2021 · Scrambler · Buyer's Guide
Style Forged in Desert Sand
Triumph built this one on the off-road XE version of the Scrambler 1200 and then closed the book at 1,000 numbered bikes, all in Competition Green with gold pinstripes laid on by hand. The 1200 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin makes 89 hp at 7,250 rpm and 81 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm, and the chassis actually backs the styling up: 9.8 in (250 mm) of travel front and rear, a 21-inch front wheel, adjustable suspension at both ends. Cornering ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard. This is a scrambler that earns the name instead of borrowing it.
It ages the way a well-made bike ages, because the expensive things here are the right things: the paint, the finish, the suspension, the numbered plate that won't be reprinted. It suits the rider who wants presence parked outside a small-town cafe and the freedom to take the gravel road home without a second thought. The honest caveat is physical. At 34.2 in (868 mm) the seat is genuinely tall, 507 lb (230 kg) wet is real weight to hold up at a standstill, and a hand-painted limited edition makes you think twice before laying it into rocks.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 89 hp (66 kW) @ 7,250 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 81 lb-ft (110 Nm) @ 4,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1200 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-17 |
| Wheelbase | 61.8 in (1570 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 9.8 in (250 mm) |
| Front travel | 9.8 in (250 mm) |
| Rear travel | 9.8 in (250 mm) |
| Seat height | 34.2 in (868 mm) |
| Wet weight | 507 lb (230 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.2 gal (15.9 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
This section is not my test ride. It is what I have collected over years of listening: paddock talk, conversations at club nights, owners cornering me next to their bikes, and the mail riders send me once they have lived with one through a season. On the McQueen the pattern is unusually consistent. Riders praise it as an object and as a machine, and the complaints that come back are small, specific, and always the same three.
Two things dominate the chatter: how the bike is finished, and the fact that it does what the styling advertises. Owners talk about the trim and badging the way collectors talk, and they talk about riding it off pavement without qualifying the sentence. The engine gets the same steady praise, pulling from low revs and staying clean all the way through. A smaller but consistent group singles out the brakes, describing them as strong without being sudden, and the suspension as controlled rather than merely long.
The keyless setup trips people up often enough that owners warn each other about it before the ink dries on the sale. Riders also report a touch of lurch at small throttle openings in slow going, enough that some ride the clutch through town. And more than a few say it feels heavier than the earlier bikes did, which shows up at walking pace rather than on the move.
Keyless ignition activation confusion
Owners may experience inability to start the bike or engage cruise control if the key fob has been turned off (press the Triumph badge to activate). Warning lights appear, causing confusion.
Where this Triumph Scrambler 1200 Steve McQueen Edition pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Scrambler 1200 Steve McQueen Edition is actually built for.
If your good weekend is Vermont two-lanes, Kancamagus and a diner stop, this fits, and it will take the gravel access road to the overlook. Just plan luggage yourself, because none comes with it.
Made for Park Loop Road · Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
You get sound, presence and a numbered bike nobody else at the campground has. What you don't get is a cruiser's low seat or a relaxed slouch for long interstate days.
Made for Florida State Road A1A · Black Hills · Main Street, Daytona Beach
It's genuinely happy on Hill Country roads at a flowing pace, and the tall front wheel means ranch gravel is never a reason to turn back. Ride it like a sportbike and it will ask you to settle down.
Made for Texas Hill Country · Texas Hill Country BDR-X · Twisted Sisters
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
