Triumph Scrambler 400 X. Words by Lukas Foyle.

The one to have for LAMS scrambler fan

9 / 10

Good	Bad
A proper scrambler	Costly
Powerful	Quality not yet assured
Well priced	Shorter warranty period compared to rivals
Stylish	-

 

Background

The Scrambler 400 X fills a void that many motorcycle manufacturers have overlooked for years. Learner riders yearned for an approachable scrambler that could go out and play with the big kids, and for years had to make do with more serious dual sports or whatever cheap naked they could find with a pair of 70/30s slapped on.

 

Triumph has done it right and taken this bike seriously. It feels like much more than a naked bike wearing a camo t-shirt and cargo shorts. It’s refreshing to see an off road oriented bike that isn't high powered or strictly an adventure bike. The power and weight of the Scrambler 400 also makes it an alternative to the occasional off road rider that is put off by the somewhat expert three cylinder Triumph Tiger 660. I am genuinely impressed with the alterations Triumph have made to the Street 400 to make their Scrambler 400X its own bike, which rides like a scrambler should. Often when a manufacturer makes alterations to an existing model, I find myself looking at the equipment that has been added and think "I can just do that myself for 1/10th the price" But here, It simply isn't possible for the average person to make the changes for $1000.

 

Rivals

Similar to the Speed 400, the biggest competitor the Scrambler 400 X has is Royal Enfield, the other brand which focuses on style and, erm, britishness. In the looks department, the Royal Enfield Himalayan Scram 411 looks the part with its headlight cowling and funky paintwork. Whether or not the looks are better? It depends on who you ask. Both bikes are good scrambler options, each with their own upsides. The Scram 411 has better underbody protection, but the Triumph 400 X has more protection in front, with standard handguards and standard headlight protection. The 400 X is also $2000 more expensive than the Royal Enfield and has 1 fewer year of warranty. But it is lighter, more powerful, comes standard with better tyres, better brakes, better front suspension and has more modern features, like the 6 speed gearbox for example.

 

If you are set on a learner approved scrambler for under 12,000 brand new with 2 or more years warranty your options are actually rather limited. Other than the Enfield, The Triumph’s main rivals would be the Honda CL500 and the Husqvarna Svartpilen. The Honda is even more powerful and if you're a diehard for anything Japan, the CL500 has that distinctive well engineered, high revving feel to it. A typical Honda, it’s precise, smooth, powerful, has great brakes, great handling, muted styling and it's a bit boring. A great bike sure, but not the best looker for just over $10,000. The Honda also loses in the scrambler/off-road features department, in fact, Honda themselves call it “scrambler styled”, so it begs the question of what kind of bike it is supposed to be.

 

The Husqvarna is a serious contender. People really dont give Husky enough credit; They are a good quality brand whose name is synonymous with off-road. They have a limited offering of LAMS bikes but they suit their market well. The pricing of the 2024 Svartpilen, which is supposedly getting a new more powerful 399cc DOHC water cooled thumper from ktm hasn't got a public price just yet. What we do know is that the 2023 model is priced at $8,400, the same as the Vitpilen (makes you wonder who would buy the Vitpilen?). The Svartpilen has an incredibly similar weight to the Triumph 400 X, it has slightly more power, a TFT dash, a more competitive price, similar underbody protection, good quality scrambler tyres and awesome futuristic styling. Not as retro-cool as the Triumph, but cool in its own right.

 

On paper, the feud between the Triumph 400 X and Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is a close one. But Triumph is a bigger brand, has more dealerships, more customisation and more options of bikes once you outgrow this starter. If you are really taking the off-road portion of what the Triumph has to offer, perhaps what you really want is a dual sport adventure bike. Below are some of the closest rivals the Scrambler 400 X has from each brand. If the brand doesn’t produce a Scrambler, I have provided the most similar dual sports model instead.

