Excellent, this is exactly what i want from a reviewer. Short and sweet, plus and negatives, spread out and end with your ”feeling”. Absolutely fantastic.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks @Victor Nordin appreciated, I have a short attention span so I always try to go straight to the point :)

Well done review. Nice to hear from an experienced rider who relays more than how giddy he feels when he accelerates.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

Great review, nice to hear all the little grimlins from someone who's had some real time on this bike. Much appreciated!

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, appreciated!

Thanks for a very honest review. It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of a new bike, specs and technology and not paying attention to the little gripes which all bikes have. Much appreciated..

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped! :)

Love the review! The suspension is suuuuuuper soggy from the factory. As soon as I hit the 1,000mile mark...I spent a week dialing in the suspension. I’m 250lbs, 6’2” and sit flat footed. I dialed in the front and rear, and it performs awesome now. Even the tech at the shop I bought it at was impressed on how well it handles now. My one gripe...my damn high beam keeps flickering on and off. Had them look at it last week and of course the damn thing worked at the shop...then flickering again on my ride to work this morning. Overall, best motorcycle I’ve ever owned!

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@Mondo Oso Thanks man! At 250lbs, you're probably in the sweet spot for these suspensions. I guess it's like mattresses, almost impossible to have a one size fits all. I'll probably just have the springs changed on the rear shocks (dont want them too soft either for when I ride with my gilfriend as then they'd bottom out). It does handle amazingly well, while being extremely stable too. Overall a REALLY fun bike to ride! Enjoy the bike, hope they sort your highbeam issues swiftly (Triumph does usually provide excellent warranty coverage and service). Keep it shiny side up! :)

@oso_nomada

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, all geared up and a full tail bag for work...total weight I’m probably right around 265lbs. In Sport Mode, the bike comes alive! Rain mode works well and is noticeably different over Road and Sport. I haven’t found myself on roads rough enough for OffRoad (likely will never use Pro). The twisties are a blast on this thing, even with its ground clearance. Ride on!

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@oso_nomada I love the sport mode and the Offroad Pro mode (I think both use the same full throttle response). The rain mode is great when riding 2 up, it makes everything so smooth and its very effective in slippery conditions too. Recently I got caught in rain, and it started freezing...in 5th gear the traction control light would still flash...at that point I was more worried about losing the front lol The OffRoad mode is ok, but the TC is a bit too intrusive for my taste (it lets it just barely spin, but not enough to really control the rear end), but then again, you can turn it all off, so no problem there. The precision of the throttle and the torque just makes it so much fun to get the rear loose on demand. I've ridden bikes before where the rider modes only cut the power without affecting much really, but these modes really do change the bike, pretty cool stuff.

I want one I've seen loads of reviews but yours told me EXACTLY what I needed to know, respect thank you🤙🇬🇧

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome. Best piece of advice I can give is try before you buy. If you can't try it, just walk away :) The suspensions is really the main reason I sold the bike after just months (even after investing in having them resprung and revalves).

@peterbalac1915

3 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip wow I sold my XR650r for that reason, unfortunately very limited off road riding in the UK. Thanks for the advice stay safe bud 🤙❤

Well, this was really brutally honest review! I could never be that honest to my new bike that I love but nice to see that someone can! 👍 I ride Street Scrambler so on some points I know what you're talking about although was surprised about being stiffer than expected? The SS is a quite plush ride.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Flying Brick I think this is my 18th motorcycle, after a while you know what you like and dont like pretty fast, and most reviews out there are basically saying the bike is perfect so I thought Id let potential buyers know what to expect so they can decide if the flaws are a deal breaker for them or not. Don’t get me wrong, its still an amazing bike, and if I can fix the suspensions Ill be over the moon, I just feel like they missed the mark a bit when most of the flaws could have easily been prevented. Its been a year since I tried the Street Scrambler, but from memory the suspensions were indeed mush plusher :)

Perfect summary of everything needed to know

Great honest review, much appreciated. Just a note on the gas cap, it's placed on the right side as that's the highest point when the bike's on it's side stand. You wouldn't get a full tank if on the left.

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks and valid point, the middle probably would have been a good compromise :)

Thank you for the great and honest review.

I put 3,700 miles on my new 1200 XC last year. I agree with everything posted here, but don’t let that deter you from buying this bike. It’s an all around capable and fun bike to ride. I can’t wait for the weather to let up in NJ so I can get out for a winter ride!!!

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I didn't get to try the XC yet, really curious to see the difference in suspensions, I've heard some say the XC is more comfortable and others claim the XE is more comfortable.

That is a honest review! Thanks my friend.

Sincere thanks for this brutally honest review. Coming off a 690 none of this is a deal-breaker for me, though I hope Triumph is good about your warranty claims.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Nathan H You’re welcome! They did replace the gear sensor. And I exchanged it for an Africa twin :)

@yukinarija8204

2 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip hey, so at the end of the day you got an AT instead? DCT? What made switch?

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

@@yukinarija8204 yes, mainly suspensions and overall comfort. Night and day.

Thank you for that honest review, It should be more like yours.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, appreciated!

I took mine in for its first service yesterday. I don’t mind the suspension but the roads are pretty smooth here. The exhaust heat can be an issue in traffic. I agree with the speedo cable and radiator hose too. The biggest issue I’ve had is with the errors. The key fob out of range, the ABS and TC randomly disabling and even an error saying the left indicator wasn’t working. Worst still when they plugged in the bike they seem to have broken the cruise control. The guy from Triumph took some photos and will have to bring it back when they sort out the issue. A little bit annoying but has been a great bike for the first 900km. PS seat is too hard too!

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Mark Brown Wishing they sort it all out swiftly. This is my 4th Triumph and so far have always had good service. Ive had the abs/tc light come on once, I just shut it off and restarted the bike and it was back to normal. Dealer told me it can happen when sensors are dirty (which might have happened cause our roads are covered in sand salt and water this time of year).

That was a damn good review! you got a new sub here.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

halfazzhomesteader Thanks man, appreciated! :)

Very good review, agree with every point except the suspension, I found it fine and it really corners ridiculously well for a bike with a 21" front wheel. In fact it is one of the easiest bikes to go scratching with on country roads that I have ever ridden. The one I test rode seemed to have a spongy front brake but that could just be that it needs bleeding like a surprising number of new bikes do.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! It does handle REALLY well :) For the brakes, when the bikes are shipped they have an oily product on them, they usually clean them thoroughly before delivering the bike, but some can remain and they also require a break-in period. It doesn't have an insanely aggressive initial bite (and if it did, it would really suck Offroad with all electronic aids disabled), but give it some time, I'm sure your brakes will have more bite as you go! Even 2 up, you can brake using 1 finger.

thanks so much for the review i was going to buy here in thailand and the exhaust was burning me like hell :P the keyless was feeling horrible but i loved the bike personallity :P

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome! And agreed there’s a lot to like about the bike! Maybe in 1-2 years they’ll address the issues and have a near perfect bike :)

Thanks for the *truly* honest review. Not many out there.

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome, glad you found it useful. :)

Picked up my XE last week and really enjoying it. I guess we can only compare to what we're familiar with and I'm coming from an '07 Bonnie and a string of carb bikes before that so this is light years ahead. For me, suspension is really good, the front soaks up the bumps and the rear is firm but planted. I haven't ridden a GS or KTM so can't compare. Did 100km off road yesterday and it was comfy and safe ( I got the stock tires replaced with Mitas E10's before I picked it up). I don't live in town so exhaust heat hasn't been a problem, I did put some gold reflective heat tape on the inside of the black shield but not really sure if that made much difference. Thought I'd have to de-cat but will leave as is for now. Key fob thing...why? What's wrong with a key. Another thing to go wrong and mega expensive to replace if you lose it and you only get one at point of sale. Good advice about the fender extender, my radiator is covered in dirt after yesterday's ride. 21 inch tire is an absolute pleasure off road, well done triumph. A gripe from me is the throttle play. It's not a lot but I like instant connectivity and being ride by wire it's non adjustable unlike the cables of past bikes. Have ordered aftermarket spacers which apparently solve the problem say to Triumph Rat forum guys. Overall though it's freakin amazing and I was smiling from ear to ear yesterday. I'll be keeping this for a while.

Totally agree about the key fob,it's fecking massive,wtf triumph ????

