The 2019 Triumph Scrambler XE bundles some of today’s best adventure-riding tech into a $15,400 package with Triumph’s classic visual appeal. But how does it hold up to the MC Commute? Ride along with us, and find out.

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Back in the day, when rules were few, tough guys with an itch for excitement blitzed across California deserts aboard their custom British-made scramblers. Whether it was for work (racing) or play, it was during this era that the Scrambler segment was born.

Fifty years later, the category continues to grow in popularity with no fewer than four manufacturers offering production machines off the showroom floor. After playing second fiddle to its nemesis, Ducati’s aptly named Desert Sled, Triumph aims to retake the class with a pair of off-road-capable but still street-legal bikes in its Scrambler 1200 XC ($14,000) and XE ($15,400). Following a quick tease in the First Look article, we were among the first group of journalists to test ride it during the official press introduction held off Portugal’s rugged Algarve coast.

When you look at the history of Triumph Motorcycles, the Scrambler was the original do-it-all, on-/off-roader. It was the type of bike that Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins ripped the Nevada and California deserts aboard during the ’60s. They’d race, crack open cold ones, and tell everyone about their exploits afterward. Fast-forward to 2019, and these two bikes employ the type of hardware that would make McQueen and company Brooklands green with envy.

Both the Scrambler 1200 XC and XE are Triumph’s vision of all-around, dual-purpose scrambling fun. They are road-legal motorcycles that are just as happy when ridden on the street as when throwing roost on the dirt—it’s that versatile. We began our riding adventure on the dirt, where it proves to have some serious chops.

Equipped with a real dirt bike-sized 21-inch spoked front wheel, big-displacement liquid-cooled 1,200cc parallel-twin engine, and thick, long-travel suspension, these motorcycles hold their own off road. It jumps, slides, digs into ruts, and can tackle treacherous terrain better than a 500-pound streetbike should. Still, both Scramblers are far from dedicated dirt bikes, sporting top-notch road equipment too, including LED lighting, keyless start, and a pair of superbike-spec M50 Brembo calipers hanging off the front hoop. It makes the rotors look tinier than its sporty 320mm diameter measurement implies.

Of course both Scramblers come with all the electronic bells and whistles: ABS, traction control, multiple engine power modes, cruise control, heated grips (standard on the XE but an option on the XC)… You name it, this Triumph has it.

Keeping tabs on it is a beautiful round-faced full-color TFT display, that also integrates GoPro control and Google Maps functionality. Both of these features are in the beta software development phase and weren’t ready for us try. We did note the crisp, clear font of the instrumentation and how easy it is to decipher while riding.

Both electronic and trip settings are manipulated via logically placed switch gear on the handlebar. The ability to switch between “themes” was also neat, with an more analog-style option available if the standard display is too modern for you. The tactile function and overall quality of the controls is top-notch too.

Each come with a pair of Öhlins shocks, but for an extra $1,400, the XE model (stands for “extreme”) gets more heavy-duty suspension (47mm-diameter fork versus 45mm on the XC) with 9.8 inches of travel front and rear versus the XC’s 7.9 inches. The suspension lifts the motorcycle, giving it a taller stance, with seat height climbing over an inch to 34.25 inches. An inch-longer swingarm further enhances grip and the ability to climb steep terrain. The electronics package adds an IMU giving it greater positional awareness. This allows the traction control electronics to account for lean angle—odd, considering the XE’s more off-road focus. Hand guards are also standard—a welcome feature for riding in the rain or cold.

You’d assume a bike that has top-notch pavement bling wouldn’t work so well off road, but it does. The superbike-like brakes are calibrated fantastically for use in the dirt and it was impressive how well the combo worked with Triumph’s recommended Pirelli Scorpion Rally off-road knobs. Metzeler Tourance rubber comes standard on both models. The footpegs’ rubber inserts can be removed for extra grip against boot soles, if desired.

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