Scrambling back from the past

Triumph's Scrasmbler brigns back the feeling of good old-fashioned biking - whether you're going to the shops or touring the …

Triumph's Scrasmbler brigns back the feeling of good old-fashioned biking - whether you're going to the shops or touring the country, writes Tom Robert.

AFTER ELEGANTLY rolling back the years with the fabulous Thruxton a while back, it was time to pick up its retro-classic brother, the Scrambler.

With its rubber knee-pads, long flat seat, big spoked wheels and high-set twin chrome exhausts, the Scrambler is inspired by the big road-engined machines of the 1950s to 1970s, adapted to take on dirt by giving them bigger shocks, knobbly tyres and wider bars - and that was about it.

It was on bikes like this that crazed individuals covered themselves in mud and glory with weekend hill climbs and the early versions of motocross before it became a professional flying trapeze act.

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First thoughts are that this is like a big old trailie-style bike with a road bike engine in it. The ride is instantly comfortable and familiar, and you immediately get to work learning how to get the best out of the machine.

The gearbox is the same slick five-speed unit as in the Thruxton, though perhaps because of the set-up of the bike, I felt the need to change up at shorter intervals, but when you realise how much torque you have at your disposal, this becomes less of an issue.

This year the engine is fuel-injected, making power delivery even smoother. Like its more groomed brother, this bike is deceptively fast, and you have to be careful not to come flying into corners a bit too quick, especially since those slightly under-damped forks can react with an annoyed "tsk" to mid-corner bumps in the road.

Having said that, the brakes do their job and after a while you realise that you can almost lay this bike on its side as long as you keep the power on.

Grip-wise, the semi-knobbly tyres proved themselves the equal of regular road tyres, with only the odd twitch over hazards like raised painted white lines and the plague of longitudinal road cuts courtesy of the utility companies.

It's a joy on country roads and I felt myself unconsciously starting to hum early 1960s hits while feeling like an extra out of Heartbeat.

You just find yourself smiling as your mind goes into nostalgia mode, but make no mistake, this is no pansy, so don't underestimate the power underneath you because the machine is so forgiving.

On the motorway, the Scrambler sits easily on limit-plus speeds with no effort, and the wind blast is minimal for an unfaired bike. In town it's just as much fun and you can politely carve through traffic courtesy of the high-set bars while motorists and passengers gawk curiously and white van drivers lean out and throw compliments rather than abuse at you.

Quite apart from looking fabulous, it's also surprisingly frugal, possibly because it encourages you to ride smoothly and within your capabilities, although you still cover the ground faster than you might think.

Even more surprising was the reaction of most young people who crowded around the Scrambler to admire it, some not even realising it was a retro-styled machine.

Actor Ralph Fiennes has one and used it as a prop for a recent arty photo-shoot - that's how good looking, yet macho, this bike is. For biker mates it evoked engineering admiration and misty-eyed recollections of the old days.

The Scrambler is the ultimate all-rounder, with on- and off-road looks, and great handling coupled with power and economy.

This is a motorcycle based on the idea that you live in the saddle and your mount must be capable of performing every task, from tootling down to get the shopping to flying up the motorway and from touring the countryside to tearing it up on an off-road blast.

If you can only have one bike, this could be it, even if just to show that everything old can be new again. Steve McQueen, eat your heart out.

Factfile

Engine/transmission: 865cc, air-cooled parallel twin-cylinder four-stroke with eight valves; 59bhp @ 7,000rpm, 51lb ft of torque @ 5,000rpm. Five-speed gearbox, chain final drive.

Performance: top speed: 105mph (est); average fuel consumption 44mpg.

Dimensions: length 2,213mm; width at handlebars 865mm; height 1,202mm; seat height 825mm; wheelbase 1500mm

Weight: 205kg (451lbs)

Fuel tank capacity: 16.0l

Colours: roulette green/aluminium silver, tornado red/fusion white, tangerine/aluminium silver.

Price: €9,950

(£5,899 in North)