KTM was always known for its sporty motorcycles. They then tied up with an Indian manufacturer who was known for its scooters. It sounds like a disaster already. But we all know what happened. Both Bajaj and KTM made massive profits over the past 10 years of their tie up. It was the fastest growing motorcycle brand in the world in the last decade and even beat RE at that in India. Simply put, KTM enjoyed lower costs, the scale and Bajaj’s intelligence of the Indian market.
Amidst all these events, Bajaj and KTM did one thing right. They made phenomenal products. Over and over again. Those guys doing user journey analysis at Bajaj KTM sure got their bonuses every year.
Why are we discussing this? Because today we got to lay our eyes and hands on another product coming out of a tie-up between Bajaj and a Brit manufacturer – Triumph.
If you need an introduction of what Triumph is, well, google it and come back to this article. There’s so much to talk about this partnership but let’s look at the Bajaj Triumph motorcycles today.
So there’s a Speed 400 and a Scrambler 400 x.
At first glance, they look like scaled down versions of the Speed Twin 1200 and the Scrambler 1200.
But what these motorcycles do is they put a potent 398cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine between your legs. Generating 39.4 bhp and 37.5Nm of torque. These motors come equipped with rider aids like switchable traction control, ride-by-wire technology, and dual-channel ABS. They say the oil change interval is 16k KMS. We don’t need to say more. But lets wait for official confirmation.
A closer look at the Speed. It boasts a round headlamp unit, USD front forks, a single seat, a single exhaust can finished in aluminum, bar-end mirrors, and 17-inch alloy wheels. A semi-digital instrument cluster, LED lighting, and an adjustable mono-shock at the back are among the highlights. The Speed 400 is available in 3 color options: Carnival Red, Caspian Blue, and Phantom Black.
The Scrambler 400X has the same chassis and design as the Speed 400. Being a Scrambler, It gets a taller handlebar, a dual-can exhaust, split seats, off-road footpegs, a larger 19-inch front alloy wheel, block-pattern tyres side scuff plates, knuckle guards, and, a headlamp guard, for instance. Khaki Green, Carinval Red, and Phantom Black are the three colors that are available for the Scrambler 400X.
The front suspension is a 43mm USD unit. Also, it is based on a hybrid perimeter, tubular steel with bolted rear subframe & a twin-side cast aluminium swingarm. The rear suspension is a preload-adjustable gas-charged monoshock unit. In terms of braking, it gets a 300m front disc brake with a 4-piston calliper and a 230mm rear disc brake with a 2-piston calliper. The seat height of the Speed 400 is set at 790mm which is fairly low. The kerb weight of the bike is 170 kg only.
For both bikes, the company has created 25 special accessories. Pricing, as per some tabloids is at 2.33 for the Speed with another 10k slashed from it for the first 10k customers. We will know about the Scrambler’s pricing later this year.