Scrambler rolls into town

The 865 twin presents as a big, solid, do-anything motorcycle, that gives more than passing recognition to the road-based scrambler and desert-racer style machinery that was popular through the 1960s and early 1970s, particularly in the US market.

Its styling most closely resembles the Triumph TR6C, which was produced by the old Meriden works for around a decade from the mid-1960s. Among the accessories for the modern day version is a number 278 race plate, which is the tag allotted to Steve McQueen when he used a TR6SC to compete in the 1964 International Six-Day Trials in East Germany.

(A book, called 40 Summers Ago - Hollywood behind the Iron Curtain, by Rin Tanaka and Sean Kelly, has been published on that event by Johnson Motors. The latter is a famous USA west coast dealership, which developed the hybrid Trophybird ridden by Marlon Brando in the movie The Wild Ones.)

"This is something a little out of left field," said Triumph Australia's Paul Grocutt, "And a real boost for the classic range. The early response to the bike has been super strong and we suspect our biggest problem will be keeping up with demand."

The Scrambler is covered by Triumph's two-year, unlimited km, warranty and is priced at $13,990 plus ORC.