Maybe it’s not too apparent in this country, but smaller displacement motorcycles are huge business in both India and in other Asian countries, as well as rapidly gaining popularity in European countries as well. The manufacturers have quickly cottoned on to the fact that, by building motorcycles in purpose-built factories in Asia and India, they can not only gain access to enormous experience and knowledge of partner manufacturers but also have ready markets for their products without the attendant shipping costs.
For Triumph, in addition to its factories in Thailand and Brazil, that means a development partnership with Bajaj in India, and the first fruits of that partnership have arrived on South African soil in the form of the Triumph Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X, which were recently launched at Triumph Johannesburg.
These will be interesting models for Triumph; too expensive for the delivery market and, perhaps, too small for the distances SA motorcyclists are likely to cover on country-wide trips. But the market is changing; ever-rising petrol prices are forcing people to look at their transport solutions more closely and, where before a motorcycle would be used for leisure only, more and more a small, nippy bike is becoming an attractive alternative to a car for city work and the occasional longer-distance journey.
A common perception is that “small” equates to “cheap”, as in quality. But, if there is one thing that Triumph doesn’t do, is ‘cheap.’
Both of the new models display that unmistakable element that is a hallmark of modern Triumph; expensive-looking quality. There have been no corners cut whatsoever, either in engineering and build quality or appearance and, while we have yet to ride one, reports from around the world where they have been ridden by the press have only one thing in common; this is a seriously good motorcycle, regardless of the fact that it sits in a particular category whose main criteria is low price.
Looked at from a distance you could be forgiven in thinking that, in the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X you were looking at new Bonneville models. Get up close and the impressions lose nothing by realising that they aren’t of the Bonneville family. Of course, it’s subjective, but they are extremely good-looking and there is a pleasing lack of plastic anywhere – the side panels and mudguards are about it for that material. The more you look, the more you are convinced that Triumph must be about to price itself out of the market.
That would be commercial suicide, but it is hard on first acquaintance to work out how they could be anything but really expensive and thus limit their appeal. Happily (and rather obviously) that is not the case, and while R100,000 for the Speed 400 and R110,000 for the Scrambler 400 X* might sound like a lot – and it undoubtedly is – it’s really not expensive in motorcycle terms in 2024, especially when you consider what you are getting and, also, what the opposition is charging; the KTM 390 Duke comes in at R109,999, while the 390 Adventure is R131,999. These are arguably Triumph’s two closest rival models – one might add the BMW G310, although it loses out on capacity and power – and, while we’ll have to wait to compare them side-by-side, KTM has some serious competition.
The bare bones are these: a 398cc, overhead valve single-cylinder engine, developing 40 horsepower and 37Nm of torque, pulling along 170kg (Speed 400) and 179kg (Scrambler 400 X). You get LED lighting, a combination LCD/analogue dash, traction control and ABS and a USB-C port as standard.
Forget the fact that they’re built in India, Brazil or Thailand. These are beautifully put-together motorcycles and it defies logic that these are Triumph’s first attempts at small-capacity motorcycles: they are quality pieces of engineering and construction and an immediate and worthy entry into this class of motorcycle in SA.
Forget also that they are small-displacement models; these are proper, grown-up motorcycles that give only outright performance away to larger models in the Triumph line-up.
For more information, contact Triumph South Africa on 011 444 4444 or visit the Triumph website – www.triumphmotorcycles.co.za
* These are introductory prices, by the end of the year, expect the price to increase slightly.
Triumph Speed 400 & Scrambler 400 X
For more information on the bikes featured in this article, click on the links below…
