In recent months, Indian automobile enthusiasts seem to have found love for the scrambler category.
Ten years ago, the Indian riding community began to embrace the fully-faired sports and naked street fighter categories of motorcycles. Five years ago, motorcycle manufacturers gifted India the adventure-tourer category, which was also welcomed by the community with open arms. Now, the Indian motorcycle industry has shifted its focus to a new category: – the Scramblers.
For the unversed souls, scramblers are the fine line in the middle of the street fighter and adventurer-tourer categories. They are mostly meant for commuting every day but can also be taken to less technical off-road trails for soft-roading. Given how Indian road conditions are equivalent to off-road trails in the majority of the cities, a good chunk of riders are switching to the scrambler category.
In the following paragraphs, let us take a look at some of the products recently launched in the Indian market. Apart from new motorcycles, we also have some of the capable scramblers that have existed in the Indian market for quite some time now.
The recently launched Triumph Scrambler 400 X, born out of the collaboration between British brand Triumph and Indian maker Bajaj, has become one of the hottest assets in the sub-400cc motorcycle category. With 195mm of ground clearance and 150mm of suspension travel, the ride quality of the Scrambler 400 X has left pundits and riders impressed. Not to forget, the motorcycle’s low-end tractability has become the talk of the town, and its lightweight nature coupled with flick ability has turned it into one of the best motorcycles for daily commutes. The INR 2.63 lakh ex-showroom price tag is also one of the USPs of the model.
Hitting the soft trail on the 400 X
Another scrambler motorcycle that has gained limelight in recent months is the Svartpilen 401 from the Swedish brand Husqvarna. Once a gun manufacturer, Husqvarna is now owned by KTM and makes motorcycles alongside other types of equipment. The Svartpilen 401 is one of the rawest-looking motorcycles one can find in India, with design language similar to that of a 'Moto Terminator' from the Terminator movie franchise. Given it is KTM’s sister brand, the motorcycle is powered by the same 390cc engine employed on the Duke 390, making identical power figures.
The pace Svartpilen 401, enough to conquer city roads
However, the 401 is equipped with dual-purpose tyres and spoked wheels, which are a boon as well as a bane. Boon because one can try hardcore off-roading, but there is a chance of getting stranded if the tubed-tyres get punctured. Not to forget, its 160mm rear suspension travel is slightly better than the Scrambler 400 X. Overall, it is a highly capable scramble in the sub-400cc category.
Launched in March 2022, the Scram 411 is one of the most capable scramblers in the Indian market, despite having less power than the above-mentioned models. Not to forget, the Scram 411 also lacks tech, but it is an OG machine that does the job when required. The Scram 411 has 190mm of suspension travel at the front, followed by 180mm of suspension travel at the rear, which makes it a more capable machine than the two models mentioned above. It also has 200mm of ground clearance and an economical price-tag of INR 2.10 lakh ex-showroom,, which is much more accessible in the price-sensitive Indian market.
The OG Scram 411 standing gracefully in its wild playground
Even in the premium motorcycling segment, India has one of the finest scramblers from the house of Ducati, the Scrambler Next-Gen Icon, which recently won the ‘Premium Indian Motorcycle of the Year’ award nominated by media outlet Ackodrive. Powered by an 803cc, L-Twin, Desmodromic distribution, two valves per cylinder, and an air-cooled engine, the scrambler makes 65.2hp of power coupled with 150mm of suspension travel and 182mm of ground clearance. The balance between the firm and soft seat setup and raised handlebars makes it a comfortable ride.
A premium scrambler like no other
In a nutshell, India is slowly becoming a nation that wants to do more with motorcycles, not just commute to offices or markets. The coming years will witness the launch of more scramblers, and to be honest, we cannot hold our horses.
