mm, both versions of Triumph’s retro off-roader were a little out of reach for many riders.

That’s something that Triumph has tried to fix for 2024, with a completely revised and rebranded Scrambler 1200 X model and a mildly updated version of the off-road-ready XE. To find out how the two bikes ride, we headed to sunny Malaga in Spain, for a riding event featuring on and off-road sections covering over 120 miles.

Price, colours, and availability

Entry into the Scrambler 1200 club in 2024 starts with the base model X and it’ll set you back £11,895 (on the road) and is available in either Carnival Red, Ash Grey, or Sapphire Black. The top-spec XE will start at £13,295 and comes in Phantom Black & Storm Grey, Baja Orange & Phantom Black, and Sapphire Black colourways. Both bikes are set to be power-sliding into UK dealerships in January 2024.

What’s new with the Scrambler range?

There are two sides to this: on the one hand, the 1200 X has had a shed-load done to it, while the higher-spec XE has had a lighter smattering of updates. We’ll start with the XE, which for 2024 gains Marzocchi suspension at both ends, with 45mm and twin shocks replacing the Showa/Ohlins combo of the outgoing bike. it also uses Brembo Stylema calipers at the front and a Nissin two-pot item at the rear.

The chassis hardware may be different, but the ground clearance and suspension travel (250mm) remain the same as before. Both ends of the XE are, importantly, fully adjustable. The seat height of the XE remains the same as the outgoing model at 870mm although a low-seat option is available which takes that down to 850mm. Riding modes on this bike are still Rain, Road, Sport, Off-road, Off-road Pro and User.

The 2024 Scrambler 1200 X though is a very different proposition, and what Triumph has tried to do here is make the gap between the two bikes greater, in terms of spec and ability. It still gains Marzocchi suspension at both ends, although this time non-adjustable and with significantly less travel and bespoke road-biased settings within the suspension. The result is 170mm of travel, marginally less ground clearance and a significantly lower seat at 820mm - this can be lowered further with the accessory perch. The 1200 X also includes, for the first time, an IMU, meaning you also get cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control.

Both bikes feature a mild engine update, in the form of a revised intake system which features 50mm throttle bodies and a more free-breathing exhaust header. The X has a new dash for this year, with a two-part TFT/LCD hybrid replacing the full-screen TFT of before - which is still found on the top-spec XE. The Scrambler 1200 X’s riding modes are Rain, Road, Sport, Off-road and User. You can still turn the traction control off on the X and switch off the ABS to the rear wheel only. ABS to the front wheel remains always on, although the Off-Road mode features dedicated settings to allow for more slip when riding on dirt.

As there are two bikes, there are going to be two sections for this review, one for the road ride on the Scrambler 1200 X and one for the off-road ride on the Scrambler 1200 XE. You can use the jump links below to navigate between the two.

Scrambler 1200 X | Scrambler 1200 XE

2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 X review

The outgoing Scrambler 1200 XC (which the X now replaces) was always billed as the more road-biased option, although it never truly felt like it. The seat was tall, and the suspension tuned so in such a way that it wasn’t quite right for off-road but still too floaty to feel totally at home on-road. That’s the biggest change for this year, and jumping on the new X in sunny Malaga, I’m greeted by another nice surprise in that I’m actually able to get both feet on the ground. The rest of the bike is all nice and familiar. 

It doesn’t take long for the changes made to the new bike to become clear, and while it's still distinctly a 1200 Scrambler, the handling dynamics are very different from before. Low-speed handling is still very much the same, albeit with an added layer of confidence-inspiring comfort courtesy of the reduced travel and lower seat. Out on the road though and once I’m up to speed, the new X begins to show what Triumph was really digging for when they started to update the bike. The suspension is much less wallowing than the old bike, feeling more supportive and responsive. The centre of gravity is also reduced, meaning quick direction changes feel sharper, and help to hide the fact that you’re riding a 228kg bike shod with a 21-inch front wheel.

The engine of the Scramblers is still a peach, and I’m yet to find a machine that utilises its old-school parallel twin that I don’t absolutely love. It’s the ‘High-Power’ version in both versions of the Scrambler 1200, and this means it benefits from a lighter crank for reduced inertia, improving response and top-end performance. That’s not to say the Scrambler is lacking in torque though, and on the never-ending switchbacks that head higher into the hills I’m able to be lazy with the gear shifts and ride the mid-range almost like an I’m on an electric bike. You can basically always sit a gear higher than you would be on an inline four-cylinder, and instead of bogging down or pulling lethargically the Scrambler bounds its way onward without the slightest whiff of being flustered.

