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Scrambler owners - your opinions please!

5K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  Brooksie 
#1 ·
I'm getting close to making a deal on a new Scrambler, trading in the Thrux, (something I thought I'd never do). However, my riding in the future will be mostly rural Pennsylvania back roads, sedate speeds, with dirt/gravel roads thrown in when I encounter them. Not exactly the Thruxtons playground, and recently, I find the riding position a little severe for these old bones. Anyway, the purpose of this post, I would like to get your opinions on how the Scrambler has met you expectations/needs. I'm sure it is fine on the back road stuff, but what about occasional highway stints? Capable of running with the mad traffic we all seem to have nowadays? I'm not talking about sustained 80+ MPH, but can it do a steady 65-70 with possible bursts up to 80-85 without over taxing the 54hp lump? I have test ridden the Scrambler, but only for about 10 miles or so, on some back roads around the dealership, could'nt get much 'highway' time in, not enough to form an impression. Please guys - some feedback here will be greatly valued!
 
#2 ·
It's not the engine you need to concern yourself with---you can easily cruise 60-65 mph in 4th gear without reaching for that final gear. No sweat.

It's the freaking suspension----you'll need traction after sustained highway driving over the usual bumps and potholes. :mad:

Just my two pennies after 1500 miles in 2 months on mine.

:wink:
 
#3 ·
I've only had mine for about 2 weeks (600 miles) and really like the ride. At 60 mph, the engine is super smooth with no vibration at all. At 65-70, a little bit of vibration can be felt in the footpegs but not enough to bother me. At 85, you can feel a slight buzz in the handlebar but not enought to blur the mirrors or put your hand to sleep. I just rode back from having the first service done and maintained an average speed of 70-75, for about 50 miles, with power to spare.

I have two complaints about the ergonomics which are easily fixed. 1) I find the handlebars too low and plan to raise them about an inch. 2) I don't know what it's called, but the little roll at the seam of the seat starts to dig in after a while. Once again, an easy fix.

I think I know what pistol is talking about with the suspension. I like a firm suspension but the Scrambler can be harsh if you hit a sharp bump or pothole unawares. I can usually raise myself on the pegs in time, but not always. Also, it also tends to "pogo" over certain types of bumps. There is some adjustability in the stock rear suspension but I'm sure there are some better aftermarket shocks available if needed. I have no complaint with the front suspension.
--
Dennis
 
#5 ·
Foggy:

Get the bike---you're already leaning that way, so go for it.

Despite my suspension concerns (you'll see what I mean), I love the bike for everything else it does.

Just got back from 150 miles this AM into southern Wisconsin, and enjoyed it immensely---a new Airhawk seat pad REALLY makes a difference! :)

And it's still so rare that people stop in their tracks to look it over and ask all about it.
 
#6 ·
I have about 1500 miles on my Scrambler now.

I live in Iowa. About 60% of our roads are dirt or dirt/gravel.

I find the bike very comfortable, predictable, and smooth on the highway.

I was particularly impressed with the bike's performance on dirt and gravel roads. Most of my 45 years on a bike have been on dirt bikes and, while the Scrambler is no dirt bike, it is a good fire-roads bike. I don't hesitate to turn off the pavement onto the less traveled routes.

The sususpension is often called harsh, but that is in the eye of the beholder -- it doesn't seem that bad to me.

About the tires: I am pleasantly surprised with them, they are unexpectedly smooth on pavement while maintaining reasonable grip on the dirt roads.

Email me if you have any specific questions, be glad to respond.
 
#8 ·
I have no complaints with the suspension. Everyone has particular needs in regard to suspension. A one size fits all mentality for motorcycle suspension is just not realistic. The manufacturers know this. The aftermarket knows this. This is basically Works Performance's business plan. I plan on replacing the fork springs and rear shocks in the near future, just as I have done on my past rides. For the time being, the stock suspension is adequate. However, I agree with the previous posting on the tires. The Bridgestones are wholly inadequate. A couple of days after purchasing, I called my dealer and voiced my concern over such crappy tires being placed on an otherwise excellent motorcycle. That said, get the Scrambler. I can assure you that there will absolutely be no buyer remorse.
 
#9 ·
Foggy,

I have two complaints about my Scrambler. My apologies if they sound trivial, but the first one is: (1) Zero storage. I’d like to have enough storage on the bike for a bottle of water and a pair of sunglasses. I guess I’ll eventually work something out with a tool bag or something similar, and (2) Fuel range is a little weak. My last mpg was 39, which puts it on reserve at around 120 miles and, I reckon, about 160 to dead empty.
The bike cruises beautifully at 65 or 70. Mine has a handlebar buzz that becomes noticeable at about 75 – then diminishes with additional speed (could be the tires). My bike accelerates with confidence up to 95 and seems to hit a wall thereafter. I’m sure exhaust and intake modification would boost it a little, but who cares? Speeds in excess of 100 mph are really the domain of other bikes. And while I can invade their interstate highways and two lane highways, I never, ever, see any of them on my dirt & gravel back-roads.
I added a Triumph fly screen and feel it was worth every cent. The fly screen is no substitute for a fairing, but it knocks the bulk of the wind off your chest. Please note that it causes some turbulence (noise) around the base of you helmet.
I know opinions vary regarding tires and suspension – and here’s mine. They’re fine. I understand why some people say the suspension is stiff but, hey, this is a heavy bike that’s being asked to do a lot. It needs to be stable in highway speed turns and still be able go straight over gravel washboards. My advice is: adjust the preload and twist the throttle.
I’m okay with the tires. They howl and vibrate on the highway but, for a dual sport tire, they give real nice traction and you can drag the foot pegs in a good paved turn without having the sidewalls collapsing under you.
The only other complaint I have is the styling. Yes, styling. It seems everyone is so caught up with how good looking the bike is that they fail to recognize what a great rider it is. I’d be willing to bet that the same pain is felt by all Bonnie riders.

