Which Triumph Scrambler Should You Buy In 2026 400 vs 900 vs 1200

Now in 2026 there are actually five bikes now in the Triumph Scrambler lineup and so it might be a little bit difficult to know which one to go for. Fortunately though I've ridden all five of them over the past year or so and so in this video we'll go through the pros and cons of each as well as which bike is best for which type of rider. So we'll go in price order ascending and we'll start with the Triumph 400X which you know I don't think you'll find many bikes as desirable as this and as affordable as this at the same time. It's a bike that's built in India by their partners at Bajaj hence the super competitive price of under six grand but fear not despite the fact that you know it's somewhat outsourced like that it still has plenty of Triumph's signature features that make it a really classy retro ride. The engine is full of torque for example just like the Bonnevilles with a very sweet and smooth throttle response and also they've tuned the exhaust note for a bit of bass and snarl which really does help when it comes to enhancing the riding experience. Now perhaps at just under 40 horsepower peak it's not gonna set the world alight in terms of forward thrust but I'd still say with that torquiness it's easily enough for some town riding, some back roads and also a little bit of motorway work and stuff like that. One of the best things about it though that I immediately noticed from riding it is that it's quite a spacious bike it's got a pretty tall seat height at 835 mm and so despite being modest in capacity certainly versus some of the other bikes on this list you know it still has that big bike feel that will suit moderate to tall riders and I think even if you're a little bit shorter you'll probably be able to get on with it as well as long as you're willing to shuffle over to one side. The other thing as well about Scramblers is you get those big wide and high bars so certainly versus the Speed 400 Roadster for example this does have a larger ergonomic and so if you're anything like my size at 5 foot 9 or 175 centimeters you know it's going to be a very comfortable bike and I dare say it'll accommodate you know up to 6 foot and beyond. On top of that I think the looks are spot on I mean they've had to work with you know a compromise in terms of having it built to a price point and that sort of thing but you've got to say it does have some of the attention to detail that you'd associate with Triumph and also some of the family looks that trickle down from the more expensive and more premium bikes in their Scrambler lineup. Honestly if I had to mark it down for anything it might be that it's not the most technologically comprehensive there are certainly other bikes at this price point where you'll get a TFT dash perhaps a little bit more in terms of connectivity and stuff like that but equally you could argue this is a positive because the single analog dash the relatively simple suite of rider aids for example actually kind of suits the more retro aesthetic of this bike and so it really depends on your preference as to whether that's a pro or a con. All round I'd say this is a brilliant affordable little rugged road bike and so definitely look at this one if you're on a budget also it's going to look tempting if you're on an A2 license or if you just want something that's economical as a little town run around or as a little weekend ride that still looks cool and has a little bit of pizzazz to the design. Lastly like I say if you're a taller rider and you're looking for something that's mid to low capacity then I doubt you'll find many bikes that feel as accommodating as this so definitely worth a look. Now also in the 400 lineup you've now got the XC model as well which was introduced in 2025 and this one costs 700 quid more than the X so what exactly do you get for the extra outlay? Well it certainly looks the business with the headlight guard, the fly screen, the high front mug guard, the sump guard and the engine bars as well and you've also got spoked wheels as opposed to the cast wheels on the X and they're tubeless too which is a nice feature at this price point and realistically for the majority of us makes for easier puncture repairs at the roadside. Then you've also got some different color choices for the XC. I rode the yellow version at their press day at the adventure center in Wales and I thought it looked fantastic both in the flesh and in the footage when I got back and started on the edit and so yeah maybe just overall it's a little more exciting to look at and has you know more details and accessories that maybe enrich the aesthetics a little. I will say though it might be tempting to think that this bike is going to be more performant when it comes to off-road riding. Certainly the spoke wheels and the high mug guard and the engine bars and stuff like that will make you think that this is going to be the better off-roader but I would tread a little cautiously here because if you actually look at the specs in terms of suspension travel and ground clearance and the geometry and stuff like that the wheel sizes as well well there's actually no substantial differences let's say versus that Scrambler 400X. In fact adding all of the extra parts the accessories you know the little bits of bling across the bike it won't surprise you to learn will add a few kilograms as well and so it's actually a little bit weightier and so yeah I think you just have to fully internalize that this is a purchase realistically for the looks and although the you know the spoke wheels are perhaps a little more robust and therefore more appropriate for off-road riding you know it's massive performance improvements versus that more affordable bike so yeah choose this one if you like the X but you want something that looks a little more special. Next up though well I just had to throw this in as a bit of a wild card it's worth a quick look at the new Tracker 400 which has just been announced for 2026. You see if you're riding on the road then you know something like the Speed 400 with the 17 inch wheels front and rear as opposed to the larger 19 inch front on the two Scramblers well it is going to give you better handling on the road it's going to give you that quicker turning I think a more exciting feel and that's exactly what you get with this new Tracker 400 which lifts more of its bones let's say from that completely road biased Speed 400. The thing is though I totally understand if people like a little bit of the rugged robust aesthetic that you get with the Scramblers and so maybe this bike the Tracker 400 offers a little bit of a compromise between the two it's more of the handling of the Speed 400 for example with just a little bit of that you know off-roady aesthetic that you typically get with the Scramblers it's got a side number board it's got a little fly screen the graphics are a bit more exciting it's got the flat track style tires it's got the exhaust as well I think from the Scrambler 2 and so it's possibly worth a look this one if you're exclusively riding on the road but you do want a bit of that Scrambler look next up though one of the biggest updates in the Triumph lineup for this year we've got the new Scrambler 900 which used to be called the Street Scrambler when it was first introduced a few years back and I would say as well had a more traditional overall look for 2026 though they've freshened it up with some sharper lines some