My Triumph Scrambler 400 X with a bigger front sprocket: My impressions

I find the vibrations to be comparable to my previous motorcycle (a Honda CB350RS) for 80% of the situations.

BHPian Chugh_H recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Since some of us are seeking opinions on how the bike's character has changed on the highway, I'll share my impressions.

I completed the Delhi - Manali - Zanskar - Jammu - Delhi route a couple of weeks ago on my Scram400. I've earlier done the Spiti circuit on the same bike, albeit with the original 14T sprocket. After installing the new sprocket, I rode the bike for about 300kms in the city and then started my journey to Zanskar.

City

In the city, the bike is calmer. This is especially noticeable when you close the throttle. The bike had aggressive engine braking in the city which meant you had to constantly modulate the throttle if you were aiming for a smoother ride. A calmer bike is a smoother ride. And the 1st gear is now useable as well.

Highway

Out on the highway, there are three observations:

• If you are cruising < 100 km/h, there are fewer vibrations expected since the bike is running at lower rpms for the same speed now and this would make a ton of difference for people like me who prefer long-distance cruising between 90-110. Between the front sprocket and the BMC air filter I have installed on my bike, I find the vibrations to be comparable to my last bike for 80% of the situations. My last bike was a Honda CB350RS so this is one huge compliment. Vibrations are still noticeable when you cross ~105 km/hr and are evident as you go higher.
• From my earlier ride to Spiti, one thing I loved about the bike was the instant torque even in 6th gear cruising at ~80 km/hr. This 'pull' that has been giving me a smile every time I went to an open road, was not so much noticeable this time.
• For a long time now, I have been finding the 7th gear on my Scram on the highways. I am glad to share that I was no longer looking for overdrive gear.

Hills

On the hills, I was worried about the 'ease' of climb when the slope is steep. This was a non-issue. Even on hairpin steep bends, the bike still pulled in 2nd, good then and good now.

On some occasions, I had to shift to 1st to make good use of engine braking. I remember thinking at the time that this was something that could have earlier been possible in the 2nd gear itself. These kinds of situations came only far in between, maybe a couple of times and mostly in offroad situations near GonboRangjon.

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