I agree with most of your points. I almost bought a speed triple rs the other day. The ohlins suspension was painfully stiff, the tft dash is annoying, and the keyless fob is huge. I wish you could order the bike without all that bs and save some money.

@Oldbmwr100rs

5 жыл бұрын

The suspension is very adjustable, call some local shops and see who knows how to set it up. Otherwise you can find plenty of information on how to do much of it yourself. The speed triple is a beast though, i never really loved the bike, then the street triple came out. That bike is utterly amazing, look into one.

Thanks, this review was succinct and helpful! Cheers!

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped! :)

Good review i can pretty much agree with every thing you've said there

I've always presumed the plumbing of the exhaust that close to your leg was a bad idea. Appears to be confirmed those heat shields won't cut it.

Very useful review.

Great review, ive subbed. Got to ask though... why would the fuel cap on the left hand side be better? I cant fathom how one side would be any different to the other.

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

The headers get extremely hot, and it would be easier to fill from the left side if it was at least in the middle as bike leans to the left when on the kickstand. If fuel spills on the hot headers you better run hehe

Thanks for pointing those things out

Thank you for this review!! I have been riding mainly off-road and some short tarmac trips. Loved the bike, best bike ever - just looking at it made me happy. Then I went touring.... Jeez, I've owned many bikes in my life and I have never been this tired after riding 200 km. Even my old Super Tenere was more comfy (!) I share your thoughts about the suspension but I could live with that, my biggest problem is that I get so tired in my shoulders and arms. It's like I have to really hold on to the handlebars in a way I never felt before. Like I am a rag flying in the wind, this must be because of turbulence. And this is after mounting the extra high windshield and a deflector on top of that. Also the bike is very nervous and unstable at higher speed and very sensitive of wind, big problem here in the Norwegian mountains. Time to sell a kidney and hope that the Norden 901 comes out next year.. :) Cheers!

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

@Kjell Olsson After a 600km day on it, I 100% agree, I've ridden 800km in a day on other naked bikes like MT-01 or even my 2015 Scrambler 900 and nothing has ever tired me as much as the XE for long rides. I've never had shoulder or back issues and on this bike after a long ride my shoulders were killing me. I'm not sure its the angle of the handlebars, the distance, the width, where the wind hits the rider (I'm 6'1"), I've even tried bar risers, it didn't change anything. I since bought an Africa Twin and do not miss the Scrambler XE at all, never been happier than the day traded it in for the Africa. I do actually regret selling my 2015 Scrambler 900 though...just LOVED that bike. As for the Norden 901, I've had my eye on it for years...if it's close to the prototype it will be very tempting. I was all excited about the Tenere 700 prototype and then I saw the final version...meh wasn't feeling it anymore.

@kjellolsson3834

2 жыл бұрын

​@@Speedytrip Very interesting to hear, I've done touring on older and smaller bikes and never felt anything like this. I'm 6'2" 80 kilos, maybe there is a "Triumph inverse golden ratio" and we tick all the boxes!? :) In any case, glad you found a bike you are happy with and many say that the AT is even more comfy than more specialized touring bikes. Also what good is it to have a monster that can handle anything except the way there...

Crank up the suspension pre-load on the front and rear. You may be pushing fluid through the valves too fast if your pre-load setting are too soft. Its counter intuitive but sometimes adding pre-load will soften the ride.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@T30 It does indeed sometimes, but I can confirm, not in this case :) I tried the settings recommended in the manual and then took it to a suspension shop. Initially they cranked up the preload quite a bit (near the max), it was even worse, then they reduced it half-way, was still too harsh, now I have about 8-10mm of preload on the rear and forks are set at the softest. It's still far from the comfort of my Africa Twin, but at least it's not giving me lower back pain as it did initially with the stock settings (did I mention our roads are terrible?). They improved very slightly since new (now 1500km on them), but they really tried all options they had, all that's left to try now is to start playing with the springs and possibly valving or wait and see if enough customers complain to have WP or Touratech develop a better alternative. I wish Ohlins would have never touched this bike. Was talking to the dealer and he said the main complaint people had about the Thruxton R was it's Ohlin suspensions making the bike feel like it was a hard tail...

Interesting. I test road the scrambler 1200 XC (not XE) for a good few hours and found it really plush. Really surprised you found it harsh! Lovely bike and very comfortable!

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's really not the same suspensions. Really wish I could have tried both before buying. I even spoke with Triumph customer service for north America, and the guy said he received quite a few complaints about the XE's suspensions.

@lawdayl

3 жыл бұрын

I have the xc. Ride is incredible on road and eats up the fire tails. This was by no means a financial decision. In my opinion it was the better handling bike.

Excellent review spent time on one couple days ago it's a great bike but as you mentioned hot exhaust annoys..don't like the keyless.. found the dash fussy and yes it's a bit stiff put that down to it being new but obviously not..there is a lot to like grunty motor lovely gearbox and clutch and I like sitting up in the clouds!

Great review

I have to add something about grips. You can't add custom grips without a lot of modification. The stock grips are attached with plastic tubes on both sides with pegs on them and the throttle tube grip is held on with rubber cement rather than glue.

Very interesting review, this is a bike that I'm interested in buying. Wife is buying the new Norton Atlas Scrambler but I really like the look of this bike, one of the things putting me off is the keyless thing; I hate them. Had keyless on a Multistrada that was loads of trouble. Thanks for posting.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

The keyless should be more reliable than on the Ducati (the entire bike should be more reliable), but yeah, why try to solve a problem that was never a problem :) Since my review I haven't experienced the same issue where the bike loses contact with the key fob. Fingers crossed. The Norton should be pretty fun too, just not sure where I'd buy or have it serviced in Canada!

@Banditmanuk

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip Yes that first gen 2011 Multistrada was a warranty nightmare. I'm lucky to live midway between the Norton factory and the Hinckley Triumph one, both are a 30 minute ride away. Norton have told us they will service it at the factory. If you are ever over in England try to get a tour and visit the Triumph visitor experience, interesting stuff. (Couple of visits there are a way back on my channel) Good luck with the bike, hope you keep us updated how it goes and I must get a test ride. Thanks for the reply cheers.

The tape you're refering to as hockey tape is called pet cloth tape and it's used for protection against chafing of the cable harness :)

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@precludeneco I have no doubt it's quality hockey tape (just kidding) :P But on a bike that is meant to be taken offroad, on top of the bugs squishing against it in summer, probably not the best thing to have that material used there. Add a bit of mud to that tape, vibration and you've got the perfect instrument to sand the top of the headlight :)

The keyless ignition is the silliest thing on the Triumph, I have the same on my Tiger 1200. You will get constant messages about it being out of range and you learn to ignore it which defeats the purpose of the warning. I'm on my 4th keyfob battery in 15 months but changing it doesn't make much of a difference, the range (3ft) is just too short to make this system useful. The bike though, its a looker, I'd have one in a heartbeat.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Fully agreed, they tried to fix a problem that didn't exist.

@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip and its security is a little flawed, not sure if this has been addressed yet? They use the same system as Tesla, watch this disturbing video. www.wired.com/story/hackers-steal-tesla-model-s-seconds-key-fob/

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Oups lol I never worried too much about having my bike stolen though, never happened so far (knock on wood). :)

Finally I hear some negatives on the bike. I keep seeing vids of people praise it and most do not mention the heat from exhaust or If it would burn you

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@We Are Not Home Today I wish I had seen my review before buying hehe

@michaelhassall6821

4 жыл бұрын

I only ride in the country and in early morning and the heat is not a problem , but when I did a demo ride ,the dealer was in a city and I got stuck in traffic and yes it gets very hot

@WeAreNotHomeToday

4 жыл бұрын

@@michaelhassall6821 This is one of the things I was considering but not able to find anyone who complained about heat issues especially since it was 1200. Thank you for the feedback.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@@WeAreNotHomeToday You can search facebook and the forums, plenty 1200 owners complain about the heat, and plenty of owners complain about owners complaining about the heat :) It all boils down to how you use the bike. If you rarely do any city or slow paced riding, then it's really a non-issue. If you regularly ride in city traffic, it's really not a great bike for that. Just the time you wait at a red light if you're just wearing jeans, you'll feel it pretty fast.

Just the review I was looking for. Thank you. Have you tried a Street Triple? I would love to hear your opinion on that bike?