more dynamic paint jobs and graphics and there's also more modern spec as well with new suspension better brakes lighter wheels and I will say after riding it at the press launch in California a couple of months back you know it's absolutely more flickable better suspended and more lively on the road than the bike that it replaces on top of that they've added more tech as well with a new digital dash there's connectivity there's a new off-road riding mode there's lean sensitive rider aids courtesy of an inertial measurement unit so that's cornering abs and cornering traction control but I will say despite all of these you know substantial modernizations well it does preserve the two key things I would say that made the Street Scrambler a smashing bike as well firstly the 900 version of the Bonneville parallel twin which is a real beauty of an engine and while the peak power figure might look a little bit modest on paper with about 65 horses peak for a 900cc engine well it really is all about the torque and the feel and the sensation of riding it you see it makes 80 newton meters of peak torque super low in the revs as well at 3250 rpm so it's full of guts and then it's also got this beautiful feel to it it's you know smooth but it's got enough vibes to feel characterful and also it's got that signature bassy Bonneville sound at the exhaust with a little bit of I think more of a snarl more of a growl to it just right at the end of those high exhausts that just differentiates the Scrambler 900 a little bit from the other 900 bikes in their lineup the other thing though you know I said there's two things that I think fundamentally make this bike appealing is the ergonomics which are super accessible with a seat height that sits at just 790mm which I think makes it appealing to shorter riders anyone who's a little new and maybe likes to get both their feet down but also just more experienced riders who don't want a particularly tall Scrambler style bike being a 900 you know it feels like a big bike it's got the features it's got the finish it's got the tech it's got the torque as well and it is relatively weighty I suppose at 221 kilograms curb it's certainly not a lightweight bike anyway but despite all that it's one of the most easy going retro bikes you can ride and for someone of my height like I say you can easily get both your feet down so yeah if you're looking for a retro bike a Scrambler style bike but you want something very accessible then this is 100% worth a look it has to be right up there in your short list but I'd also say beyond that you know I talked about the 400x being a rugged road bike and that's the same feel that I get with this it's a really good all-rounder and now it has the extra modern capabilities that just keep it up to date with the competition now the Scrambler 1200x well it sort of runs along a lot of the same lines in fact when you start to look at the spec and componentry it really does have quite a bit in common with the Scrambler 900 you see it's the more road biased variant of the two 1200 models and so it sits relatively low at 820 mil it also has the cool Scrambler looks which I think Triumph have pretty much perfected and then in the tech department it also gets a lot of the same stuff as the 900 so you've got the split dash the connectivity the riding modes and the lean sensitive rider aids I guess then the question would be you know with a similar intention and some of the same features and components you know why would you pay an extra 1500 quid for this over that 900 model and I will say ultimately it comes down to the engine which just allows you to do a little bit more the 1200 has more power at almost 90 horsepower peak a lot more torque as well at 110 newton meters but also a sixth gear as opposed to the five speed box of the Scrambler 900 so with a bit more power the extra gear it feels a lot more settled at motorway speeds I believe the gear ratios are the same all the way through one to five sixth is an overdrive gear just to bring the revs down at 70 ish miles per hour and so yeah it's better suited for that sort of riding and also the extra power means if you do want to make a quick overtake it's going to feel like it's got a touch more urgency when it comes to that sort of situation I will say as well if you're planning to do a little bit of riding two up then almost certainly the extra you know grant from this 1200 engine is going to be worth the extra cash and so yeah this is the one I'd go for if I was looking for a similar you know capability to that 900 but was just planning a little bit of light touring a little bit of motorway work a little bit of two up and just generally lugging stuff around now top of the tree though at almost £14,000 we have the absolutely stunning looking Scrambler 1200 XE this is a Scrambler that's actually built to scramble with long capable suspension from Showa and Ohlins plenty of ground clearance a good standing position as well and like the 1200 X it also gets the big 21 inch front wheel then you've got more off-road biased electronics to match more settings more modes and so you've basically got a bike that's almost as capable as a modern day adventure bike something like a Tiger 900 but just with that Scrambler styling and some of the Scrambler structure as well the traditional bonnie structure with the steel cradle frame that I think is going to make it look a lot more appealing to anyone who has you know a stylish eye someone who wants something that looks classic and timeless is there anything to mark this one down for then well it's not particularly a bike that I'd want to pick up if it was upside down in a ditch certainly if I was out riding on my own anyway it's pretty weighty at 230 kilograms it's tall as well so that's going to present a bit of a challenge and then also there's the seat height it's 870 mils so just about manageable for someone of my height but I think if I'm honest about it having ridden the two the X and the XE back to back well the 50 mil difference which is really substantial it's 820 mil like I say for the X just makes it a much more practical and usable bike and an easier bike to get along with when it comes to low speed work and maneuvers and stop start traffic and also just generally pushing the I would find it if I was choosing between the two really difficult to resist the XE it just has something really good looking about it the paint jobs are better it's got the better dash the tall suspension makes it look like this big impressive dirt bike and in a way it does give you that off-road capability if you're willing to ride a big heavy bike but like I say I think realistically you've got to be a pretty tall rider and you know maybe if you want something that looks in proportion to your bodily dimensions then that's a big tick too or someone who's really willing to get over to one side and put up with a very tall bike for something like I say off-road capable and very attractive to look at so that my friends rounds off a look at the scramblers for 2026 as always I'd love to know what you think of them down in the comments below and which bike you choose if money were no object I'll also put my review of the 900 on the screen now from California a couple of months back it's the most recent one so if you missed it do give that a watch hit subscribe for more of the latest motorcycle news and reviews right here on motobob a massive thanks for watching this one and we'll catch you in the next video