2017 Triumph Street Scrambler First Look From EICMA 2016

When Triumph debuted the Street Twin at the end of last year, the first thought through the heads of most motorcyclists and Trumpet fans was: Scrambler. Certainly my head, having ridden the previous-generation Bonneville Scrambler a lot, and not always in ways Triumph would have suggested. Most of us got even more excited when we rode the new Street Twin and found a plucky 900cc engine and a solid chassis. It's a fun bike, the Street Twin, and Triumph has a history with Scramblers that dates back to Steve McQueen. So, oh yes, please, bring on the new one.

The new Street Scrambler uses the same engine from the Twin, sure enough, but the rest of the bike has been tweaked a bit. “Scrambled,” you might say. There are longer rear shocks and a wider handlebar, as well as the obvious 19-inch front wheel shod with Metzeler Tourance rubber. Not as obvious is the new, higher-spec front brake—not saying much about the Street Twin’s binders considering this Scrambler gets a two-piston, sliding-pin Nissin caliper. That’s basically half of an SV650 brake setup, which has been essentially the same since 1999. Still, Triumph uses steel-braided lines and its brakes are typically quite good.

Standard ABS will be switchable, speaking of brakes. That’s something the Street Twin can’t boast. Traction control will also be switchable, and something tells me the Street Scrambler will be a hoot to ride down a gravel road with TC turned off. The new dash has two gauges and includes a tachometer, gear position indicator, a fuel gauge, range to empty, and traction-control settings, controllable through a switch on the bar. Hopefully it’ll be similar to the 1,200cc bikes, like the Thruxton, which have nicely worked displays and switches.

What’s not similar to any other Triumph in the lineup is the high exhaust, wrapped around the cylinders in fine scrambler style. Hopefully it’ll sound as sweet as the Street Twin does. Also, I hope it’s tucked in closer to the bike, because any time standing on the pegs while riding the previous Scrambler would jack up your right shin something fierce. When you stand up on the new bike, at least the pegs will be better—grippy, ”Bear Trap” ADV-style pegs, says Triumph (hopefully less ominous than it sounds).

A small skid plate promises to keep light debris from causing any damage, but I’m sure the aftermarket will be overflowing with all kinds of options. And speaking of which, the Triumph factory will have more than 150 accessories for the Scrambler. Not least of which are some that sound pretty wicked—A Vance & Hines exhaust for (hopefully) more bark and bite, heated grips, and crash bars. Of course, the usual smattering of bar-end mirrors and seats will surely be available too.

I think the Street Twin has done an excellent job laying the groundwork for this Scrambler to be a success. It promises to be small, maneuverable, and light enough for a new breed of motorcyclists to embrace adventure. It also suggests (with the “Street” Scrambler name) that there will also be a larger Scrambler from Triumph, likely based on the 1,200cc T120 platform. Yes please. Now Ari and I just need is another silly location to try to ride. Do I smell a Street Scrambler adventure with the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled…?