2017 Triumph Street Scrambler

2017 TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER

CW FIRST RIDE

THE SAME BEAUTIFUL AESTHETICS, NOW WITH PERFORMANCE TO MATCH

Sean MacDonald

While it’s true that scramblers began as standard motorcycles made dirt ready, I’d argue the term can evolve to now describe a certain aesthetic instead of a type of performance. It’s been 60 or so years since those first scramblers hit the scene, and since then the industry has blessed us with bikes called dual-sports, which are great at doing double duty.

Just as “cafe racers” no longer have anything to do with racing from one cafe to the next and now mean little more than having clip-ons and a seat cowl, I think scramblers can stop pre-

tending to be good off road and just be bikes with classic looks, a higher bar, bench seat, and high pipes. Releasing scramblers from a hard performance requirement leaves them with two jobs: be great at daily around-town rides— bikes that are simple fun on the ride to work or to dinner or out on a Sunday putt; and retain the classic style and upright ergonomics of those beautiful old machines.

And it is with those criteria in mind that I loved Triumph’s new Street Scrambler within a few hundred yards of setting out for our press ride. This new bike might look a lot like the beautiful model it’s replacing, but I’m here

to tell you it’s a very different bike, and performance reflects this.

Compared to its predecessor, this new Street Scrambler is shorter (85.7 inches versus 87.1 inches), lighter (claimed 454 pounds dry versus 472), has a steeper rake (25.6 degrees versus 27.8 degrees), and more trail (109mm versus 105mm). It also gets new suspension, with a 41mm KYB fork and twin KYB shocks that are adjustable for spring preload. Both ends of the bike offer 4.7 inches of travel. More importantly, seat height is lower at 31.2 inches (instead of 32.5 inches), and the center of mass feels as if it’s been moved lower in the bike, both of which greatly improve

...A GORGEOUS BIKE THAT’S FINISHED BEAUTIFULLY, EASY TO RIDE AROUND TOWN, AND INCREDIBLY FUN TO PUSH WHEN THE ROADS GET WINDING.

rider confidence. Lighter, smaller, and sharper steering. Check.

The engine makes a claimed 59 pound-feet of torque at 2,850 rpm and 54 hp at 6,000 rpm, the same peak numbers as the Street Cup and Street Twin but at lower rpm. And, significantly, this is 28 percent more than the outgoing Scrambler. Plus, ABS can now be switched off when things get rowdy.

All of this creates a package that’s fantastic on the road. The lower seat height and what feels to be a foot lower center of gravity transforms the Scrambler from being a little daunting for less confident riders to confidence inspiring for all. Whereas the old model constantly reminded you of its weight, this new iteration feels light and nimble and stays completely composed even as you flick it

SPECS

2017 TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER

BASE PRICE: $10,700 ENGINE: SOHC 270° parallel twin DISPLACEMENT: 900cc SEAT HEIGHT: 31.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 3.2 gal. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: 454 lb.

from side to side at higher speeds.

The new engine is far from sporty, but with smooth fueling and a wide powerband, it produces plenty of punch to hustle and really only feels lacking on faster corner exit (yes, I’m expecting a bit much). The gearbox, while still fivespeed, now has a wider ratio spread, which means that freeway cruising won’t have you searching for the nonexistent sixth gear, a big complaint of the outgoing model.

In fact, there were plenty of times I forgot I was on a “hipster bike,” instead feeling as though I were on a supermoto (albeit one with a less-ideal power-toweight ratio) until I looked down to see the classic gauge. A bike this predictable turns a press ride from mellow to spirited to competitive pretty quickly, and it wasn’t long before I was screaming at the ride leader to go faster between howls of laughter in my helmet.

Triumph, in its new Street Scrambler, has given us a gorgeous bike that’s finished beautifully, easy to ride around town, and incredibly fun to push when the road gets winding. It’s everything I want a scrambler to be.