Name	Price	Engine	Gears	CC	Power (KW)	Torque (Nm)	Weight (KG)	Warranty
SUZUKI V-Strom 250SX	$6,790	Single	6	249	19.8	22.2	167	3 Yrs
ROYAL ENFIELD Himalayan Scram	$7,690	Single	5	411	17.9	32	185	3 Yrs
HUSQVARNA Svartpilen 401	$8,400	Single	6	399	33	42.6	172	2 Yrs
KAWASAKI Versys-X 300	$8,972	Parallel Twin	6	296	29.3	25.7	175	2 Yrs
BMW G310GS	$9,599	Single	6	313	25	28	175	5 Yrs
TRIUMPH 400X	$9,990	Single	6	398	29.4	37.5	179	2 Yrs
HONDA CL500	$10,210	Parallel Twin	6	471	34	43.3	191	2 Yrs
KTM 390 Adventure	$10,965	Single	6	373	32	37	177	2 Yrs
HONDA  CB500X	$11,446	Parallel Twin	6	471	34	43.3	199	2 Yrs
YAMAHA XSR700	$14,300	Parallel Twin	6	655	55	68	186	1-3 Yrs*

*Flexible options available from Yamaha dealers.

 

Tech Specs

The Scrambler 400 X is a miniature scrambler done well. Weighing in at 179 kg, with a reasonable 1418 mm wheelbase, 790 mm seat height and 23.2° front suspension rake, it may not be the tiniest learner bike on the market, but it is still incredibly approachable and confidence inspiring to ride.

 

Lets not forget that a good Scrambler needs to be tall, comfortable, easy to manage and lightweight. And the 400 X does all of this while still looking fantastic. The ‘modern classic’ design brief has done this bike a world of good. Currently, it comes in three contemporary and distinctive dual tone colors: Matt Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black, and finally, Phantom Black and Silver Ice. In person, the Matt Khaki is my favorite. As for the connection to the Scrambler 900 and 1200, the Scrambler 400 X certainly looks like a close relative, and rides like one too.

 

Same as the Speed 400, the Scrambler 400 X uses the Triumph TR series 399cc engine; a DOHC water cooled single with a 9200 rpm redline. It uses a standard minor/major service schedule, with an impressive and possibly optimistic 16,000 km service interval. Power delivery is smooth, with a peak power of 40 horsepower available at 8000 rpm and a peak torque of 37.5 Nm coming at full force at 6500 rpm. The robust engine is mated to a slip and assist wet clutch 6 speed gearbox, which has notchy tight ratios which feel rewarding to link together. The 400X offers 150mm suspension travel for the front and rear, as well as a more than adequate 320mm single ventilated front brake.

 

So what does this bike have over the Speed 400? The biggest changes and additions are: Metzeler Karoo Street tyres, a 19” front wheel, protection for the headlight, radiator and sump, handguards, wider, taller handlebars, a longer front mudguard, high-grip foot pegs which are lower and wider, and unlike the Speed 400, both the traction control and the ABS are switchable for peak off-road performance.

 

You also get all LED lights including a switched daytime running light. The instrument cluster is informative and the styling is suitably subtle, but cycling through the multiple displays makes you wish for a tachometer option. Instead, there's a tiny and underwhelming bar style digital tachometer on the side of the display. It’s just a touch too small, and hard to read at a glance.

 

Buying advice

Let's cut straight to the chase. If you are a learner and have your heart set on a scrambler, you have 3 options. The underpowered and heavy Royal Enfield Scram 411, the underdog value for money Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, and the infinitely stylish newcomer Scrambler 400 X from Triumph. My best piece of advice it to consider what you really want. If you are obsessed with the idea of going off-road more than occasionally, buy one of the countless adventure bikes. My top picks for these would be the Suzuki V Strom 250SX simply because of its capable and agile ability offroad for a super cheap price. If you want all out performance, The KTM 390 Adventure has a slight edge over other Japanese dual sports. If you only care about looks and intend to ride to the cafe and back, perhaps the slow Royal Enfield is for you after-all. At least people will have plenty of time to admire you when you ride past! If you want a blend of looks, elegance, ability and reliability, test ride the Triumph Scrambler 400 X and the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and decide. You may need to drive a little out of the way to find a Husky dealer though!

 

Summary

As you’ve seen, the Triumph Scrambler 400 X has a lot to offer in a very slim LAMS scrambler market. It has great handling, looks, riding position, a myriad of standard features plus useful additional extras available. For occasional off-road use combined with classiness, the Scrambler 400 X is the king of the forest. The only reason to look elsewhere is because a dirt bike or adventure bike is more suitable, or a sports naked is what you really want deep in your heart. Or you have a Husqvarna dealership right around the corner from you.

Other cheaper learner bikes of course are available but do they have the looks, performance, heritage and street cred? Certainly if you have a middle to high budget and a plan to hang on to your first bike for a few years, the Scrambler 400 X might just be the one.