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From an Apache 200 to the Triumph Scrambler 400X: My upgrade story

30th October 2024, 14:05 by Ananth Iyer

There are times when I still wonder about the KTM 390. But I am planning to give the bike and year or two, if the feeling remains, who knows the orange alien might happen.

BHPian Harsh_sharma recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Preface

I used to ride a 2017 Apache 200. The bike was showing its age with almost 55k on the odometer. Although I had no hurry to change it, the itch to upgrade was not letting me sleep or spending countless hours on teambhp reading reviews. Meanwhile, I have been constantly riding a friend's BMW 310GS for long trips to the mountains & Super Meteor 650 in the city. So I was pretty clear about wanting the bike in a similar 400cc space or better say ~40bhp bikes.

My major run is in the city with a maximum of 2-3 trips to the mountains a year. So the bike had to be Delhi/Gurgaon traffic-ready.

The Huge Dilemma

I am a very confused person in my life. This trait also helped me short down on a bike pretty quickly, just short of a whole year.
I took a test ride of every bike available within the 2-4 Lacs bracket. I will not go into what I liked/disliked in the bikes I test rode, I'll just mention the names and the conclusion.

I test rode Yamaha R15 V4, Suzuki Vstorm 250, KTM 390 Adventure, Yezdi Scrambler/Adventure, Honda Highness 350, TVS Ronin, Xpulse 200 4v, Harley H450, RE Interceptor, Guerilla, Himalayan, KTM Duke 390/250. And in the end, I only giggled when I test-rode the 390. So why did I end up in this thread?

Buying Saga

On a lazy Sunday after countless days of discussing bikes every day with my wife & best friend, we decided that a bike would be booked today. The major three contenders are the KTM Duke 390, Himalayan 450 & Scrambler 400x.

I went to the Triumph showroom first, saw the bike in black took the quotation took a test ride (3rd time) & liked it. Booked it right away. By the time there was another person with a Himalayan 450 in the showroom & I figured out the bike was too big for my daily running. It would be like getting a 7-seater car while I mostly have to commute within the city alone.

For the KTM. I did not visit the showroom as I knew I would end up buying one if I saw it/ride it. Everybody knows the pros of the KTM (That engine!), but a few points steered towards the Scrambler 400x more:

KTM was small in size. After riding the 310GS and SM650 i was used to the heft & appreciated the big bike feeling
I am married & have responsibilities. I thought thke KTM was too maniac & i would risk myself more on KTM
It was not available in a muted black/orange color
Touring wouldn't be easy on KTM.

Phew! You can feel that I still have a soft corner for the Duke & the problems stated are not true. I just had to convince myself.

Yes, So back to the Scrambler 400x was bought along with 4 accessories: Front high ride mudguard, Luggage rack, Engine lower guard & tank pad.

Things I like

Looks - The bike looks very clean yet classic. The fuel tank shape, round headlight, and scrambler bits are in the design. It is a very simple yet elegant design. The big bike feels is also there, which was completely missing in the Speed 400.
Engine - The low-down torque is very usable, while for other bikes I had to wait to get in the rev band, the Scrambler pulls right away from 2000 rpm, even with a pillion. This trait also helps me potter very easily around in traffic. While the RPM is locked till 1000 km, I did not feel that I was short on power up to the 6,000 rpm limit. It is very easy to reach 80-90 without even realizing it.
Handling - Despite the 19" wheel, and 835mm seat height, the bike is very clickable once you get a hang of it. The weight is centralized and it does not feel top-heavy. I could easily weave through choked traffic, despite the bike feeling big. Standing up position is also very natural.
Exhaust note - My Apache had a great exhaust note & this is just better. The exhaust is the right amount of bassy & sounds very good at low revs. In my opinion, it is one of the better-sounding single-cylinder engines.
Suspension - It is not as plush as a GS310, as phenomenal as a Himalayan 450, but it is quite good for the Scrambler. Soaks low-speed bumps pretty well, and is pliant at high speeds. I'm yet to test it at some trials.

Things I don't

Headlight: They are just there, they look good. That's it. With the headlight grille, the beam is obstructed quite a bit. I don't do night riding much so they work as of now. Will look for Aux lights or ones from Vaishno Lights in the future. As of now I also pasted Trip machine, Headlight X, because there is no visibility anyway, at least it should look cool.
Handlebar position: Maybe this is because I am vertically challenged (5'7) or maybe my hands are short. The reach to the handlebar is 80% extended by arms. So in traffic when I do full lock to either left or right, it is a bit of an effort. I am evaluating Zana handlebar risers in the future.
Instrument console: No not complaining about Bluetooth or Google Maps being there. Most of us will use our phones mounted anyway. But the design itself is confusing. I wish they just swapped the speedometer to a digital display & tachometer to analog. As of now, the tachometer is hardly visible. The fuel range is 10% accurate. Sometimes I hit reserve with a 240km trip with 140km with the same riding pattern.
Vibrations: It is butter smooth till 80, or 6000 rpm. But after that, there are good amount of vibration in just the foot pegs which is a bit annoying. From 80 to 90 the speedometer/mirror vibrates. Haven't checked on speeds above 100kmph.

Accessories

Front high ride mudguard - Makes it feel more like a scrambler. Mud protection is yet to be tested.
Luggage rack - I do not plan to use the top box shortly, I just bought it because of the 10% discount + no labor on accessories & it was better looking than a third-party luggage rack. Installed it, felt it ruined the look, removed and kept it at home. Will install if required for long rides.
Engine lower guard - I am not into big crash bars from Zana or another third party as it ruins the sleek look of the scrambler. So 400x already had a leg guard, and a lower engine guard just completed the protection kit for me.
Trip Machine handlebar grips and headlight X - Great quality grips & they look very good. The coffee tank color on the black bike is a nice contrast.
Some Generic mobile holder/BOBO copy - Does what it needs to do, hold my Motorola edge 40 pretty well

Final thoughts

I am quite happy with the Scrambler 400x & do not fail to look back every time I park this beauty. There are times when I still wonder about the KTM 390. But I am planning to give the bike and year or two, if the feeling remains, who knows the orange alien might happen. But as every day goes the bond with the Scrambler gets stronger!