MAY 2019 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 21Torque) guise, Wood decided to employ
the more powerful HP (High Power)
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then enhance it considerably for
dual-purpose use. “We’ve done quite
a lot of work on reducing both mass
and inertia in the HP engine,” he says.
“The mass reduction comes from a
lightweight magnesium cam cover,
plus a mass-optimized clutch cover,
and we also lightened the rotating
parts, including the alternator and the
crankshaft. This gives a lower rotating
weight and a reduced rotating mass,
so the engine picks up revs quicker.
It’s a comprehensive makeover, even
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as before.”
So, the HP Bonneville 1200 engine,
in dedicated Scrambler tune running
the same 11:1 compression ratio as in its
Thruxton format, now delivers 12.5 per
cent more power than the Bonneville
T120 and 38 per cent more than the
900 cc Street Scrambler, albeit seven per
cent less powerful than the Thruxton.
But Wood and his team have
delivered the best of both worlds
by massaging the engine’s torque
delivery to peak at 81 ft-lb at a low
3,950 rpm, less than halfway to the rev
limiter. That’s just 1.5 ft-lb less than
the Thruxton, but with a much wider
spread of grunt throughout the rev
range. This output comes with the aid
of the beautifully crafted stainless steel
headers and twin high-level, brushed
stainless steel silencers, and delivers
what Triumph describes as “a deep,
punchy scrambler sound.” Personally, I
thought it sounded great in delivering
the best of both worlds, with more of
what you need when you need it than
any other 1200 Bonneville variant.
Riding Modes
Just as on all the new-generation
Bonnevilles, the Scrambler 1200 duo’s
Keihin ECU features a ride-by-wire
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modes (Road, Rain, Off-Road, Sport and
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of which deliver the same peak power,
but with its delivery varied by adjusting
throttle response. The ECU also controls
ABS operation that was developed in
conjunction with Continental, and the
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The Scrambler 1200 XE also features
an Off-Road Pro mode, which switches
off ABS and traction control altogether,
TRIUMPH INVENTED
THE STREET-LEGAL
SCRAMBLER CATEGORY
BACK IN 1949 WITH
THE TR5 TROPHY
The Scrambler’s 16-litreseamless fuel tank, thatfeatures a Monza-style¿ller cap and indentedstainless steel strap,narrows at the seatto allow those witha shorter inseam aneasier reach to theground.