[gtx2]

Originally Posted by atluri_rkc

For those of us waiting for an update on Scrambler 400X, is there any news about price announcement? Will there be any wait-and-watch game from Bajaj to understand how RE will be pricing Himalayan 450?

While waiting for Scrambler I test rode multiple other bikes and now am going for something else entirely . Wait was just too long.

It will be interesting to see what RE has done with the new engine, but overall Scrambler x seems like a better overall package to me personally.

[neoonwheels]

Got a call from Bajaj to invite me to a feedback session this Friday on the Speed400. They have picked few owners for the this session. How much that translates to changes god knows but at least they are showing the willingness to listen to the owners.

[kedar3223]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Got a call from Bajaj to invite me to a feedback session this Friday on the Speed400. They have picked few owners for the this session. How much that translates to changes god knows but at least they are showing the willingness to listen to the owners.

What would be your feedback? Are there any common niggles that have been identified by the users who have received their bike as of now?

Maybe a list can be compiled and the same communicated at the session.

[antz.bin]

So a happy update for the thread.

My bike was delivered last evening. Have done nothing but bring it home. Will be going to the temple now.

First impressions from the 18km ride from Showroom to home in peak 6:30-7:30 PM traffic:

Doesn't heat as much as I expected it to. I expected much worse. Quite manageable actually. Can't talk about the KTMs in comparison I have seen worse on 650s that I have ridden in the past. The Fan is not perennially on, it does its job and turns off. The sound is present but not overly loud, at least not under the helmet. This was almost as bad as my Air-Cooled Pulsar 220 in terms of feel on the legs on its 1st day in a similar situation.

The front brake has a lot of free play before it starts biting. This behaviour was not present in the TR bike. I guess my bike needs a front brake bleed. That should make it better.

I also felt that the DTE is a bit whacky. I couldn't do a tankful so don't know exactly but the DTE kept went from 220 when I filled up to 150 immediately when I hit traffic to 170 to 190 then back to 150 a bunch of times and again to 200 by the time I reached home. The DTE was always ending in a 0. Is this behaviour seen on the other bikes as well? This is much better implemented on my car.

I guess I should do a proper tankful and try that again.

[davelok]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

I also felt that the DTE is a bit whacky. I couldn't do a tankful so don't know exactly but the DTE kept went from 220 when I filled up to 150 immediately when I hit traffic to 170 to 190 then back to 150 a bunch of times and again to 200 by the time I reached home. The DTE was always ending in a 0. Is this behaviour seen on the other bikes as well? This is much better implemented on my car.

I guess I should do a proper tankful and try that again.

Congratulations on your new ride! I think you should allow the fuel consumption average figure to settle down. Drive the bike around after you fill it up and give it a few days. Don't reset the counter immediately. DTE figures are usually rounded off (downwards?) to the nearest multiple of ten.

Anyway fuel consumption would be high and readouts erratic when the run-in period has not been completed. It should get better after the first free service.

[shailinder]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Got a call from Bajaj to invite me to a feedback session this Friday on the Speed400. They have picked few owners for the this session. How much that translates to changes god knows but at least they are showing the willingness to listen to the owners.

Wonderful!!! So, what will be your feedback?

Originally Posted by kedar3223

What would be your feedback?
Maybe a list can be compiled and the same communicated at the session.

I second your point.

Neoonwheels should compile and represent on behalf of all, but again, it is a choice and cannot be forced onto him.

If he is ready to take feedback from others, I will suggest the following:

1. Customers should be allowed to swap dealers because, at present, none of their dealers are competent to manage such a high demand.
2. Help us understand the mathematics behind the ex—Showroom price as 2.32L vs. 10K discount offered by the dealer for the first 10K customers. To my understanding, the bike was launched at 2.23L as an introductory price, and according to simple math, RTO, insurance, etc., are to be reduced in proportion to ex. Showroom price - 2.23L vs. 2.33L, or have they allowed their dealers to earn some quick cash? I understand the RTO challenge, and if that was the case, they should have offered a higher discount, more than 10K for the first 10K customers. That would have left high regard for the company (Bajaj/Triumph), and they would have earned many more customers in the future.
3. Accessories are to be made available alongside the launch.
4. Tyre preference to be given to the customer or stick to one brand - Apollo or MRF. Why would anyone feel inferior to another one? I'm unsure which one is better, but I heard H1s are better than REVZ. Others can confirm.

Nonetheless, enjoy the session and do share "overall" feedback with us.

[lazyrev]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

The front brake has a lot of free play before it starts biting. This behaviour was not present in the TR bike. I guess my bike needs a front brake bleed. That should make it better.

I also felt that the DTE is a bit whacky. I couldn't do a tankful so don't know exactly but the DTE kept went from 220 when I filled up to 150 immediately when I hit traffic to 170 to 190 then back to 150 a bunch of times and again to 200 by the time I reached home. The DTE was always ending in a 0.