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

I did have a 2009 Street Triple (also a 2009 Speed Triple) and have also tried a 2016 Street Triple. Really great bikes. They sound amazing, the Speed obviously has more low down grunt, but really the Street has more than enough. Good brakes, suspensions, good ergos, really the only way I could fault it is that its hard to ride reasonably. That exhaust note just makes you want to open that throttle...all...the...time. If you have self control, its definitely a bike worth considering. :) kzread.info/dash/bejne/hHuCmI-Dca-sY5M.html

@leeallen8840

4 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip Ahh, thank you. It was the self control part that has been putting me off. Great reply! What bike would you say is a good all rounder? I fancied the Triumph Scrambler 1200. The look was lovely and you could rev it, to enjoy the sound, without breaking then land speed record. I have been put off by that that exhaust issue and some have said vibrations in the handlebars on motorway riding.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Lee Allen To be honest the 1200xe is a beast, I had sensor issues and really hated the suspensions. If you try it and love the suspensions than it could be a good option. Most of the fun is before 130km/h. You can check my video linked above the air cooled 865 Scrambler (up to 2016) or even the street scramblers are extremely fun bikes to ride at somewhat legal speeds. With an exhaust I think they sound even better than the 1200. In another category, the MT-01 is one of the few bikes I regret selling.

Always like to hear about the specific things that people don't like about a bike. Too many reviews sound like a commercial.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Tell me about it, I wish I could have watched an unbiased review before buying! :)

Nice video and review

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Ktm2stkrider 485 Thanks appreciated!

Appreciate your comments. I was concerned about the amount of heat being transferred through the heat shield. Living in coastal Australia, with hot summers & mild winters that issue will probably stop me from buying this bike.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Russell Locke Free Spirit sells a decate which should help cool the shield that covers the catalitic converter (thats the hotest shield on the bike, the black part you can rest against it, it doesnt get hot enough to melt. And depending on leg length and how far or forward you sit on the bike it might not be an issue. Something to be mindful of if you demo one. I rented a 1200gs 2 years ago and did the great ocean road and went up Mt. Buller, beautiful country mate! :)

@russelllocke7180

5 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip cheers, I’m planning on the Great Ocean Road next year. I’ve got a 2015 GS1200LC. Love it, but am off the bike for 8 months due to two arthritis related thumb surgeries. Threw a leg over the XE at my local dealership. Didn’t ride it, but it seemed to fit me like a glove & looked very nice.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Russell Locke Best of luck with thehealth issues. As long as you can ride, youll be alright! :)

All of the negatives were legitimate problems. Great points to be aware of. I wonder if the XC suspension is better.

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

I unfortunately couldn't try the XC yet to compare.

The cool thing about suspension is you can modify it to suit your riding style. It doesn't have to be something you just have to live with if it isn't set up to your taste.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

rotomanr1 yeah the not so cool thing, is you know where it starts, not where it ends ($$$$) nore what the final results will be. With 10” of travel and the adjustability it would have been great to achieve a comfortable results without starting to change suspensions components (on a naked bike this price).

@rotomanr1

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip That's fair, sometime's you don't have to spend a shitload to achive some good results. If i were trying to soften one up i'd be switching to lower viscosity oils in the forks and rear shocks, then backing the compression damping down to a very low setting and rebound to a slightly lower than factory setting.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@rotomanr1 Suspensions have already been in the hands of a specialized shop. I spent a fortune on Ohlins in the past and have always ended up disappointed and hundreds down the drain :P I might try oil and spring for the rear shocks, the forks arent great, but not bad enough to want to spend on it...

Hi. Would you be able to tell if the headlight on scrambler is symmetric or asymmetric? I need a new one and dont know if there is difference for LHD and RHD.

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Adrian, you might be able to find the part description on bike bandit. If not a quick call to the dealer should clarify that, I didn’t even know some were asymmetric :)

3:05 But if it's already too hard on the rear, then wouldn't it be pretty good 2 up with the extra weight? Like you shouldn't need to adjust it for 2 up.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Godfrey Tomlinson It is indeed "ok" 2up, the problem is 90-95% of the rest of the time :)

As someone from England where it is cold for 11.5 months of the year, is the exhaust heat nice? Anything to keep me warmer on my ride!

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

For me being in eastern Canada Id say it wont really keep you warm on cold rides, but it will cook you on warm rides in traffic.

I have done 3000kms on mine ..... I have ridden naked bikes for 20yrs but this one has beat me and I've ordered a screen, it is just to hard to ride long distance catching all that wind. much worse than the 900. The key Fob is a failure as is the promise of phone connection and maps. The biggest gripe is the exhaust, we have just gone through summer here and on 30 degree days I have burnt my leg multiple times despite double wrapping the exhaust in Kevlar heat shield. Good luck trying to stand up and grip the tank when riding offroad!!! Yeah that smell is your pants and skin burning!!! But the bike is amazing to ride handling and power wise, I will be keeping it long term if I can sort the ridiculous exhaust problem

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Alan Berry Same here, I could ride 5-600km a day on my 900 (even 800km once or twice a year), doesnt seem like it will be as easy on this one. I also ordered a windscreen though I dont expect it to make a huge difference it will keep the back of the cluster clean. On my first ride I actually had lower back fatigue/pain which I've never experienced in over 300000km of riding mostly naked bikes. I'm wondering if it doesn't have something to do with the stiff suspensions combined to the handlebars that could be further back and higher (at least for my proportions) and the hip angle (could possibly drop the pegs by half an inch). Yesterday I rode about 450km with plenty of stops, and with suspensions pretty much set to the softests it was a bit better, still not perfect though. For the exhaust, Im waiting to see if a decat makes a significant difference. If not, certainly the aftermarket exhausts will address most of the related issues, hopefully. The first company to make something that looks good and does a better job at dissipating heat, will make a fortune.

@TylerPoppe

5 жыл бұрын

I test rode the Scrambler - a bike that was being test road most of the day - and I got on it around 3 hours into the test ride session. That exhaust was damn hot coming from through my Saint kelvar jeans. Really was surprised by that.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Tyler Poppe Did you like the suspensions?

@TylerPoppe

5 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip I rode the XC and only got maybe a 10 minute test ride on nice suburban streets so it’s hard to say on any downsides. It seemed great to me, but I ride a Guzzi v7 so anything is an improvement really. I did see one review that thought the xc was more comfortable of a ride for every day and bumpy cement, but only one review ever said that.

@Road_Rash1

3 жыл бұрын

Have you thought about the catalytic converter delete? I watched a video on here that shows a big drop in heat from the exhaust. I don't have a scrambler yet....but it's at the top of my list.

Nicely done, I would never compare this bike to an African Twin though for suspension 😎. I felt the same things with the Ohlins but after some tweaking it’s a much better ride over the streets bumps. Cya out on the road!

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I've heard of so many people hating their XE suspensions and people loving them to the point where I'm still wondering if all bikes were made equal (I really hope some day I can try the XE of someone who says it soaks up the bumps well so I can compare with what I had). Mine was worse than 98% of the other bikes I've owned including bikes with half the suspension travel. My 2017 and 2019 Africa Twins are magic carpets compared to the XE I owned, even after having the suspensions rebuilt (and on the Africa Twins I just adjusted them, I didn't replace anything).

@2wheelAdv

4 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip Head to Tampa and you can test out mine. It’s no African twin but does the job. If I want a relaxing ride I will take out the big girl (1200 GSA) 😉. I have a R9T as well and if you want to talk about the worst suspension ever that would be the bike.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@@2wheelAdv I had an R9T UGS and I must say those suspensions weren't too impressive either hehe Absolutely loved the bike otherwise, but thinking that their Scrambler had the same suspensions as the Racer...says it all right there (looks more than function). I've read some complained about the Ducati Desert Sled being very harsh as well. The 1200GS is clearly in a different league in terms of suspensions :)

Did you ever get to compare the suspension on the XC? I wonder if it's more forgiving.

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I haven’t yet, Id also be curious to try a new XE to compare.

Took one for a test ride here in the UK. I've been riding the Street Scrambler for a year all over the country and this convinced me to keep it. Not impressed, too techy, overspecced and frankly uncomfortable. Triumph should have taken the Street Scrambler as the basis for the 1200.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Was starting to wonder if I wasnt crazy (or my shocks were defect). Some claim this is the most comfortable bike theyve ever ridden, I’m just puzzled. Suspensions aside I love the bike (as much as I did my Scrambler 900) but I really need to find a solution to those damn Ohlins. They make 100km feel like 400km.

