[Axe77]

Triumph Speed 400 Review

Triumph Speed 400 Pros

• Quintessential Triumph design that can stand proud next to the rest of its modern classic range
• Build quality, fit and finish are of a high order - arguably the best in the broad segment it straddles
• Stunning price proposition! Bajaj and Triumph have launched it at a price that leaves no doubt that they're gunning for a thumping success
• 39.5 BHP engine is reasonably tractable with a strong pull. Smooth & refined power delivery at a kerb weight of ~176 kg, results in a fairly peppy performance aided further by a slick 6-speed gearbox
• Great ground clearance in real-world riding, combined with a reasonably plush ride
• Exciting but not intimidating - the bike is very beginner-friendly and will be easy to recommend to newer riders as well as older ones getting back to some easy riding after a gap
• A very generous 16,000 km / 1-year service interval. Parts and service costs are also expected to be kept competitive

Triumph Speed 400 Cons

• Absence of some features like connected tech, riding modes etc.
• Very tall folk may find themselves gravitating towards the Scrambler 400. The Speed 400 looks just a tad small for very heavyset / very tall riders
• Non-adjustable brake and clutch levers, although they are light and easy to operate. Adjustable levers would have been a nice touch.
• Analogue + Digital speedometer doesn't suit the bike's character. They should've gone in one of these directions, either the simple round style similar to the Trident or the gorgeous twin dials of the 1200 classic
• Only single-sided saddle bag luggage is being offered by Triumph as of now. You will have to look at aftermarket solutions for double-sided saddle bags
• The entire service experience remains uncharted territory with Triumph leaving a negative perception on this front in some parts of the country. Whether one can have a positive dealership experience under Bajaj’s watch is something that remains to be seen

Introduction

It was way back in August 2017 that Bajaj first announced its proposed partnership with Triumph. During the press event a few weeks ago, Mr. Bajaj had candidly mentioned that his first meeting with Triumph in fact dates back to 2007, around the time when they had also spoken with KTM. At that time nothing concrete fructified with Triumph though. Bajaj established a very successful alliance with KTM, which gave us incredible products over the years like the Duke family. Meanwhile, Triumph embarked on its own brief attempt to go solo in India. It even developed two 250cc bikes in the early 2010s and both were spied testing at the company's R&D facility in Spain. But Triumph ended up cancelling the entire project.

Coming back to recent years, it has been a nearly six-year effort, navigating through some Covid induced disruptions, for Bajaj and Triumph to roll out the first two products of this ambitious initiative – the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X. Bajaj is no stranger to successful partnerships as its ongoing association with KTM has firmly demonstrated. Its new factory at Chakan (the Chakan 2 plant) is now set to expand Bajaj's credentials from manufacturing globally distributed KTMs to these new entry and mid-range Triumphs that have been designed and co-developed by Triumph and Bajaj’s engineering teams.

There is no understating of how significant this alliance is. The 2020 announcement had laid out the roadmap and deal contours, with the Chakan-produced bikes to be shipped to all major markets around the world. It was also announced then that Bajaj Auto will eventually take charge of Triumph’s distribution in India. This too was finally set in place a few months ago, well in time before the upcoming launch of the first two mass-market offerings from this partnership. Over the next two years, Bajaj Auto will launch Triumph dealerships in over 120 cities. To what extent this will expand the existing premium range of Triumph higher cc motorcycles remains to be seen. However, the existing Triumph dealerships will definitely be selling these new entry-level Triumphs as well, with bookings already being solicited by their sales teams.

With that quick recap out of the way, let's fast forward to the bikes themselves. The media ride was limited to the Speed 400 with the Scrambler 400 X slated to follow in October. This review will therefore focus almost exclusively on the Speed 400, which is the bike that was provided to us for the test ride.

Triumph Speed 400 Pricing

It's fair to say that most sections of the media were expecting an ex-showroom price of anywhere between Rs. 2.70 to 3.0 lakh. To launch the Speed at an astounding Rs. 2.33 lakh ex-showroom is nothing short of pulling the proverbial rabbit out of the hat (Rs. 2.23 lakh for the first 10,000 bookings). Let's look at this number for a moment - the Speed 400 at its launch price is currently cheaper than even the Dominar! It is cheaper than the middle variant of the Harley Davidson 440X - a bike that it matches or betters on paper on most fronts.