Best of luck with whatever your decision is.

Tom S


[ This message was edited by: TomS on 2006-07-23 12:02 ]
 
#13 ·
Picked up the Scrambler last week. I had been uncertain of the idea of getting a bike again, untill I saw a picture of the scrambler at which point I KNEW I was getting a bike. I've always admired old Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons, but not being a mechanic, and already owning a car that eats parts for breakfast I didn't want to get an older bike.

The solution: Triumph Scrambler.

My first bike was a Yamaha XS 400, and then traded that in for an older Vespa. So obviously coming from a world of 10 inch wheels, drum breaks, and a smoking single cylinder 200cc engine, the Triumph has me seeing God. Since I've gotten it, I've spent a good half hour every night sitting in the garage drooling all over it and admiring the quality of workmanship. A purely classy vehicle.

As for the riding characteristics, low end torque is awesome. It's an incredibly easy and stable bike to ride while still being very capable. What I love about it, that I also loved about my Vespa was riding at low speeds feels great. Try that on a sports bike.

Only complaint, and it's minor is the knobbys pull a little bit on grooved roads. Nothing too bad, just a bit nerve racking.

When I got the bike, my girl friend literally started to cry hysterically. At first I thought it was because she was scared I'd go rubber side up / shiny side down, but after a few days she admitted she was worried I'd fall completely in love with the bike because it was so beautiful and forget about her. The solution: I took her for a ride through Tilden Park and now we are both in love with the bike. Problem solved.
 
#15 ·
Remember Tom, you can always get the single seat/luggage rack option if that'd suit your needs. I was a little suprised too that there wasn't any kind of tool kit stored under the seat. Looks to me like there's room, but no quick release to get to it.
Overall I love the bike.....lotsa torque and it's not even broken in yet. A total blast to ride. I need to add the TOR's and the tacho, and I'm using the bungee net thing like Pistol does to haul my lunch. Life is good when you own a Scrambler.......especially a blue one! :-D
 
#16 ·
Harvey

I got the TORs---makes the originals sound like a sewing machine! Much improved.

Got the tachometer, too---primarily because this is my first bike, and I wanted to know better where my "instinctive" shift points were occurring. The dealer said (of course) "you don't need a tach---the engine will tell you when to shift." And that's true--to a point. But after riding with a tach, I found my original 'engine-sound-based' shift points were fairly low (3000-3500 rpms). I find myself now waiting a tad longer to shift (4-5000 rpms).

Got a centerstand as well---I cannot understand why it is not standard---every old bike I see has one!

Pistol
 
#17 ·
I feel like the bike has so much presence, I absolutely love it, and yes if you get one of those bungee things with the six hooks it works perfect for carrying stuff on the back of the seat. Suspension is a bit harsh, but I don't mind. Bike sounds awesome w/ TOR's. The coolest thing is the only one I've seen, except in pictures, is mine.
 
#19 ·
Harvey

You'll enjoy the TORs...not too loud, but vastly superior to the original "whistlers".

As far as the tach, I had the dealer install it at the time the TORs were put on, so unfortunately I can't comment on ease of installation or completeness of the kit.

I've installed the flyscreen and centerstand--those were pretty simple.
 
#20 ·
I have 4,000 miles on mine. I will admit that the stock suspension shook my kidneys out so some Ikon springs and shocks and all is good. I love the bike.

I now tour on it with some Triumph fabric paniers, the right side is mounted on simply made extenders to get around the exhaust. I have the single seat with a tank bag mounted and use a very small magnetically attached tank bag.

I, too, am a believer in the fly screen.

Great bike and getting better each day.

Fred
 
#24 ·
Pistol is right-the engine, like all Triumph lumps, is a thing of beauty. I'm sure it can go 80 mph all day long if your arms can take it. Suspension on the vertical twins has been a standard upgrade for all models, why would the Scrambler be different? Still, it looks to be a great all rounder.
 
#25 ·
I am waiting on a deal from my dealer on a red 06 - from what I understand they are faster than the blue models - sorry, had to be juvenile for a moment.

I had a chance to test ride one - with the TOR's - during a demo day and was very impressed. I had a standard Bonnie before (black) and could never get comfortable on the bike - I am 6'1 and about 220 lbs. Felt cramped and did not like the leg/body position - tried lower bars and rear-sets but did not make much difference. Felt fine on the Scrambler - I think the higher seat height made a big difference. I was also surprised at the power - given that most mags felt it was underpowered. Thought it was plenty spunky and was even OK on the highway.

If all works out I will be picking it up the week of 8/14. Getting the TOR's and tach. Trading in a Husky 610 TE - a dual sport that would soon kill me. Looking forward to the new bike and sharing experiences.
 
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