I just love everything about thos bike but it is such a shame as I am after a plus ride. Can you modify the shocks in any way? Might have to look at the KTM1290 instead.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Kaegis I made this video about the suspensions: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dqWn0qhxnLyog5c.html You could always dump thousands on the suspensions to try and make it work, but if I were you, Id demo the bike and if you dont like the suspensions simply look at other bikes that have great suspensions from the get go (that might just need some little tweaking as opposed to a complete rebuild). Some like the Scramblers’ suspension (though Im honestly puzzled about that) but if you dont like it, dont buy it, youll end up with a very expensive naked bike, and even after investing in the suspensions it still might not be as comfortable as you want. I also had a sensor fail in the first 3000km leading to about 5 issues on the bike. None of which prevented me from riding it, but still quite disappointing and made me think how well the bike would age with all the electrical gadgets. For the same reasons I avoid KTMs. Glad I sold my XE and bought an africa twin.

@Kaegis

4 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip Very disappointing seeing as all these new bikes are now full of electronics these days. Yeah, I understand and agree on the price, it is very expensive for what it is, same as Harleys (which I would love a Dyna Lowrider S) but same same. Lots of coin for basics. You're right, I guess I need to test ride a few (which can be difficult at times with dealers out here - they just want you to look at it and buy it). I did like the look of the new Tiger 1200 in olive and the only other bike that appealed to me apart from the Scrambler was the KTM1290R. The only thing I love about the scrambler is the nostalgics. As far as an offroad bike with endurance goes, it would be a sore amount of money. Anyhow, thanks for the advice.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@@Kaegis Its frustrating that if you want to buy a 16000$ car you can demo it no worries (or even a 50000$ car) but you want to buy a 16000$ motorcycle and with many brands its mission impossible. Had I been able to try the XE before buying I would have ran away because of the suspensions. When I told the dealer about it, he offered to buy it back at 4000$ less. if I bought a Tiger800 for 16000$, when I asked to demo the Tiger, he said he didn't have a demo. I said thanks but no thanks, went to a dealer that sold Triumphs and Hondas, demoed the Africa Twin, sold them my XE and left with a new 2019 Africa Twin the following day. I bought 4 bikes from the previous Triumph dealer, but won't be doing business there again. I promised myself after the XE to never ever buy another bike before demoing first.

Any thoughts on the 1200 xc vs an 2018 Africa Twin as a do it all bike ?

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

@Baron Von Grumble The Scrambler has great styling, an amazing engine, maintenance is more accessible than on the AT, but the keyless system isn't great, and most importantly, try out the suspensions before buying. If you like the suspensions, you can live with the rest it's a super fun bike. As for the AT, I had a 2017, and now a 2019 (on my 3rd year, and it's the longest I've kept any bike...) its comfortable, practical, reliable, there's a huge AT community out there, it's got torque down low, a lot of things to like (you can check out my review of the AT too). Riding 300km on the XE felt like riding 800km on the AT (and I've mostly owned naked bikes). Bottom line, whenever possible, try before you buy, it's the best way not to regret your purchase, and the XE is one of the few bikes I regretted buying, yet there's plenty owners out there that are over the moon with it...

I'm suprised at a couple of your comments but agree in most. Suprised at suspension as I think its perfect but agree adjustments fidly,.... agree on keyless ignition...I hate it on cars too. Very....as in very suprised you never mentioned all that heat coming out the exhaust which is unacceptable to me. Decat pipe going in tomorrow and hopefully it will allow me to ride it more as currently to hot in town.

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

I possibly didn't keep it long enough to experience the heat in very hot weather, I sold it within months. For the suspensions it's still a mystery, and still curious to try another XE just to see if my bike wasn't off in a way it shouldn't have been...though Triumph customer support confirmed they received quite a few complaints about the suspensions being too stiff. If you ride nice roads its not a problem, but as you can see in my video the roads here are pretty bad and aside from a Monster 1100 evo I can't remember the last time I rode a bike that felt so harsh...Ive also ridden many sport bikes.

good review

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you found it helpful :)

I test rode this bike. The handle bar vibration during acceleration or riding below 4K rpm was too much. I think this is because of the twin cylinder configuration lacking counter balancing aggravated by long suspension travel. The speed twin had lesser vibration but still too much for my taste.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

cassin11 I guess it depends on what bike you come from. I’ve mostly owned twins (superduke, mt-01, scrambler 865, africa twin, versys 650, rninet, monster 1100, etc I’d say this engine is among the smoother twins, and though the frequency of vibrations were a bit annoying on some of my previous bikes, it really isnt problematic for me on this one, on some bikes my hands would get numb over long rides.

Previous bikes: Speed Triple, Street Triple, Thunderbird 1600, Bonnie 900, Bobber 1200, Tiger 1200XC, Tiger 800XCa. 500k miles and 40 years of riding experience. This Scram 12XE with Extreme Kit is all of them wrapped into one IMO. Gas cap is always on the right because the side stand is on the left. Can't believe you complain about the suspension, I love mine in comparison to all listed bikes and it corners as good or better than previous bikes. I have not experienced any of the heat from exhaust or rattling of shield. I'm getting used to keyless system after 1000 miles. Can't believe you never said anything positive about the bike other than the engine and brakes. Fit and finish is obviously not up to speed for you. Sounds like you need to purge it...and get a Harley.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Don't take it so personal @Mark Jacobs, it says in the thumbnail, "Brutally Honest Review" and not "Here's why the Scrambler 1200XE is perfect". There's plenty reviews telling only the good parts, but you'll see in the comments, others appreciate knowing the good and the not so good, its up to them to decide if they can live with those flaws or even if they are flaws at all for them. :) Previous bikes: Speed Triple, Versys 650, Triumph Scrambler 865 (a 2010 and a 2015), Africa Twin, KLR650, MT-01, RNinetT Urban GS, SuperDuke 990, Monster 1100, FZ6, FZ8, FZ09, ZRX1100, and I'm certainly forgeting some. I've ridden bikes of all kinds from just about every brand (including Husquvarnas 701, Aprilia Dorsoduro, Tiger 800, Street Scrambler, Bonneville T120, F700GS, F800GS, 1200GS, Super Tenere, R1, GSXR1000, etc.). My first bike was a Yamaha PW50 and I've covered over 300000km on motorcycles since. It doesn't mean I'm right and you are wrong or vice versa, we just have different opinions ;) For the gas cap, the reason I prefer on the left (or in the middle), is you usually put gas from the left side (you'll burn your pants if you do it from the right) and if you spill gas (god knows that never happens) you'll pray that it doesn't spill on that extremely hot catalytic converter, just underneath it. Half of the video is the positives: Excellent engine, it looks amazing, spacious with good legroom, proper suspensions for offroading (when your standing on the pegs in the rough, they do work well), Riding modes, TC and ABS with leaning sensor, TFT providing all the info you need, Tubeless spoked wheels, sounds great, great handling, small turning radius, good mpg,...did you skip the first part? :) As for the fit and finish, I pointed out details (and mostly pointed out the radiator hose so that someone doesn't end up stranded somewhere because the hose leaked) and the mudguard so that those considering the high fender option, might reconsider if they plan on really getting it dirty. The main negative point was the suspensions on rough roads, and it's great that you like them. If they could make suspensions that made 100% of riders happy, all companies would have been producing them for years. It's not cause I find them too stiff that everyone will (just the weight of the rider will make a difference, same if they are riding often with a passenger, or if they have longer/shorter arms and legs and it changes their posture/weight on the bike not to mention the quality of the roads you ride on, etc). What it says is that people considering the bike might want to demo it to make sure it meets their expectations (like with many bikes). I'm not loyal to any brand or any bike. I just give my honest opinion and if you disagree with it, that's perfectly fine to. Enjoy the bike and ride safe!

