2017 Triumph Scrambler Spy Shots

Triumph’s investment in its all-new liquid-cooled engine family continues to pay dividends, with a new Scrambler the latest beneficiary of the parallel-Twin. The prototype seen in these photos reveals several commonalities with the new Street Twin 900 but adds typical scrambler features like a high-level exhaust and wire-spoke wheels with semi-off-roady tires.

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It’s the exhaust that wraps around the right side of the engine that most clearly distinguishes the Scrambler from the other new Triumphs. Rather than the catalytic converter being mounted under the engine, the Scrambler has its fume sanitizer placed alongside the engine’s right-side cylinder under a robust heat shield before the exhaust splits into a pair of mufflers that exit far to the rear of the bike. A bash plate under the engine appears to be as much for covering up the empty space where the Street Twin’s catalyzer is as much as for protecting the motor’s oil-carrying sump.

The prototype appears to be otherwise little changed from the Street Twin. The suspension looks to be the same Kayaba 41mm fork and shocks with their 4.7 inches of travel, and these will surely be swapped out or modified to yield longer strokes for enhanced ability in off-road environments when the bike reaches its production form. The rear tire might duplicate the Street’s 150/70-17 size, while the front will go from 100/90-18 to what looks to be a 19-incher as is appropriate for an adventure-themed bike. We’ll expect new fenders to suit a more proper ADV styling ethos.

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Other items borrowed from the Street Twin are the headlight and its bracket, the 310mm front brake and Nissin 2-piston caliper, and the 3.2-gallon fuel tank. The seat shown here appears to be from a T120 Bonneville but trimmed to more closely fit around the Street Twin’s bobbed rear fender, and it’s likely the Scrambler will receive its own seat when it reaches production. With extra suspension travel, the Scrambler’s seat height would rise from the ST’s 29.5 inches to perhaps almost 33. The added mass from heavier wire wheels, the exhaust system and bash plate will likely vault the Scrambler’s weight from the Street Twin’s fully fueled 478 lbs to a number nearer to 500.

We’re assuming the Scrambler will employ the ST’s 900cc High Torque motor, but it’s possible a future Scrambler could be fitted with the Bonneville T120’s 1200cc engine, which shares its external dimensions with the 900cc lump. This would put it on equal footing with the many 1200cc adventure bikes on the market, but Triumph would need to put in extensive R&D work to get its Scrambler platform on level terms with something like BMW’s R1200GS.

So, while the existing air-cooled Scrambler continues in Triumph’s lineup, this all-new version is being developed for its debut this fall, either at Intermot in October or at the big EICMA show in Milan this November. We’ll guess production versions may hit dealers in the first quarter of 2017.

EICMA 2015: Milan Motorcycle Show

Intermot 2014: Cologne Motorcycle Show