Bajaj did confirm that while the pricing might be disruptive, it is still profitable. The math is obvious. There is no doubt that the alliance is going all out for very high volumes with the 400 twins and is well willing to build this up with the most aggressive strategy at their disposal. In a bitter-sweet irony though, it has also thrown them into their first challenge in delivering the end-to-end experience to its customers. There was an isolated instance of a somewhat inflated on-road price sheet circulating a few days after the launch event. It required the partners to intervene swiftly and clarify that they will formally announce on-road prices across India in the near future. But fair to say that the stakes are high and we are optimistic that Bajaj will have active oversight of the brand experience that is front-ended by its dealers.

[Axe77]

Design & Styling

The Triumph’s classic bloodline is clear in every respect when you walk around the bike, showcasing a clean and classy neo-retro silhouette. The Speed 400 is every bit a Triumph classic, clearly demonstrating the design philosophy of its older Speed 900 and 1200 siblings. From a design perspective, the two most prominent distinguishing features are the mono-shocks that underpin this 400, as opposed to the twin RSUs on the larger bikes and the predictable difference of a single side up-swept exhaust as opposed to the obvious twin exhausts of the full-fat offerings. The 'bar end mirrors' are a nifty touch and give the bike a nice premium feel. The slightly forward-tilted engine holds centre stage in the design with a trademark triangular crankcase leaving no doubt as to the bike's heritage.

The overall lines are taut and clean, and the intent of the bike clearly comes through the design philosophy. The bike is extremely well proportioned and has an easy and unintimidating look to it with its accessible 790 mm seat height. Despite its compact dimensions, the bike has oodles of presence. If I had to nitpick, a few outlier design elements that didn’t sit well with me is the up-swept exhaust, the design of which looks a tad ungainly, exacerbated by the single side factor where the older twins at least lend it some balance by their presence on each side. Then there’s the odd choice of putting rectangular indicators when the rest of the design theme (headlights and mirrors) is round. I feel that giving the optional round indicators on the stock bike would have looked a bit more consistent.

The rear too comes out well with a subtle but classily designed LED tail light finishing the overall look. Given that they've gone with a monoshock though, I feel the rear would have looked cleaner with a tyre hugger than the extended tail tidy which holds the number plate. The quality of components, combined with immaculate attention to detail to the minutest styling cues give it a nice premium feel on the whole. Overall, I’d say this is a design that is likely to offend few and find favour with most and full marks to Triumph and Bajaj for such a fantastic effort overall.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

Top-notch and undoubtedly class-leading. This does not feel like a cut price, built to cost effort by any measure. The effort expended in its design also comes out in the build. The general touch and feel of the switchgear are in line with segment standards. Wiring too is organised neatly with no ungainly visual elements in plain sight. Paint quality, at least on the gloss-finished bikes, seemed to be of a high order and I could not see any quality gaps in the overall finish of the bike.

The quality of even the seats, the lights, right down to the nuts and bolts is excellent – every obvious touch point felt good to touch and built to last. Time will be the ultimate test of course of the longevity and build quality of the bikes but over the few hours that I spent with the bikes, I could not see any obvious alarm bells and the overall quality exuded by the bike was confidence inspiring. The same was the experience during the ride itself where it did seem to be a well-put-together bike, ready for the rough and tumble of our daily riding routes.

Features and Instrumentation

Let's start with the feature set via the spec sheet. The bike comes equipped with ride by wire throttle, slipper clutch, ABS, and immobilizer. It does not come with riding modes but instead has switchable traction control (with a simple binary setting that allows it to be either on or off). Not the same for ABS in this more road-biased Speed, which, unlike the slightly more mud-friendly Scrambler, is set to 'always on'. The switch gear itself is quintessentially Triumph and relatively simple and intuitive to operate as the classic line has always been. It displays the most important data through a simple “Information” switch that toggles through the menus, including two trip meters, real-time FE, average FE, distance to empty (DTE), traction control settings, a fuel gauge and necessary warning lights. The DTE seemed to act a little glitchy and every now and then it would show 990 km as the DTE before switching back to a more realistic DTE readout.