@markjacobs6294

5 жыл бұрын

​@@Speedytrip I just got back from a 50 mile rough and wash boarded gravel road ride. Sorry if I came off pissy. Let's talk about the person that should NOT buy this bike. He/she rides only pavement or less than 10% smooth gravel roads on occasion and simply wants to "look" like an off road rider, or anyone with an inseam under 32 inches. This bike IS for the guy/gal like me who lives in an area with ready access to freeway/highway and many miles of gravel, dirt and logging roads. 90% of the roads in the USA are unpaved and this bike does them all with ease IMO. The suspension is spot on for the 50/50 riding I do on it. Many people who buy the XE will wish they bought the XC. Shorter wheelbase and seat height is what most SHOULD be riding. I fear many will buy this with little to no experience riding off the sidewalk and get themselves in trouble. If you have many years of dirt biking and ADV riding as I do, this bike is a dream come true. Cheers.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@markjacobs6294 No worries Mark, you probably just needed a nice ride, it happens to all of us after a long winter without riding lol I completely agree the suspensions are really designed for serious offroading, the stiffness I don't like, is there to prevent it from bottoming out all the time and even to land jumps. With that said, even on my Africa Twin (which many complained was too soft!), I could jump on it and can't recall it bottoming out, yet on the road it felt smoother. I think most XE bikes, like most 1200GS will spend most of their lives on pavement. Because I use my bike to travel a lot, I probably spend only 10% of the time offroad. I can easily ride 5-600km a day on normal weekends, and even up to 800km a day a few times a year. So even if I ride 25-50km offroad it's still a small portion of my total mileage, though it's often the parts I enjoy most, there's nothing like improvising and hitting a dirt road/trail not knowing where it leads to. I ride solo, sometimes with my girlfriend, sometimes pack for a weekend, sometimes I just need a quick 30 minute fix or I stop at the grocery. I ride every chance I have, rain or shine. A lot of people get the GS for the ergos, the comfort, the wind protection, the drive shaft, the equipment (and yes some buy it just for the "adventure looks" or for the badge)...even if its a capable offroad machine, its a better tourer imo. In the right hands, a goldwing with knobies could do it, though probably not the best tool hehe. Some mentioned that the XC had a plusher ride even if suspensions have less travel, I unfortunately couldn't confirm that, but based on my experience with the Scrambler 900 and Street Scrambler, it wouldn't surprise me that the XC would indeed ride smoother. I'm 6'1", with 34" inseam so for me, the XE was the clear choice, I was happy to finally have a bike made for tall people (as opposed to always feeling like an ape on a grape). I was sure with adjustable suspensions that had 10" of travel I would have more than enough adjustability to find the sweet spot, but the springs are just too stiff for my taste, so it will need a little more work. Once I figure out the suspensions, I'll make sure to update so that if others also find it stiff, they'll have a good starting point to go to (spring rate/valving, etc). To be honest, I'm glad I didnt get to try it first, cause the suspensions probably would have discouraged me from buying it. Now that I have it, I'll do what it takes to get those suspensions where I want them, and fully enjoy the bike :)

@kinkong1961

5 жыл бұрын

he probably doesn't like the suspension because he is a road bike expert not an enduro or motor x rider my enduro/trail bikes always had firm suspension that's how they should be soft suspension is no good for off roading or trail or enduro riding period

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

john kindon Again, the africa twin does both, flawlessly. So does a ktm 1190, so does a Tiger 800, so does....

Thanks for this was thinking of buying one brand new for my retirement, it was going to be a Sunday Ride but now i am like hmmmmm wait thank you for being honest, Regards Rob

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

Just try before you buy :) For some its the best bike theyve ever owned, for me its one of the rare ones I regretted buying hehe

This bike is badass

Ok I've had mine 2 weeks it's waiting on its service..so I'm not going to put many more miles on it till then, .strange how 2 different riders with different experiences styles differ ..I agree the suspension is slightly stiff ...but man can it hold corners ...but whether that's my weight 110kg or not I don't know , but out of the box the best suspension I've ever had for confidence ..heat is an issue and a lot of people seem to gloss over it , but it does get hot ..I've had issues with the key also ...now it won't start unless the key is actually laid on the seat ...they have ordered a replacement ..also the cruise control and fog lights do not work..but will be sorted on 1st service ..but that engine is awesome and I love the sheer physical size of it . Had a day out on one yday 125 miles mixture of on road and some pretty scary off road in the mountains of Wales on the new triumph adventure course , man are these bikes good off road , these were technical sections in remote places not on a circuit . My ability doesn't match the bikes performance , it's ability to restart on a rock incline with all that torque is amazing to experience .

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Gerry Ryan Your extra weight definately helps :) And I completely agree with how well it handles, my only grip with Ohlins is really about comfort. Its often been my experience with Ohlins, great handling at the cost of comfort. In the really rough stuff when standing on the pegs the suspensions work really well, if it felt the same while sitting it would be great :) Looking forward to trying my favorite trail as soon as the snow melts, Im sure its going to be a blast! Hope you get all your little issues sorted (another reason I hate keyless systems, just another thing that can leave you stranded, when a tradional key works everytime, and you can’t lose it while riding).

How much do you weigh? Usually people complain about suspension being too soft. That's the case with a majority of Africa Twin owners. Hard to believe the Ohlins can't be dialed in for a plusher ride.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

yayoi1 About 220lbs with gear. I had an AT and it was much softer and yet I could even do small jumps with it without bottoming out. I think the kind of roads people ride on makes a big difference. On smooth roads soft is no good, on bad roads too soft and too stiff can be bad. You can see in the video, thats not even our worst roads. Theres adjustability on the Olhins, but surprisingly aside from the preload, the other adjustments though they have many “clicks”, do not make a huge difference.

@markbock3027

5 жыл бұрын

The suspension needs to break in. Mine has already softened up a fair amount. I've added a couple turns of preload, but dialed back both compression and rebound damping by a couple of clicks. It's working well on our rough roads. I'll continue to fiddle with it, I'm sure, but I have no complaints as it is now, and the roads here are in appalling condition. This is with about 750 miles on the bike, by the way.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Mark Bock I currently have similar settings to yours with about 900km the bike (about 8mm of preload on the shocks) and fork is set at the softest setting. I've gone through the recommended settings in the manual for comfort, and also went to a suspension shop to try a few other combinations. Though it's true that suspensions break in, in over 300000km of riding motorcycles, I've never seen a suspensions go from way too stiff to great after break in, you might gain 5% in comfort, but I'd need to gain like 25-30%. I could ride 600km on a day on my 2015 Scrambler no problems and 800km a day on a MT-01, after 200km on this one, my lower back was shot. But as mentioned previously since it is more comfortable with my gf on the back, I'm more confident that changing the springs for something slightly softer will improve comfort, not throwing in the towel yet! Just really disappointed and I wish Triumph would have gone with WP suspensions instead. I've yet to come across a KTM that didn't have comfortable suspensions, from the Duke 690 to the Adventure 1190...and I've yet to come across an Ohlins equipped bike that had a really plush ride.

Good, to the point, review - nice. Assume Canada with the klms.

Good review! The suspension is not as plush as the africa twin, i think thats because its better. My africa twin was to plush, i like it harder for better handling 👍🏻

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

I cant speak for all XEs, but mine was one of the first shipped to Canada and suspension wasnt great at anything.

Hard on potholes! That's all I ride on in Ohio - great to know! Nice roads....that would be nice.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@jason alexander You definitely want to try before buying :)

Regarding the suspension: how much do you weigh?

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@john sanford 200lbs or about 220lbs with gear. You can view additional details and update in the description. Cheers! :)

the exhaust heating issue is a downer. Do the regular exhaust fit on these ?

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Techno TV ! Those are the stock exhausts. Aside from the Arrows slipon theres not many options on the market yet. You can install a decat, but even then if you do a lot of traffic, probably not the best bike for that.

@technotv3227

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip yeah, I plan to commute too, which will include a lot of traffic stops.

The Indian FTR 1200 or the Scrambler - Both of them are winking at me - Anxious to ride both of them - I miss my Buell Ulysses ...

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Never tried the Ulysses, but considered it back in the days :) I sat on the FTR1200, nice piece of kit as well. Good times to be a motorcyclist :)

@donsmithii6828

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip - Agreed - Looking forward to it - I'm in my 60's so its not as important as it use to be - But its still important !!!

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@donsmithii6828 You have at least another 20 years of riding ahead of you, enjoy! :)

@warrencoates9057

4 жыл бұрын

I took the XE for a test ride and it was tall beauty. I have also ridden the Buell Ulysses and it was taller! Both bikes had a lot of character, power & torque. At 5'8" I'll need another ride because I love the XE but she might be way too much girl for me. Thanks for your review as I'll suss out the suspension before I get anymore excited.

