20 MOTORCYCLE MOJO MAY 2019
The chance to evaluate how well
Wood’s team has succeeded in doing
this came on a two-day press launch in
southern Portugal, with Day 1 devoted
to off-road riding along trails made
muddy after a day-long deluge, and
Day 2 in eventual bright sunshine after
a morning of further rain along the fab-
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mountain roads behind the Algarve
region’s tourist-heavy coastline. The
XC is the everyday, tarmac-friendly
version of the two, with the XE (as in
E for Extreme) being the more off-road
focused. Both bikes are powered by the
same liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, eight-
valve, 1,198 cc Bonneville engine, which
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rather than traditional bucket and shim
valvegear.
Extensive Makeover
But rather than detune the performance
of these dual-purpose models to the
level of the T120 Bonneville by using
this engine in that model’s HT (High
Brembo brakes provide extreme stopping power,
particularly on loose terrain in Off-road Pro mode
when ABS is turned off.
PRESS LAUNCH 2019 TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200
Modern recreation of
Triumph’s desert sled
with high-level twin
exhaust, 21-inch front
wheel, bench seat and
sculpted fuel tank.
Two inspiration kits available:
the Escape kit features luggage
and touring accessories,
while the Extreme kit is geared
toward more off-road options.
Both Scrambler 1200
models feature a
long engine service
interval of 16,000 km.
Five ride modes include
Road, Rain, Off-Road,
Sport and a Custom
setting. The XE also gets
an Off-Road Pro mode.
Optional Bluetooth
connectivity to control
a GoPro camera,
phone and navigation
system right from the
bike’s switchgear, and
settings displayed on
the TFT instrument
display.
Fully adjustable
Showa forks
on both models
offer plenty of
wheel travel.
Lightened rotating mass
inside the engine means
quicker throttle response
and acceleration.
High-horsepower
1,200 cc engine
receives special tuning
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Öhlins has
designed a
long-travel
dual-shock
system
out back,
reminiscent
of historic
scramblers
and
motocross
bikes.