First Ride: Triumph’s 400 XC aims to bring lightweight scrambler excitement

Sitting within the brand’s ‘Modern Classics’ line-up, the 400 XC is a bike which – in theory – should be able to deliver both on and off-road. We’ve been trying it out to see what it’s like.

There’s some added protection, too, in the form of an aluminium sump guard and engine bars which can help to block some of the bike’s key components from getting damaged in the event of a drop.

After fuel and fluids, the Scrambler 400 XC tips the scales at 186kg, which is a shade less than Royal Enfield’s Scram 440, one of this bike’s direct rivals. Braking is handled by a single 320mm disc up front with a four-piston caliper, and a 230mm disc at the rear linked to a single-piston caliper.

This isn’t a quick bike, mind you, and getting up to motorway speeds takes some forward planning. Sitting at 70mph in sixth gear causes the engine to feel quite strained and the rev counter will often flash near the limit even when at cruising speeds. We didn’t get a chance to put the XC through some hardcore off-roading, but through gravel and easier terrain, it got on just fine. More serious off-roaders may look to upgrade this bike’s tyres, as though they’re chunkier than your standard road tyre, they still have a distinct lean towards riding on tarmac. However, the XC’s on-road refinement is impressive and though you do need to work the little single-cylinder engine hard to complete overtakes, it’s a very rewarding and enjoyable riding experience overall.

The tall flyscreen and chunky mudguard do help to give this bike a go-anywhere appearance and the stubby exhaust only adds to this. Altogether, it’s a great-looking bike – to our eyes at least – and there are some additional colour options for riders who don’t fancy the canary-yellow version.

That said, the XC does get lots of cool touches for the money. For instance, you can’t add the spoked wheels of the XC to any other 400 model, which helps to make this model more appealing. For the price, you also get a smart LCD display and switchable traction control and a dedicated off-road mode, which deactivates the ABS for more control over poor terrain. Each time the bike is switched off, these settings revert to keeping everything on, which could prove a little bit of a pain if you’re spending a lot of time off-road.

Triumph has been on a roll of late and the 400 XC feels like an extension of this. While it might be the most expensive single-cylinder model it offers, the XC feels like the most compelling of the bunch thanks to its smart design and surprisingly refined handling.

While riders who don’t have any desire to head off-road would be better served by more on-road-focused 400 models, we reckon that nearly all bikers will find themselves leaning towards the stylish and characterful XC.