First Look! Triumph 1200 Scrambler XE

We're standing here in front of the XE version of the Scrambler 1200 and this is the bike that everybody's talking about right now. So here we are backstage at the launch of the Triumph 1200 Scrambler and finally I've got my hands on the XE version of this bike. The bike's still hot, it's just been raced and dropped and crashed loads of times so it's dusty, it's dirty but it's still in one piece. And I have to say, when you see this bike in the flesh it really is a beauty to behold and well, it's also a bit of a beast. But this is the full fat version of the new 1200 Scrambler. This is the one with full long travel suspension at the front and back so you've got the big Piston Showa forks up front, fully adjustable. You've got the specially created Ohlins RSUs at the back. And this bike is tall, but it's tall because it's been built to have that travel suspension that allows you to really do proper jumps and get into ruts and ride across them in the wrong direction. It's definitely a bike that's been made to handle and to outline that they've decided to race one in the Baja 1000. And we've just watched it race in pairs around the tiniest little track here inside the XL. So they're clearly not afraid of how this bike actually works. So let's look at the bike in more detail. Not only is this a bike that's been built for purpose and built to ride and built to scramble it's also a really high quality machine. The tank is seamless, which is something that we've been moaning about for ages when it comes to manufacturer's machines. They've also built the tank strap into the tank and put on the Monza cap. They've made sure that all the parts that look like they're made of metal actually are made of metal. There's a huge amount of polished steel and polished aluminium here. Also if you look at the intentions of how the bike is going to be used when it comes to things like the wheels. They are spoked wheels, obviously better for off-road use but the spokes are on the outside of the rim so they can run tubeless tyres. Just like the BMWs have been for a while. But also you've got twin disc full fat 4-pot Brembos on each of those discs operated by Brembo master cylinders at the top. The whole thing is really designed in the way that a custom builder would approach taking a bike like this and making it fit for purpose. There are also loads of other details. There are rider modes, it's got cornering ABS, cornering traction control. All of those have different settings, you can turn all of it off. But also this TFT screen has pinched everything from their adventure bikes. So you can stick your mobile phone under the seat, you can download an app and it will run a Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation system. You can also run your GoPro camera from this using all of the controls on the bars. You can take phone calls, you can listen to your music, you can see text messages when they come up. So this is also high-tech as well as having a retro stylish look. So they haven't mucked around when it comes to the operation of the machine either. The other thing that's now part of Triumph's DNA of course is accessories. When we first looked at the bike we were all scratching our heads a little bit and working out what we'd actually need to change apart from swapping out the indicators for some smaller LED items. But it does come with the handlebar braces, a little screen, there's a whole luggage kit. There are indicator relocation kits that put the indicators up here by this light. You can pretty much get rid of all of this and just strap the number plate onto the back. Obviously there's an aftermarket Arrow end can for this that's more noisy and more free breathing and I think it has carbon fibre end caps on it. And a whole bunch of other bits and pieces like a high mudguard at the front, there are engine bars, there's a different version on bash plates and badging and a whole host of the kind of stuff that we know everybody will like. I think all in all they list something like 90 accessories for this bike. Other than that, I mean look at the design, look at the silhouette, look at the shape of it. It's a really handsome looking beast and to me I think what they've created is they've created a bike that actually has the ability to really take into the dirt and scramble. They've also taken a bike and built something that you could ride 200-300 miles a day in and you could follow satellite navigation. I think even heated grips are standard on this particular model. Or you could just ride it around London and treat it as a daily urban weapon and mount the kerbs and take shortcuts around taxis. It's just a really capable machine. What I do know is that most of us at the Shed are going to want one. And this is the version of the bike that everyone really wants. We're still backstage at the Triumph event. There's a band playing in the background. I don't know who they are, they're probably really famous. So excuse the noise, I'll just have to shout. This is the version of the Scrambler 1200 XC that's been set up to race at the Baja 1000. And I think really that's a big statement in terms of Triumph's confidence about how well this bike has been built and how it's been designed to operate. It's got the high guards on it, it's got some straight through pipes and I'm sure there should be some modifications to the suspension to some degree. But when I spoke to the engineer Stuart Wood about what needed to be done to this bike to prep it for this Baja 1000, he said, to be honest, not a lot. And I'd be really interested to see how it actually runs in that environment. But one thing you can be sure of, it looks the part. It looks absolutely fantastic in this livery. And I'm just wondering if me and Dan can sneak it out the back door and take it home.