Triumph has announced that, after great success around the world, the English company will bring its 2026 Scrambler 400 XC stateside, and I couldn't be more stoked. The off-roader is based on the brand's small-displacement 400cc architecture, and was one that RideApart even asked if we were going to get just a few weeks ago, as it met everything we could've asked for.
It's small, nimble, and incredibly inexpensive as new motorcycles go. Basically, it was a competitor to my lord and savior, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. And two is better than one, and if you have one, you have to get it a friend, right?
But before we get into the specs and details of the new Triumph, it's becoming increasingly clear that more and more manufacturers are seeing the real-world financial benefits of having small-displacement and inexpensive motorcycles in their lineups, as not only is the Triumph coming out, but we have more models from Royal Enfield, more from Kawasaki, more from Honda, and even a new small-displacement off-roader from BMW.
Small is the new big, and that's going to be great for motorcycling.
Let's talk about the Triumph first, as that's likely why you clicked our story. Again, it's based around Triumph's 400 architecture, and builds off the Scrambler 400 X that's already sold here. But for the 400 XC, you get a bunch more off-road capability, while only sacrificing a few extra dollars.
Right off the bat, you'll notice the new wheels and tires for the 400 XC, which are 19 inches up front, and 17 inches at the rear. The rims themselves are new side-laced spoked lightweight aluminum rims are shod in tubeless Metzeler Karoo Street tires for that off-road-ready capability. 43mm diameter "big-piston" upside-down front forks, and rear piggy-back Monoshock gives riders up to 6 inches of travel front and rear, too. You also get a four-piston caliper at the front, and selectable ABS for off-road situations that can be fully turned off.
Wider handlebars, a seat height of 32 inches, and a wet weight of only 410 pounds make it all the more accessible. As is the 400 XC's engine, which is a specially tuned 398cc liquid-cooled single that pumps out a solid 39.5 horsepower and 27.7 pound-feet of torque sent to the rear wheel via a chain-driven 6-speed manual transmission. Furthermore, Triumph says it paid special attention to the foot pegs, which it describes as "high-grip foot pegs positioned for a natural standing riding posture," which give the rider better off-road ergos.
We'll be the judge of that, including my ape-like 6'4" frame...
Triumph also states that the new Scrambler 400 XC will feature a 10,000-mile service interval, which makes cost of ownership all the better. Speaking of, while the Scrambler 400 X commands a paltry $5,895, the new Scrambler 400 XC and all its additions and bettering only sees that rise to $6,695. That's...impressively cost-effective, especially when you take into account the service intervals, too.
Ahead of the launch, Triumph's Paul Stroud, the brand's COO, said, "The Triumph Scrambler 400 XC has been a huge hit with customers in India and there is clear demand for this model across the rest of the world too. With improved off-road capability and Scrambler attitude, plus three new, stylish color schemes, we hope this model will appeal to even more riders, further enhancing and extending the appeal of the Triumph brand for the next generation."
That extending the appeal, however, is the real takeaway from this launch, as in recent years, customers have moved to smaller-displacement motorcycles for a variety of reasons. While it's true that the majority of the motorcycling market has somewhat diminished in the last decade, it's grown in other places as economic uncertainty has caused many to forgo large toy purchases. Indeed, instead of things like full-size motorcycles seeing movement, as was once the case, things like Triumph's small displacement motorcycles, and electric dirt bikes have become the hot commodity within the space. They're cheap, efficient, easy to work on, and just work.
And that's been seen in the sales rising of these motorcycles across the board. In fact, the one series that was keeping KTM alive was its small bikes, i.e. the 390s it built in conjunction with Bajaj. So it's easy to see why Triumph would launch another small-displacement motorcycle to satiate the masses. I mean, they're demanding it.