Congrats!! I will be getting mine this weekend too, hopefully. Just so excited.

I have been scouring for any and all info and these are some annecdotal references I have for you:

1. The front brake not having bite was mentioned by someone on youtube and they said the service center topped up the reservoir and it helped.
2. The DTE/fuel level thing has been mentioned in a couple of videos and they mentioned that service centers had the firmware updated when they went for the first service, and apparently it solved the issue of erroneous fuel bars and inaccurate DTE. Seems to be a software issue. Only one report of this, but one guy had his bike shut down even though there was fuel and the service center said they replaced the pump to solve it.

These are all anecdotal and only 1-2 reports compared to the many hundreds that are fine with theirs, so please take them with a bucket of salt. Some of the people reporting this dont know what they are talking about. I even saw one complaining that the bike wasnt starting but he was on side stand. Only sharing for info, in case people have no idea what is happening.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

The front brake has a lot of free play before it starts biting. This behaviour was not present in the TR bike. I guess my bike needs a front brake bleed. That should make it better.

I also felt that the DTE is a bit whacky

Congratulations and all the best antz.bin.

Allow the bike to settle in, at least ~500-700 kms or first service before thinking of doing anything to it. Everything needs to bed in properly before showing their true colours, tyres, brakes, engine etc. The showroom bike was used and abused by God know how many people before you, hence the feel difference.

The DTE (distance to empty) will vary depending upon riding conditions like traffic and open roads. It’s showing you the DTE in present conditions, that’s why it keeps changing.

Nothing is required at the moment, just enjoy your ride.

Cheers

[Malliketh]

KTM 390 Adventure vs. Speed 400.

I am one of the first 10k customers to pre-book the Speed 400 as intended to add it to the stable for my partner. Triumph recently opened a new showroom in Thane which is close-by. I was in the area over the weekend so decided to drop by and finally check out the Speed 400 and if it lives up to the hype.

Showroom and SA Experience

The Thane Shaman showroom was quite empty with 2 customers completing paperwork. I assumed weekends would have waiting line for a test ride. Good for me.
The SA was quick to take my license to register for a test ride and also provide me a helmet (as I was in a car and this was an unexpected stop). I asked him on the route I could take, to which he suggested the service road on which the store is. For context, this service road is two-lane road with speed breakers every 300 metres with multiple exits. I told him I would not be able to test this bike over 3rd gear on this street and I want to understand the bike's entire gear-range. He understood and without any argument, he created a receipt which allows TC-registered bikes to ply on the road and told me I could hit the highway on which the store is located (with no pillion from the dealership). Kudos to Shaman Thane for this.

The test ride was a 15-min test ride on a Sunday afternoon on the Easter Express Highway. There was decent traffic so there was no space to safely test the bike in sixth gear.

Key takeaways, especially in comparison to KTM 390 ADV which is my daily rider and hence a benchmark. This should be helpful for anyone considering both of these bikes.

Transmission. Speed 400's transmission is forgiving. It is very noob friendly allowing you to be in the wrong gear, giving you enough time to rectify or even be lazy. So I was able to remain in 3rd gear at 10kmph. The KTM would stutter and remind you of the incorrect gear even if it was in second gear.

- Similarly, the power is well spread across the rev range in the Speed 400 compared to KTM. More linear compared to KTM's maniac behavior post 4k RPM while being a dud below it. Again, more friendly to newer riders or riders upgrading to a higher cc bike

- Heat. As soon as I started my ride, it started drizzling with cool breeze. To my surprise, my legs were feeling the heat of the brand new engine. The bike was parked when I had arrived at the showroom so I know it was not the result of back-to-back abusive test ride. Also, I started feeling this heat with 2 minutes of me on the service road. This should be a point one should be mindful of and it could get annoying in traffic. On the contrary, while the KTM's engine is high-revving, the fans kick-in early (almost preventatively) and ensure minimal heat even in long traffic. I have never felt discomfort from the bike (my daily commute is through decent traffic).

- Looks. While they're subjective, I believe your bike should be an object that makes you turn around after you park it. It happens with my every single day with my KTM. It still makes my heart skip and my eyes gleam on seeing how it stands tall in every single parking lot even after a year. I had the same feeling when I saw the KTM 390 ADV in flesh in the showroom. With the Speed 400? I found the looks to be adequate. While there's no arguing the paint finish is excellent, the design is meh. I feel that over time I will get over it very quickly. This worried me.

- Finish quality. Every reviewer has written and spoken about great quality of finish. I believe it remains at par for a bike above 3L. I don't believe even slightly lower quality would be a deal breaker. I don't see the 390 ADV quality to be inferior.