The speedometer is not its strongest design win in my opinion. They could have either gone with a completely classic twin dial setup or alternately gone with a more modern single neo-retro round digital speedometer. Instead, they’ve gone with a round analogue speedo on the left that morphs into a digital instrument towards its right. Overall it just looks awkward and from a design aesthetic sense, falls in no man’s land. The RPM readout too is extremely underwhelming as a short vertical bar and giving it a more prominent place in the speedometer would have been nicer, even if it meant flipping the speed itself to a numerical readout. But these aspects are subjective and I’m sure many will find the design perfectly fine.

Notably, of course, it is firmly in the analogue / semi-digital camp and it doesn’t seem ready to accept any sort of smart connectivity features as an add-on. Bajaj calls this equipping the bike with “relevant tech” and while of course, this is a marketing spiel at some level, endorsing the decisions they’ve taken to achieve their cost and sale price targets, I can relate to these decisions. I seriously doubt I’d miss connected tech on a bike in this segment and am happier that they’ve given it the right specs and features in the areas that matter most.

Wheels & Tyres

The bike is equipped with sturdier 'for India' spec 10 spoke cast aluminium alloys with a 110/70 R17 tyre in the front and a 150/60 R17 tyre at the rear. Expect sportier handling as is predictable with this style of motorcycle compared to the more stability-biased 19-inch front wheel shod Scrambler. The Indian iteration predictably does away with the pricier Metzelers offered on the international edition, opting instead for two options – the Apollo Alpha H1 – an excellent tyre in its own right and an MRF, both of which, we were informed, are high-quality W-rated steel radials. These tyres will sit at a price point that is more palatable for this price segment and with their harder compound are also likely to last a more realistic 18,000 – 20,000 km as opposed to the international Metzelers which may provide a slightly shorter life and also thanks to its softer compound may not be as hardy for Indian conditions.

The bike I rode sported the Apollos and performance in all conditions was fairly decent to my mind, in the limited 150-odd km of my ride.

Ergonomics and Comfort

Seat height is a tremendously accessible 790 mm with a slightly tapered front seat to aid reach to the ground. The handlebar to seat to footpeg geometry is nice, upright and neutral. Also, the way the bike is designed, it should be comfortable for a wide range of riders by height. I saw some tall riders as well looking at home on the well-proportioned bike although I can imagine 6-foot plus / big-built guys perhaps wanting to give the Scrambler a go with its relatively taller seat height and wider handlebars. I'm 5'4" tall and here's me seated on the bike:



The India spec bike weighs in at about 176 kg (wet) thanks to some India-specific add-ons like the saree guard, front number plate and its bracket, the India spec wheels and tyres, grabrails etc. A small aesthetically well-designed wind deflector is an accessory. Only those riders who specifically want the wind protection can opt for it while others may well choose to give this a miss, given it may not be critical for cruising in early triple-digit speeds.

While I obviously could not ride pillion on the bike, the pillion seat seemed generously sized and should be comfortable for most pillions, with well-designed grabrails for additional comfort. This should make for a comfortable city bike for solo as well as two-up riding although we can't comment on how the suspension feels in a two-up riding format.

Fuel Tank Capacity & Range

The fuel tank capacity is 13 litres and assuming fuel efficiency in the ballpark of 27 – 28 km/l, this should be good for about 250 – 270 km before the bike requires a refill. Slightly frugal highway riding might help it nudge closer to the 30 km/l mark but these are all company-claimed figures and we did not get the chance to test this in the real world with the reliable 'tank to tank' method. Do note that the Triumph Speed 400 is E20 compatible.

Maintenance

The bike comes with a class-leading service interval of 16,000 km / 1 year, similar to Triumph’s bigger bikes. I suspect some of us may still want to do some basic maintenance more frequently but all in all, a one-year interval (assuming you’re within 16,000 km in that period) is still a good place to be.

During the press briefing, Bajaj claimed that the overall cost of ownership of the Triumph 400s over a 3-year horizon will be cheaper than the corresponding Royal Enfields. They did not specifically mention which REs are “corresponding” but suffice to say, whether its cheaper to the last dime or not, that should give folks comfort that the cost of ownership is consistent with the domestic 400 cc class and prospective buyers should not fear big bike like wallet-busting upkeep.