Hi nice video what do you mean by plush??

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Comfortable :)

no no no man, the bike doesn't just "look fantastic" .... it's THE most fantastic lookin' bike !!!! and, it's the bike that still looks as a bike should, these days when production bikes are so ugly :-)

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

For sure, hard to debate on looks they really hit the bulls eye on this one! :)

Thank you for the practical and honest review. As to the shocks - I subscribed and will appreciate if you make an additional review with the new springs. I have a Bonneville T120, the bike is almost perfect for the smooth road use, the engine and the transmission are the bomb, yet these spoked wheels with tubes and rear brake support underneath the disc are the pain. I have already changed the brake support once and now looking for the relocation kit. I am glad that Triumph has realized this at last. I am living in Russia, here the roads are not that good, so the Scrambler looks very promising as a next bike - at least unlike all those plastic enduros like Africa, GooSes, etc. Main concerns are the weight (which is big for endure) and the suspension (which is not electronically driven). Have you tried it on bad roads? I mean really bad - mud, furrows, roughs, etc., not just the gravel? Another annoying issue is a steel tank. It rusts on my T120.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@Дмитрий Черный Thanks! I did try it on very bad roads (muddy roads with potholes you could lose a car in)...and you'll never bottom out, and when standing on the pegs, the suspensions work quite well. It's really when you're sitting that it just feels too stiff, even on bumps that are barely visible. I will post back once I've changed the springs and put more km on the bike. As for your T120 tank rusting, where is it rusting, on the inside? If you store it for a long time, the best is to full the tank with Premium gas (that has no ethanol) and gas stabilizer. That way, unlike with ethanol, you won't end up with water in the tank, and filling it limits the amount of oxygen to prevent oxydation. We probably have similar winters, thats how I always prepare my bikes for winter :) Also, my friend has a T120, and though it has some qualities the Scrambler doesnt (like a premium looking cluster), the exhausts make the chain maintenance a pain in the... Also if you like the T120's engine, you'll LOVE the Scrambler 1200 engine's. It just feels livelier. The T120 that I tried at least couldn't powerwheelie in 2nd gear. The Scrambler does it, easily.

@cheblack

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip Well, the case with rust inside the tank was because I carelessly left the bike at the service to re-paint the tank. Those guys kept the tank empty all the winter unfortunately - instead of making their work fast. But anyway I have not expected to meet the rust issue on the modern bike. It was for me something from the world of necrojapanese bikes from early 90s... =)

Nice honest review.....would you say that you are still glad you bought the Scrambler...? Steve

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Stephen Eldridge If I can adress the rear shocks, yes. If I could have tried it before buying, the suspensions would have turned me off. I just went for a ride with my girlfriend expecting her to be tired after 15 minutes. Turns out the extra 120lbs on the back seat removed a lot of the harshness. This tells me the springs are simply too stiff and calibrated for a 350lbs rider lol so I think with just softer springs it should become more decent. Not perfect, but 50% better :)

@stepheneldridge6998

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip Thanks, it's pretty important for me how the suspension works....I was expecting it to be Range Rover like and 'float' over bumps!. I've spent time and money with Ohlins on my Tenere to get 'plush' suspension. Trouble is the looks/engine and 'coolness 'of the Triumph is calling me! Steve

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Stephen Eldridge thats what I was expecting as well...but so far, I cant remember once being impressed with Ohlins suspensions on rough roads. They often seem to be very firm an designed more for handling than comfort...Ive spent thousands on Ohlins and to have them revalved and resprung on other bikes, and very little luck so far. I might wait for an aftermarket company to propose a comfortable setup for this bike...

@damonbourne

5 жыл бұрын

@@SpeedytripOn first blush, I'd agree that the suspension was way too stiff for my 175lbs. I'm still messing with my suspension on mine. I backed off both the rebound and compression on the forks and the rear. It's better but still a little harsh. I have not backed off preload yet. That's next.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Damon Bourne Id have to recheck but I think my forks are almost at the softest setting, the shocks are set pretty soft but I added about 8mm of preload. Pretty decent when I ride 2 up, but still to harsh for my taste when solo. Ill update once I figure out the ultimate solution (springs and/or valving).

On point, that’s how a review should be. If a British journalist would’ve done this review and you believe everything he would say, you would go the next day and buy it.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks @Dan Grigore wish I had seen an honest review before buying hehe I hope for future buyers that they will have addressed the main issues for 2020. Wouldn't take much to make it an insanely great bike.

@danscram

4 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip Man, reviewers like you are unicorns, i can barely find a good trustworthy review on youtube, keep it up and get the Urban GS out for some riding, i’m very interested in one of them retros

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@@danscram Thanks Dan, means a lot. Its hard starting a KZread channels these days, aiming for 1000 subcribers this year if I'm lucky hehe For the RnineT UGS, I already sold it. Pros: Engine is wonderful, full of torque, sounds amazing. Looks great Handles great Excellent brakes Electronics aside, very simple (not even a tachometer). Cons: Suspensions, unfortunately, the bike is more looks than proper Scrambler capabilities (forks are the same as used on the BMW RNineT racer...) Valve check every 10000km (though on the bright side its about a 2h job as they are easily accessible). These engines tend to burn oil, under 4L/10000km of oil, is within BMW's specs...mine took about 1L per 10000km, and it was in the good average :)

@danscram

4 жыл бұрын

Speedytrip 461 and going up 😎

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@@danscram Appreciated man! :) Since its winter here in Canada I can't produce a lot of riding footage, but this weekend I was thinking of putting together the list of 21 or so bikes I've owned with the pros and cons. It might or might not happen hehe

How do you powerwheelie on second gear?! (I'm at 1 mile high in altitude)

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

jj karuna you just need to snap the throttle agressively at about 35-4000rpm. It can be harder if youre sitting up against the tank.

@jacobshirley7155

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip no clutch release? Just throttle?

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

jj karuna Just throttle no clutch. Stock bike, premium gas. Try shutting the throttle to compress the forks and snap the throttle. Or sit a bit further on the seat, or wait for your gas level to be lower. Do you have a lot of accessories on the front? Headlight grill, crash bars, windscreen, usb port, GPS, aux lights, sliders? If you have all of those and more it does add up...

@jacobshirley7155

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip well i'm a fatass at 210lbs! Haha

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

jj karuna Im 200lbs. It just makes the rear shocks sink more making power wheelies easier :) Ah...and put it in offroad pro mode (it disables all electronic aids and gives more agressive throttle response. Even sport mode will interrupt your wheelie and in rain mode I think you cant even power wheelie in 1st gear...

Where can I get one, and the price

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Triumph dealer and depends on where you live, prices vary quite a bit ;)

just about spot on with your comments , i thought the same about the suspension when i test rode one. wound everything right off and it was still too firm , especially off road. great engine but surprised you didnt mention the routing of the front brake lines . couldnt justify swopping from my africa twin.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Good point, others have mentioned that indeed the brake lines can be an issue if you ride it in single track trails. The Africa Twin is awesome too (was my previous bike) but not perfect either. I'd say engines are in the same league. The Africa Twin is surprisingly higher maintenance than the Triumph (valve check is quoted at 8h by the dealer $$$$). Even oil changes on the Triumph are 16000km apart! The honda also has quite a few reports of rust issues (from the wheels/spokes to the frames) and today I even saw an owner posting about an incomplete weld on a critical part of the frame, where water was making its way into the frame. To me the suspensions on the AT provide much better comfort. The handlebars are taller and closer than on the Triumph (which fits me best). On the Triumph, some cables simply wouldn't even allow 1" risers from what I'm seeing.

What about making a Africa Twin into a scrambler?

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

Probably easier than the other way around hehe All I can say is 24000km later on my Africa, I havent missed the XE one second :)

How tall are you ? And how comfortable was the seat height ?

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@curtis cutler 6'1", 195lbs, about 34" inseam. The seat height was fine really. Unless you have short legs, I think anyone above 5'10" should be fairly comfortable on it (unless you weight 140lbs, the bike might sit a bit higher).

@cscutler

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your response, I'm 5-8 , 160lbs I fear it may be a bit tall.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

curtis cutler Youd probably be better off on the XC in that case. If you can, demo both before buying. The 2 main things to look out for are height and suspensions.

