Triumph/Bajaj have just released the first of their 400cc motorcycles to be initially launched in India on July 5th and they have Royal Enfield firmly in their sights.
The Triumph Scrambler 400X looks like it immediately belongs on the road or some dirt trails taking some inspiration from big brother Triumphs 900 and 1200 too with quintessential Triumph styling but it has to overcome the 350-450cc retro stronghold that Royal Enfield occupies and one of their offerings is pretty darn good too. So which is best and which could win the hearts and minds of old and young riders alike?
Well the Triumph Scrambler 400X has a liquid cooled engine vs the Royal Enfield Scram 411 which is air cooled. The former develops 37.5Nm & 29.4kW(39.5Hp) and latter 32Nm & 17.88kW(23.98Hp) Triumph runs a DOHC with 4 valves whilst the RE runs a SOHC and 2 valves. So a marked difference but nothing that should surprise!
Both have fuel injection but the Triumph has 6-speed whilst the RE has a 5 speed box. Both are equipped with front and rear disc brakes with dual channel ABS and both run on 19inch front & 17inch rear tyres.
Both are running monoshock rear suspension but the Triumph has upside down front forks but with only 150mm travel whilst the RE has telescopic front forks with 190mm travel. Again on the rear the RE gives 180mm travel whilst the Triumph retains the 150mm travel.
However it’s in the onboard tech that the Triumph starts to pull away and possibly into the warm embrace of new owners.
Ride by wire, switchable traction control, torque assist clutch, all LED lights and security and safety systems all set it apart from the RE Scram 411.
Both are great bikes for different reasons and if the Triumph Scrambler 400X, when eventually sold in the UK in 2024 can match or get anywhere near the £4849 price of the Scram…then it will be a winner for sure, but that is a tall order in itself.
However with Bajaj by their side, they should be able to make a reasonable effort to price match or appeal to a more discerning buyer looking for something a little extra. However they must not rest on their laurels as Royal Enfield are also planning new bikes and the Himalayan is set to get a 450cc liquid cooled upgrade soon too with other models to be released close behind. So perhaps the true comparison would be with a Scram 450cc LC, albeit there is no indication at this stage that RE are planning that.
Lets the games begin but it looks like there might be a feeding frenzy when these bikes launch in India and with Bajaj opening up dealerships in 120 more cities in India, they won’t be hard to get hold of either.