Hopefully, Bajaj will also take suitable operational measures to ensure the best possible “quality” of service. That is one area where some Triumph dealers need course correction. However, it is relevant to note that for these bikes, Triumph Bajaj is going to expand from 14 odd dealerships to close to 120 just in the first phase. A notable chunk of these new dealerships I’m sure is from the existing fold of dealers selling Bajaj or KTM bikes. So this is a network that Bajaj ASMs and dealer management network already have a ready equation with. I hope they leverage this suitably to deliver a proper premium brand, high-quality experience to its 400 cc owners, both from the standpoint of technical abilities and overall quality and integrity.

Standard & Extended Warranty

The standard warranty comes in at 2 years and unlimited km. At the time of writing, we do not have definitive details of the extended warranty. I am hoping this will be extendable to at least four years (like the bigger Triumphs) if not five, ideally. Again, this is something that will give prospective customers a lot of confidence in becoming early adopters of these brand-new products.

[Axe77]

Riding the Triumph Speed 400

Triumph had organised our media ride starting from Khopoli with the riders free to ride where they please for about 3 to 4 hours before reporting at the Chakan plant in the outskirts of Pune. At Chakan, we got the chance to push the bikes for multiple laps in a controlled environment at their test track. The route ensured that our ride involved a healthy mix of beautiful smooth countryside roads, some nice twisties, broken patches, the old Mumbai Pune highway as well as some small 'no-road' sections to get to last-mile scenic locations. Basically, it had all the makings of any typical Sunday ride that most riders in this part of the country experience. In that sense, the ride was as real as it gets and counting the laps I put in at the Chakan track, my riding experience is based on approximately 150 km.

Before we embark on the ride, let's start with the heart of the matter - the Speed 400 boasts a brand new 398 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine sporting a four-valve, double overhead camshaft setup. Branded as an all-new TR series, the nomenclature being a hark back to its trophy racing years, it has been designed and developed principally by Triumph in partnership with Bajaj. Producing a healthy 39.5 BHP @ 8,000 rpm and peak torque of 37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm delivered via a relatively linear torque curve. It has a sweet bump up at around the 6,000 – 8,000 rpm mark and it's good to see that Triumph has not cut any corners on the engine spec front.

There has been some speculation given the engine’s similar bore specs to the Dominar as to whether this is a modified iteration of the same engine. This is simply not true - it's well and truly a ground-up engine designed by the two teams with a very specific end and intent. The result is impressive indeed with the engine staying true to the DNA of these modern classics in how it delivers the entire riding experience.

The bike is smooth and measured in how it delivers its power. The engine is reasonably tractable so you can pull the bike back even if you're in a higher gear than you should be, without the engine complaining too much. 80% of the torque comes in as early as 3,500 rpm and you can feel that low-end grunt at play. Do note that the bike produces peak power towards the upper part of the rev range so you will need to rev this bike to access that power.

This is a friendly bike, right from its accessible seat height, and comfortable seating geometry to how it delivers the power. It is unlikely to intimidate a newer rider but that's not to say it's not fast or it's not fun. It can be as forgiving as it can be playful and in the right hands, it is a hoot and a half when you want to twist the throttle or throw it with abandon into corners thanks to its compact body and sharp handling.

The company claimed that 0-60 km/h comes up in 2.8 seconds and 0-100 km/h comes in 7 seconds. I didn't do any clocked speed runs but from my ride, I don't see any reason to doubt those stats. Top speed is officially rated at 145 km/h but multiple riders (yours truly included) hit a speedo indicated 160 km/h on the back straight at the Chakan track. More specifically, the 4th gear topped out at 120 km/h, the 5th gear at ~140 km/h and in the 6th gear, the bike just about hit 160 km/h. By the time it got there though we had mostly run out of track so not sure if it'll nudge slightly higher numbers on a longer straight.