Had a few Triumph bikes and I loved them... But when I sold my Bonnie, I was in doubt between this and a BMW ninet GS... I take some gravel roads, but thats it... Loved the motor on the XE but I also loved the motor of the Beemer, but for the long ride, the Beemer, all the way. So went for the Ninet GS, for me rides better and is good enough for the few gravel roads. And is cheaper! Think the price is just over the top for the XE... 15K (euro) for a bike to take offroad is just to crazy for me! So after all those years with Triumph, went for a Beemer and I dont miss it to be honest... If the price was about 12k, then it would be another story...

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

K_Knievel I also had an r9t ugs :) Loved the engine, looked great, handled great, the weak point for me was also the suspensions (front too stiff to no surprise as they used the same forks as on the R9T Racer....on a Scrambler..! and the rear simply couldnt be adjusted to work both solo and 2 up (it would bottom out or be too stiff) and it really wasn’t accommodating for a passenger in terms of seat comfort. Otherwise, one of my favorite bikes :)

An interesting and honest review. I don't like the sound of these 'little foibles'.

To be honest, that's pretty honest of you.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

You won't find any click bait on my channel, I tell it like it is :)

I think that twin rear shocks will never me as good a single one.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

It's possible that it's part of the limitations indeed, but with that much travel, I still think they could have done better as I've had quite a few bikes with twin shocks and half the travel that didn't feel as stiff as these :)

@colinkutz5930

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip I don't think the amount of travel has anything to do with it. Triumph probably knows that most buyers will be on road, as a number of other commentors mentioned they are. As such they went for really good road capability. That's my guess. For people that take it off road they are hoping the travel distance will compensate for the bumps.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@colinkutz5930 I get what you're saying, but shouldn't the XC be the "sporty" of the two if they were going to make 2 versions? :) And on road, can mean on bad roads too...not necessarily on tropical country kind of smooth road surfaces. Many love the suspensions as is, so really I'm not saying they are bad for everyone, simply that they were disappointing to me, and people considering this bike, should try it before (if they can) before buying to make sure they are ok with it. If at least they had enough adjustments in them to make them comfortable, 99% of owners would have been really happy with them. You can see the shocks in action here, look how much of the travel it uses on these rough roads...not a crazy amount: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZoNqtq16gM3SddI.html

@colinkutz5930

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip maybe it's just not a good spring rate for your weight? I don't know. I definitely don't know that much about suspension and what the requirements are for off road use. I haven't ridden one so I can't really say.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@colinkutz5930 There the possibility of the spring (it is more comfortable when I'm with my girlfriend), the oil and the valving. I'm having them reworked and will post results after. I'm 200lbs, and I can tell you they don't bottom out... kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZoNqtq16gM3SddI.html

What’s with blocking out the speedometer? Is your mom watching?

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

It’s illegal to break the sound barrier at this altitude.

Hmm! Interesting.

looove this bike. BTW all fobs are that big people. ALL.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

They're all big, and a regular source of issues across all motorcycle manufacturers hehe I would have preferred it as an option. People wanting to pay extra for that could, those that want low tech, reliable technology, could. Win-win :)

@michaelhayes5601

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip haha yeah. I really would rather stick with a regular key. I don't think we really need the extra sensors and batteries. Bites when you can't get you bike started lol

Hmm... A couple of things in your cons list I'm not liking, and I really wanted to like this bike.

@Speedytrip

2 жыл бұрын

Nothing like demoing one to see if those cons are actually cons for you :) Some are over the moon with this bike. I loved a lot of things about it, but the sum of it all just wasn't for me and out of the 20 something bikes I've owned, this is the one I owned for the shortest period of time.

Well you talked me out of being interested in this bike lol

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Allen Smith It shouldn’t, it should just convince you to try before buying, plenty are over the moon with the entire bike as is. I love mine but got fed up with the suspensions and sold it. Some say its the best suspensions they've ever had...

Im thinking about getting this bike i dont abuse my bikes i do maintenance like clock work and do a mix of Twisties and off-road riding ,this bike in the looks and torque department already sold me but the thing that i question the most is the long term reliability is this bike reliable enough to be a daily?

@Speedytrip

29 күн бұрын

I had an issue with a sensor but Ive had many triumphs, and reliability wouldnt worry me. Id say make sure you try the suspensions. It seems like not all models were the same, some love the suspensions, but on mine they were terribly harsh even after 2 suspension shops respring and revalving. If its close to what you like, you should have the adjustment to make it work, if its way off, walk away. To this day its the only bike that gave me back pain, while some swear its the best suspension theyve ever had…just try before you buy ;)

@jeremyclarkson-69

29 күн бұрын

@@Speedytrip thank you ,ride safe cheers

Almost made me want to sell my R1200GS LC and go for it then I imagined this thing with a rear case which I absolutely need. And that's a case closed for me.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

I tried a 2008 1200GS, and even back in the day the suspensions were already top notch, I can only imagine what the recent models are like. Two very different bikes, one is super practical and comfortable, the other sacrifices a lot of comfort and some praticality for sexyness, character, and just the grin inducing factor. In an ideal world, we'd have a GS and the Scrambler :)

they need to change the speedo

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

I bet they will offer other interfaces with a firmware update. It offers a lot of info (though in the manual it shows ambient temperature and its not on my bike yet). The design isn't bad, but because of all the plastic (silver plastic on top of that) it just doesn't scream quality like the clusters on the T120 or Thruxton for example, If I could I would have even preferred the cluster from my 2015 Scrambler over the cheaper look of this one.

@robsonenduro3316

4 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip naah, they need to change the whole ugly damn thing...

My first bike was a Honda 350 Scrambler. This is a little nicer. :)

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

VOIP Portland suspensions aside, I probably would have kept it many years :)

As normal you get issues always when you buy the first generation of anything. Testing an iPhone is easy because you can easily duplicate real world integration and they are cheap compared to a motorcycle yet there are hundreds of issues for every new version after roll out. It’s obvious a motorcycle would have issues but if the ones you mentioned are the worst, triumph hit a home run. I also want to add since your review has nothing in it really about off-road, making assessments of the suspension is kind of lame. I have a triumph thruxton 1200r 2018. Big difference from a 2016 which was when it was released even though when you buy them they make no mention of improvements.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Since I'm in Eastern Canada, at the moment, the trails still have snow :) What I can say from the rough parts I've been on, is that they will be very capable of absorbing jumps and what not (you'd need to be like 400lbs to bottom them out), but they won't be brilliant on washboards for example (already tried that). When you're standing on the pegs, the suspensions seem to be working much better than when you are sitting (which is what most riders will be doing 90% of the time). Don't get me wrong, the bike is ridiculously fun, sounds awesome, looks great, but as others have commented, it's not as comfortable as it should have been and some of the issues could have easily been avoided. I will post back with a more in depth review in the next 2 months when I get the opportunity to really try it in proper offroad conditions (and not just dirt and mud roads that are currently accessible). Cheers!

I have to laugh at complaints about the key. It's the size of a car key, put it in your pocket and forget about it! 🤷‍♂️😂

@Speedytrip

3 жыл бұрын

You'll notice I'm not the only one who's not a fan of the key fob, not just because it's big but because it doesn't always work as intended (often losed connection with the bike even when it's in your pocket). But if that doesn't bother you then it's another con to remove from the list :)

Speedytrip, enjoyed your review. My wife and I sat on one and found it the most comfortable compared to KTM's 1290 Adventure S, Super Duke GT, Triumph Tiger 800, BMW's. Sitting on and riding on are two different stories however. So I hope I can test ride one to see if I come to the same conclusion that you did about the seat. About exhaust heat. Some have mentioned heat wrap already. Most people however don't know about heat reflecting though. It gets used in racing all the time for fuel cells/tanks, air boxes to repel heat from the exhaust system and engine. I'd try heat reflecting on the back of your heat shields. Check these websites out. (And silver reflects more than gold) www.thermalprotectioninc.com/ designengineering.com/products/shields-reflectors/

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

Twowheelshredder Suspension do feel soft when sitting on it at a stand still. The more I investigate, the more it seems to point to high speed compression damping being too high (which you can only feel when riding). Since it cant be adjusted the valving would need to be changed. You might love the suspensions as is, theres so many factors (riding style, road condition, weight, passenger/no passenger, etc). The ride is actually slightly better with my gf on the back, but she usually needed taking tylenols after any ride over 30 minutes. Thanks for the heat reflection tip, Ill look into it. Some have had some success with a decat (prevents part of the heat buildup behind the first heat shield), but it also significantly increases emissions...