Dashboard. I think Triumph messed it up. The analogue needle should have reflected the RPM and the speed as a number in the small window. In current structure, it's very hard to look and understand the RPM level given they're extremely thin tiny bars in a small window (especially when you're pushing higher speeds and concentrating on the road, as you should!). It takes away from the thrill of the trifecta of you revving up - seeing it on your dash - feeling the complementing vibrations from the engine stress. On the KTM 390, a quick glance at the RPM meter is a big part of my riding experience (fun fact: it even has a feature where you can set an RPM level post which the RPM reader would start blinking - indicating you to upshift!).

Insurance cost, I was surprised to see it costs almost Rs. 20,000 given much lower IDV than my 390 (3.17L), for which I paid ~ Rs. 17,000 (Zero dep 1-year, 5-year comprehensive). Does this imply the insurers are factoring in a higher cost of repair? Would be helpful to understand what's the quote if bought from outside.

Price. This is what would explain the delta between the KTM 390 and the Speed 400 (of course apart from one being an adventure tourer). You save a sweet 1 lakh, which is a lot of petrol and trips. So for me the question really is what is my current requirement.


If I were in the market today for a primary do-it-all bike with a lot of touring on my mind - I would save a bit more and go for the Adventure 390 for all the aforementioned points + the extra bells and whistles it gets (bigger fuel tank, larger road presence, cornering ABS, quick shifter +/-, better pillion seat, etc.).

However, if I were in the market with a tighter budget with a requirement of powerful, more utility than fun (while the engine will provide plenty of fun no doubt given its power), I would probably this pick up (albeit upgrade to another bike not too distant in the future).

[lazyrev]

Had a quick question. Has anyone here checked if the saree guard is removable? Is it welded on somewhere or just a few bolts. I really want to remove it when I get mine.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by lazyrev

Had a quick question. Has anyone here checked if the saree guard is removable? Is it welded on somewhere or just a few bolts. I really want to remove it when I get mine.

I don't remember a welded saree guard ever on a bike. It is always mounted later and hence removable.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by shailinder

Tyre preference to be given to the customer or stick to one brand - Apollo or MRF. Why would anyone feel inferior to another one? I'm unsure which one is better, but I heard H1s are better than REVZ.

Both tyre options offered on Speed 400 are evenly matched, Apollo H1 and MRF Steel brace. Both are W speed(270Kmph) rated and are tubeless radials.
MRF steel brace is relatively new compared to Apollo H1, so little bit of skepticism is acceptable. However, it shouldn't be confused with REVZ range.

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by Malliketh

If I were in the market today for a primary do-it-all bike with a lot of touring on my mind - I would save a bit more and go for the Adventure 390 for all the aforementioned points + the extra bells and whistles it gets (bigger fuel tank, larger road presence, cornering ABS, quick shifter +/-, better pillion seat, etc.).

Great Review, I am also looking between these two bikes and was confused. I had taken test drive of Triumph, but had not ridden KTM 390 Adv. I got the bike allocated last week, but did not make payment, since I had booked KTM 390 six days bike trip in Ladakh from Leh. So thought of making the decision after i come back.

Below are my thoughts.

- No, I wont go for Speed 400x after riding KTM, this bike is small sized city bike, not suitable for long rides/touring nor for bit of off-roading.

- KTM 390 Adv feels like a big bike, Triumph Speed 400 feels almost sitting on my same FZ 150cc bike which I have now.

- KTM 390 Adv riding posture is comfortable for long rides, Triumph speed 400x did not feel comfortable on the 5 mins test ride.

- KTM 390 Adv just kills on off-roading, many RE Himalayans were getting stuck in stones and pebbles on Ladakh road, this bike was flying without an hint of hesitation. And there were long stretches' of jelly/stone road near Pangong lake, and KTM was cruising at 50-60 kmph without an inch of movement, just feel so planted. And even stand-up riding posture was great and comfortable.

- As you said KTM is unforgiving on the gear changes, it will knock the engine off if you dont change as per rpm, but Speed 400 is very forgiving. This is one advantage especially to make relaxed long rides without changing gear. That where Triumph Scrambler might come in as an option.

My requirement is basically long rides in weekends and a bike capable of bit off-roading, and don't intend to use much inside city or office rides, for which i have Aprilla scooter and my cars. So after riding KTM 390 Adv, Speed 400 is off my list as it does not cater to my need, don't want to go for this just to save Rs 1.5 lakh.

I would just wait till Triumph Scrambler launch and then compare this with KTM 390 Adv, and take final call, as Triumph Scrambler might have similar character like KTM 390 Adv and still cost 1 Lakh less.

[davelok]

Has anyone fitted an aftermarket pannier / side bag? I keep waiting for the luggage rack to be supplied to dealerships, and meanwhile have to leave useful articles behind at home due to lack of carrying space.

[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by shailinder

Neoonwheels should compile and represent on behalf of all, but again, it is a choice and cannot be forced onto him.

Happy to share the feedback with Triumph. Will collect the points mentioned here as well the observations I have made.