With the stat attack out of the way, let's come to the bits that matter for most owners - different use case scenarios and riding conditions. This is an easy, flickable bike and combined with its compact dimensions and relatively light weight, it's going to be an excellent city runabout. Mumbai pothole navigators and Bangalore crater conquerors are going to be pleased. The ground clearance in real-world riding is excellent and not once did I face any issues bottoming out on any speed-breakers nor did the bike ever feel unsettled or skittish going through minor potholes. Coming to highway duties or Sunday rides, the bike can easily cruise at 100 - 120 km/h in the right gear. While it can go at higher speeds as well, it will feel fast if you're holding on to that over extended periods. At the end of the day, it IS a 39.5 BHP single-cylinder engine. The gearbox too is very slick to operate with a light and smooth slipper clutch to complement its operation. While adjustable levers would definitely have been welcome, I never felt uncomfortable with operating the levers and it seems well designed to work as a 'one size fits all' approach too.

At no point during the ride did I face any engine heat issues but I don't want to leave this as a conclusion since most of my riding was on open roads and I was never in any heavy or standing traffic. We'd reserve judgement on this aspect until we get a chance to ride it in heavy city traffic.

Coming to the exhaust, I'm loathe to use marketing phrases but for lack of an alternative the exhaust sound is indeed "characterful". It's not unduly loud (in a bad way) and has an absolutely lovely grunt both at idle as well as when the bike picks up its revs. I quite liked how it sounded but I'll leave it to each rider to form their own opinion.

Overall, this is a versatile bike that will do city duties just as well as it will provide the occasional highway thrills. There's no reason why solo touring should not be easy although two up with luggage may require some planning in terms of luggage management.

Refinement & NVH

The engine is very refined despite the nice throaty growl from the exhaust. I experienced no untoward buzz or vibrations during typical riding conditions, even when pushing the bike a bit. It's only a little beyond 7,000- 7,500 rpm or so that the vibes distinctly start creeping in at the handlebar, which is understandable given that peak power is rated at about 8,000 rpm and the bike tops out at about 9,000 rpm. The mirrors though start blurring out somewhere post 6,000 rpm - something to be mindful of.

Suspension and Handling

The bike sports 43 mm upside-down big piston forks at the front, with 140 mm wheel travel while the rear is brought up by a gas monoshock RSU with an external reservoir and 10-step pre-load adjustment sporting 130 mm wheel travel. Each is made by Endurance, a Bajaj sister concern.

For the test rides, the bikes were set up at the softest pre-load setting (1 of 10). I don't have a lot of first-hand comparative benchmarks in this segment but at least on this softest setting, I found the ride quality supple enough for comfort. The bike went through typical Maharashtra B roads, potholes and whatnot and at no point did the bike feel skittish or for that matter bottom out. Riders going two up may want to play with the setting a bit to set it at slightly firmer levels if needed. The ground clearance too is excellent and I can confidently say it's more than capable of handling whatever our roads throw up.

Handling is sharp in typical Triumph fashion and the bike is agile and quick to change direction when you need. We were still on wet roads and the bike was new to me so I did not push it too hard on public roads but our brief session at the track was definitely a hoot. This bike can be pushed and it'll be rewarding enough. Don't expect manic performance or raw thrills - this is a more sophisticated and measured riding experience - but pushed hard, it's playful enough for most.

Braking

Brakes are by ByBRE, Brembo's budget brand that is now almost par for course in this segment with both the KTM Duke and Harley 440 X also opting for these. The front brakes are 300 mm fixed disc, four-piston radial calipers, while the rear sports 230 mm fixed disc, floating caliper. Braking duties are more than adequate and I tested some planned urgent braking on a few occasions and they were perfectly up to the mark. Again, segment standard components here give no cause to complain about their performance.

Closing Thoughts

Bajaj’s Chakan 2 plant has the existing capability to ramp quickly from 25,000 units to 40,000 units per month with a mid to long-term plan to ramp that to 80,000 units per month - that could well be an astounding 1,000,000 bikes a year across the world! The ambition is incredible but so far from everything we've seen, the alliance hasn't put a foot wrong. The ultimate products look great, the Speed rides beautifully, there's hardly a fatal flaw to nitpick on and they've clearly delivered a brilliantly engineered, premium product at an astounding value proposition with that stellar launch price. Ownership costs too have been promised to be to segment standards if not better. The internal housekeeping has been on point. The next challenge will be the customer experience that the JV can deliver via its dealers - with quality, transparency and a genuinely premium ownership experience that every Triumph owner will expect and well deserve.

I'm very excited at the potential this partnership holds for both brands. Certainly as far as Bajaj goes … The future’s bright, and it's not just orange!

