2026 Triumph Speed 400 & Scrambler 400X First Ride Review

At first glance, there’s nothing special in the Triumph Speed 400 and the Triumph Scrambler 400 X because they look exactly similar to their respective predecessors. However, there’s a massive change on both these bikes and that’s the new 350 cc engine. Despite getting a new heart, Triumph is still calling them the 400s, I don't know why, but it sounds weird IMHO.

Now coming back to the motorcycles, why did Triumph do this? The answer is simple, GST. With the new GST regulations, the Triumph range of motorcycles were falling in the 40% tax bracket and the British brand, until now, was absorbing the price hike, but now they have launched the new 350 cc engines to offset the extra GST, so let's find out the impact of the new 350 cc engine has had on the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X. 

Performance

So how did Triumph engineers manage to drop the displacement? It's quite simple, they reduced the stroke size (64 mm to 56.5 mm) of the engine, they didn't modify the bore of the engine because that would have required them to change the head of the engine and that is a lot of rework and re-engineering. The brand managed to reduce the displacement in just six months, so time was of essence for the engineers and that's why the stroke of this engine has been reduced and now the displacement is under 350 cc.

Now the impact of this, as you can see the power and torque figures have dropped. On the Speed 400, the big change that you can see on this engine is that how easy and calm it feels at lower RPMs, the older Speed 400 felt a bit jittery and jerky at lower RPMs, that's not the case with the new engine. It feels very refined and very calm in that sense, which goes well with the nature of the Speed 400. The other aspect is that the refinement of this engine is much better compared to the older powerplant and also the linear power delivery means that this motorcycle feels very easy to ride, especially at low speeds making commutes effortless. 

On the Scrambler 400 X, a lot of people might think that low-end grunt is something that would be missed by riders, but when you think and look at the acceleration timings and the top speed difference, it isn't much. But if you want that proper low-end torque which was the case with the Scrambler 400 X, that's missing on this motorcycle, and just like the Speed 400, it feels more refined, calmer and easier to ride, I think this should help while you are touring and even in terms of fuel efficiency, Bajaj claims there will be a hike of 1-2 kmpl, but that is something we can only answer once we do a proper road test. So while the numbers are down but in terms of real-world rideability, I think it is a good step up, especially for the Speed 400. On the Scrambler 400 X, a few riders might feel that initial surge of acceleration is missing, but given the improvements in refinement and the drop in cost, it’s a fair bargain. 

Verdict

With a drop in displacement, there is also a drop in price ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹21,000, depending on the model. With the revised pricing, I think in terms of value, the entire Triumph range is offering you better value compared to the older prices, mind you, the older prices were including the GST cut because the brand was absorbing the price, so the price cut is significant in that sense. The engine immobiliser on the new 350 cc range has been removed because Triumph says they did a customer feedback and many felt it wasn’t required, but the reality remains that it’s a cost-cutting exercise. 

Also READ: Bajaj Dominar 400 Updated With 350 cc Engine, Price Drops by Nearly ₹37,000

In terms of dynamics, both the motorcycles feel the same because the chassis, the suspension hardware, the braking hardware, the tyres, wheels, seats, tank, everything is the same, there is no change in that department, only the engine has changed.

So is this a good move by Triumph to switch to a 350 cc heart? Given the kind of benefits in terms of value, I think that it’s a positive strategy and Triumph has to be commended because they managed to do this in just six months, while rivals have not even thought about switching to smaller engine displacements. Yes, there is a drop in performance but I don't think so, that's making a significant difference in terms of the overall riding dynamics of both the motorcycles, and I think the new Triumph 350s are a win-win situation for both the brand and the upcoming customers.