@2WheelsSometimes1

5 жыл бұрын

​@@SpeedytripThanks for the info about the suspension. Wife and luggage should settle it out quite nicely then, which is why we're considering buying one for us. Thought Ohlins would have made that adjustable. I wasn't sure what part of Canada you were from and if you had strict emissions there.

@kinkong1961

5 жыл бұрын

that's right by wrapping the exhaust they are making it worse like you said silver heat reflective tape on the shields will help a lot more than wrapping the exhaust triumph are you listening.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@kinkong1961 Did you end up trying the bike? Curious to know what you thought of the suspensions :)

@steveturner1633

4 жыл бұрын

Seems removing the catylic converter drops the pipe temp around it from 120C to about 40C. It’s got to go and then some heat shield, getting mine done this week

OMG how much did they charge for that bike and their "designer" decided that the dominant colour for that little key gizmo that it's useless without should be nice and black. Black, something sooh sofisticaited and discreet and difficult to see. Black the colour of your TV and hi-fi's remote, your mobile phone, your wallet, your reading glasses, your comb. BLACK ! As far as eye am concerned black isn't even a colour. Talk about being fobbed off ! How much for a new one ?😤 The world is already full of small vital things made out of cheap and Nasty easily lost tactile less slimy black plastic produced by companies that despise their customers. It's just their snide way of letting you know. And then the Bassers have the gall to ask you to kindly chuck it in the recycling bin so as they can churn out some more on the cheap and they want it for free!

Honda Africa twin 1000 L is good than all it. It really.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@Udia kulafield Always about compromises.The Africa Twin is higher maintenance (8h for a valve adjustment at the dealer), isn't as stylish (though that's personal preferences), it does have a great engine (almost as good as the Triumph), sounds good, but mostly it's much more comfortable than the Triumph :) The ideal would be to have both bikes ;)

Very sad to hear that it is not a plush ride. Was genuinely considering this bike because I thought the offroady spec would make this bike a super cool looking dual sport type bike. Poop sauce :(

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@Bob Job Was expecting the same. With that said, some seem to be happy with the suspensions. The best you can do is test ride one before buying. The bike is REALLY fun...but yeah wish they hadnt gone with Ohlins...they could have really achieved a very near perfect bike.

@jacobshirley7155

5 жыл бұрын

Actually i'm 210lbs and read the manual for the suspension settings. Mine rides like I'm on a cloud, and it jumps, flies over washboards and it does well in moab.

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@@jacobshirley7155 You clearly have different suspensions than the one that came on my bike :P Stock, adjusted and after having the shocks revalved and resprung, everyone who tried my bike felt it was stiff. A T120, fazer 8, tiger 800, just about anything rides smoother than this. I'd be curious to see some footage of you on washboards and suspensions soaking it all up....

@jacobshirley7155

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip ok I'll try to get some footage and settings. Are you taking the washboards fast or slow? I've heard that you have to take them faster than the speed they were created at.

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

@jj karuna The problem was mostly when riding on roads. Anything above 50km/h and the high speed damping simply didn't work, at all. Solved the problem by selling the bike after having the shocks resprung/revalved (it improved it but not enough to want to keep the bike).

It looks good, the engine sounds like a beast. But those plastics are so goddamn tacky. Why can't they put decent materials on such an expensive bike?

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

@jigrodrigues A cluster and indicators made of aluminum would certainly have had a more "premium" look and feel (just the T120's cluster feels higher quality), but they probably would have raised the price another 1000$ hehe aside from that most of the parts are really nicely designed and very high quality (like the Triumph embossed logo on the swingarm) quite a departure from the previous Scrambler swingarm that looked more like a part from a patio set hehe

@jigrodrigues

5 жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip if they re durable, thats the main thing. 👍

This could be real when the video was made, like three years ago. The current bike is not as described, today.

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

Id love to try a new one and compare, but to my knowledge the bike has remained mostly unchanged.

@Fernando90054

Жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip Yes, but the problems you mentioned have been addressed 👌🏻

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

@@Fernando90054 I see the exhaust was improved since (but to me that wasn't a reason to sell the bike), what else have they improved? Is the keyless reliable? Have they improved the suspensions? I'm still curious to try another XE just to compare, I bought mine as soon as they came out, and I have the impression they weren't quite done developing the suspensions. They were about the most uncomfortable I've experienced on any bike over the years (including some sport bikes). To this day, after 350000km on over 150 different bikes, this my XE is the only bike that gave me back pain, haven't experienced that ever before, nor after selling it. I've heard of many raving about the suspensions, and just about as many also feeling they didn't soak up bumps like they should have. Still don't know if it was a design or quality control issue. I just know it wasn't about adjustments as I've went to multiple shops and even had them revalved and resprung which improved it quite a bit, but not enough to keep the bike. I'm much happier on my DR650 now :)

@Fernando90054

Жыл бұрын

@@Speedytrip The question is solved for you and that is what matters. I had a new Bike from 2022 for testing during a week and everything worked as it should. Non of the issues that you mentioned on your video took place. I had the opportunity to test extensively the bike. The keyless device worked well, the suspensions were comfortable and precise (for the concept of the used solution) on and off-road. The only nitpick I found was the time delay when you start the bike for the dashboard to be ready. It felt slow. Even the fuel gage information is now prompt on this Bonneville model after filling the tank. So, I watched your video and had to comment because by my experience the flaws that you’ve pointed are relevant and obviously I value those features. I ended to choose the BMW R Nine T Scrambler instead as I traded the more competent off-road capabilities of the Triumph for the powerful BMW’s engine and final transmission technology. The Triumph is a niche bike and I felt that it was perfect for the one that appreciate the retro and iconic look amongst the modern technology without loosing the off-road utilities. I went for the BMW but if I want to make some use of it off-road, I’ll have to invest on the suspensions, both, front and rear. Perfection is difficult to achieve if you look for multiple purposes on a bike. That’s why if biking is a passion maybe it’s impossible to fulfill it just owning a single bike…don’t you agree? Be well my friend and ride safe ✌️✌️

@Speedytrip

Жыл бұрын

@@Fernando90054 For sure no stock bike is perfect out of the gate, even more so in the first year of production :) And I've owned a R9T URban GS as well, brand new it was burning oil and BMW said that anything under 4L per 10000km was considered normal (mine was burning 1L/10000km which they said was pretty good)...I couldn't believe it on a brand new 2018 at the time. The suspensions were shared with the R9T racer, which made no sense (scrambler AND racer). But I absolutely LOVED the engine. Even stock it sounded amazing, the throttle was crisp, loads of torque everywhere, sweet single sided swing arm, driving shaft, cruise control, heated grips, tubeless spoked wheels, all what I wanted and nothing I didn't. Traction control was also pretty good offroad, and you could turn it off easily. There's a guy around here who put about 10k in mods on his R9T scrambler and when I tried it I was shocked by how good it was! Really cool bikes! Thanks for stopping by and keep the shiny side up! :)

If your not a trail/enduro bike rider then this bike probably is not for you as it is meant to have firm suspension not soft, having soft suspension on trail will spell doom for you all proper enduro/trail bikes have hard suspension so the xc would be better for you it's more of a on road bike than off road and has softer suspension for those who have delicate backs and used to riding road bikes.lol

@Speedytrip

5 жыл бұрын

john kindon Do you really think even 5% of owners will be jumping these bikes? And why can you jump a ktm adventure no problem yet still have a decent ride quality on road?

@Speedytrip

4 жыл бұрын

MetreX The KTM has better suspensions 100%. You can do both on both bikes, but the KTM will soak up bumps way better and still let you jump. If someone is looking for a pure offroad machine both bikes are heavy and a dirtbike would be much more agile for really hardcore stuff. When my friend who rides a s1000rr HP4 says my XE suspensions felt harsh...its pretty bad. Of the 20 bikes I owned I can only think of 1 bike that had suspensions harsher than the XE (Monster 1100 evo and it felt like a hardtail). Best advice I can give is just dont buy the XE without trying it. If you cant find a demo, walk away.

The key is such a negative.