[Axe77]

Triumph Speed 400 Images

Stylish neo-retro looks stand out from almost every angle:


Compact 1,377 mm wheelbase lends sportiness while ground clearance is far more effective than what its 158 mm would suggest:


Blacked-out engine with machined fins forming centre stage. The look is completed with the trademark triangular crankcase sitting below it:


All LED headlamp unit with the Triumph logo at the centre:


USD forks from Endurance. The prominent Triumph logo on the fuel tank is tastefully executed. Paint quality too was of a very high order:


The Indian bikes opt for options from Apollo and MRF:


Nice upright handlebar with the bar end mirrors giving it a stylish look:


Analogue speedometer with integrated multi-function LED screen that displays two trip meters, real-time FE, average FE, distance to empty (DTE), traction control settings, a fuel gauge and necessary warning lights:


Neat USB port usefully placed near the handlebar - handy when touring long distances to charge your phone on the go:


Simple and neatly designed switch gear that is super intuitive to use:


High beam, low beam and dipper switch:


Small round mirrors actually provide better visibility than their design would suggest. Expect some blurring post 6,000 rpm though:


Comfortable and well-designed seat, for both the rider and pillion:


Speed 400 emblem is prominently displayed:


Hydroform silencer - no unsightly joints or welding. Has a nice throaty grunt to it at idle as well as higher revs:


Clean and simple LED tail light with the Triumph logo on the back of the seat:


The simple but elegant key is very similar visually to what the bigger bikes get:


Triumph boasts about 25+ distinct accessories for each of the two models. For the Speed 400, these include a headlight grill, small visor, tank pad grips, aftermarket seat, round LED turn indicators, luggage solutions like top box, single side pannier setup, roll top bag, tank bag etc. An engine guard, an aftermarket dual port exhaust and with time to come we’ll get details of many more accessories. Triumph had placed two bikes with various accessories loaded up on the bike. Unfortunately, while the effort was to display as many of them as possible, it does look a bit ungainly, especially with all the luggage solutions available being loaded onto the machine. But here are some pics to give you an idea:



The Scrambler 400 X. Wait for it...


Disclaimer: Triumph India invited Team-BHP for the Speed 400 test-ride. They covered the expenses for this riding event.

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[anoopGTkrish]

Sounds like its going to be a winner. I was worried about the high revving nature of this engine making it unfriendly for city riding. It seems like Bajaj have managed to keep the torque curve at a good balance for city and highway cruising.

Have booked the scrambler and eagerly waiting for the launch now.

[Malliketh]

Thanks for the comprehensive review Axe.

Glad that the bike has lived up to the hype it has created since unveiling with no fatal flaw from any review so far. Have booked this bike for my partner (within the first 10k bookings), she is 5'2". We will TD and decide. This would be her first bike and providing features such as TC at this price point for a powerful engine is underrated. Given the relatively low impact on the wallet, can't find much to complain the bike about if the seat height sits well (which I expect it to at 790mm).

I ride a KTM 390 ADV and it just astonishes me that something priced at this level would easily be able to keep up with the maniacal engine. Exciting times for this mid-segment buyers

[predatorwheelz]

Thanks. That's a detailed review and covers most of the questions prospective buyers have.

I'm still waiting for Triumph to announce prices for the Scrambler and see TD reports of that model. However this is a nice primer on the feel, the power delivery and the quality characteristics.

[Rajeevraj]

Thanks for the excellent very detailed review. Always good to 'read' a review as opposed to only seeing videos.

The verdict seems unanimous. An extremely competent, bang for the buck bike. Looking forward to the test rides.

The 2 downsides I see are both related to the volumes:

• For the initial few months, it looks like only the regular Triumph dealers will be selling the bike. Considering the demand, looks like that may cause some chaos and confusion.
  
• The fantastic price, the brand and the fact that it seems suitable even as a first bike purchase, expect the roads to be flooded with these soon. So no kind of exclusivity(for those who prefer that).

[aviator1101]

I have few queries Sir, if they could please be answered

Originally Posted by Axe77

The 'bar end mirrors' are a nifty touch and give the bike a nice premium feel.

How effective are they? Is there a provision of fitting standard mirrors?