Another area of change for this machine is the switch to Nissin two-piston axially-mounted calipers. They may be a step down in spec compared to the Brembos fitted before, but they are tried and tested bits of kit, and provide more than enough stopping power while also being backed up by that trick new Continental IMU-controlled ABS. There’s also a more important thing they achieve, and that’s helping to drive down the cost of the bike. You get the feeling that a more affordable and accessible bike is really what Triumph was looking for.     

A handy side-effect of all these changes to the chassis is that for the vast majority of riders, it’s a much better bike. It’s more fun on the road, more responsive, and with an improved feel on corner entry and exit. We all want to think that when we buy a bike like the Scrambler 1200 we’ll be off-roading like heroes the weekend after it’s delivered. The reality though is more often than not very different. People want the scrambler look. They want the vibe of the bike, and they want to know that should they need to, the bike that they own can do the off-road stuff, even if they never actually will. The new Scrambler 1200 X ticks that box. Yes, it can go off-road if needed, but for the other 99 per cent of the time, it’ll be a more rewarding machine, and still just as good-looking as ever.

2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE review

The off-road riding element of this review was undertaken solely on the XE variant, and aside from getting a taste of the new bike, it also meant I could sample the awesome Triumph Adventure Experience (TAE) in Spain. It is the perfect playground for testing a bike like this, and with stunning sunshine and a beautiful blue sky above me, I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon in November. 

To start the ride we hit a short and fairly technical route that loops around the main training arena and while the Scrambler 1200 is handling everything in front of it, it’s fair to say that it’s not showing the best the bike’s attributes. At 230kg there is no getting away from the fact this is a big bike, and only 15kg lighter than the Tiger 1200 GT Pro I’ve been riding all year. That weight is harder to hide when riding off-road, and tight and technical trails are not its preferred habitat. Regardless, the bike is handling it all, and even managing to hurl itself skyward at the top of some of the steeper climbs. The longer travel suspension of the XE (250mm) does though help to cushion the landing nicely, and no matter how hard I try I don’t seem to be getting anywhere near troubling the bump stops.

After an hour of looping the training arena, we are released into the wild, and given free rein to explore the exclusive trails that crisscross the TAE in Spain. This is much more like it. Wide fire trails, a consistent surface, and 81lb ft of torque make the Scrambler 1200 XE a weapon of a bike. The swingarm is 32mm longer than the one found on the X, and it makes it the perfect bike to have a play on. Flick it into the Off-road Pro riding mode (which is exclusive to the XE) and you’ll have 90 rabid Hinckley horses bolting through the back tire, lighting it up in an instant and slewing the bike sideways with the slightest whisper of the throttle. Fun it may be, but it also means that you can steer the bike through some of the tighter turns on the throttle alone.

The suspension on this bike really is the biggest change for this year, and while a change to all Marzocchi, not Showa and Ohlins of the previous bike, might sound like a downgrade, I’m not really feeling that on the trails. It’s just as plush as it was before, and thanks to its weight seems just as planted. It’s also still got the full adjustability as before, so really all that has changed, from the rider’s perspective anyway, is the branding on the hardware, and very little else.

Should you buy a 2024 Triumph Scrambler 1200?

It is easy to see the change to the Scrambler 1200 lineup as a light update with more of a focus on repositioning the bikes within Triumph’s modern classic range. While that is true on the one hand, to ignore the changes made to the way the new 1200 X handles would be doing the bike a very big disservice. It doesn’t feel like the previous bike, and it’s more in line with how people use their Scrambler 1200, while also creating an easier step up from the Scrambler 900, which is basically what it feels like on the road - a Scrambler 900 with a bit more weight and a lot more power. 

The Scrambler 1200 XE is basically what it always was; the most authentic-looking modern classic you can buy. With genuine off-road ability, bags of character and an exhaust note that puts most other retro bikes in the shade.

Picture Credit - Triumph Motorcycles / Chippy Wood

Triumph Scrambler 1200 spec

CHASSIS

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS

FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS

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