If I had to nitpick, a few outlier design elements that didn’t sit well with me is the up-swept exhaust.

How much is the gap between the plane of the pillion seat and the exhaust tip?
Can a tail bag, something like the Viaterra Claw etc be carried without burning a hole?

I feel the rear would have looked cleaner with a tyre hugger than the extended tail tidy which holds the number plate.

Is a tyre hugger part of the accessory?

While I obviously could not ride pillion on the bike, the pillion seat seemed generously sized and should be comfortable for most pillions, with well-designed grabrails for additional comfort. This should make for a comfortable city bike for solo as well as two-up riding although we can't comment on how the suspension feels in a two-up riding format.

How's the pillion comfort ? The position of pillion footrest plays a major role over long distances. For eg, in the Interceptor 650, it's an ergonomic disaster. How's this bike on that front?

Also, the pillion footrest looks too close to the rear brake fluid reservoir. Is it looking so in the photograph or actually so?

Compact 1,377 mm wheelbase lends sportiness while ground clearance is far more effective than what its 158 mm would suggest.

What's the position of the Engine Oil Filter?
All Bonnies have a peculiar problem of the engine oil filter being at the bottom of the engine, which further aggravates the problem of low ground clearance. Is it different with this engine?

Triumph boasts about 25+ distinct accessories for each of the two models.

Is radiator guard an accessory? Didn't find it figuring anywhere.

Triumph had placed two bikes with various accessories loaded up on the bike. Unfortunately, while the effort was to display as many of them as possible, it does look a bit ungainly, especially with all the luggage solutions available being loaded onto the machine.

Are there enough luggage mounting points? Without opting for the rack for mounting the top box.

[Senotrius]

I would also like to know if the radiator guard is standard. Also, any idea regarding cost of the lower engine guard? The other accessory prices needed are those of hand guards and mirrors of the scrambler.

[Ratan Prabhu]

Ok. So from this review and the other few YouTube reviews I binge watched, the bike seems like a winner. A very balanced bike with no big flaws. However, it seems to have some vibrations post 100 kmph but manageable? And the pillion seat seems not very comfortable as compared to Harley 440 and Highness?

But with the price of 2.87L on road in Mumbai, there is nothing to complain about. I am just thinking whether this will be a decent upgrade over a 2012 CBR250R. So far, everything looks fine. Safe to say it is the best bike anyone can buy on a budget of 3L.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by Ratan Prabhu

I am just thinking whether this will be a decent upgrade over a 2012 CBR250R. So far, everything looks fine. Safe to say it is the best bike anyone can buy on a budget of 3L.

Boss, if you consider Interceptor 650 to be a proper upgrade from CBR 250R, then, Speed 400 has 4.83% more bhp per ton & 87.42% torque per ton of Interceptor 650; also weighs 19.3% less & costs 23.3% (excluding the introductory price) less than Interceptor 650.

If you're not emotional on the 270 degree firing music of the 650 twins or ignore a dead stroke of a single but think rationally, then you have a top notch quality product at your disposal.

PS - I've not even touch based on the long service interval or the upcoming 120+ & counting dealership through the country

PPS - Considering the Triumph's service history {hoping Bajaj might not screw that part} & there're no niggling issues & the dealers don't screw up either & the spares are priced reasonably & available on the shelf, then this product is bound to succeed & may even exceed in the lines of KTM & P220.

[Carfool_Wheeler]

Will the Scrambler 400X be reviewed anytime soon ? Or have review samples not been sent till now ?

[Ratan Prabhu]

Originally Posted by aargee

Boss, if you consider Interceptor 650 to be a proper upgrade from CBR 250R, then, Speed 400 has 4.83% more bhp per ton & 87.42% torque per ton of Interceptor 650; also weighs 19.3% less & costs 23.3% (excluding the introductory price) less than Interceptor 650.

Thanks aargee. Yes, so far everything checks the boxes. Great numbers on paper as you mentioned and highly positive reviews such as this one. I think il wait for 3-4 month ownership reviews until end of the year before finalizing. Will have some idea of the after sale service too (the first service after 1000 kms).

The bike I buy next, similar to my current CBR, I intend to use for 10 years or more (although the running would be low at approximately 500 kms per month). As of now, Speed 400 is on top of my list.