AFTER riding Triumph’s Scrambler 1200 at the press launch earlier this year, I was under no illusions that this is a very capable off-road motorcycle. But hardcore desert racer – really??
As it happens it really is as Ernie Vigil has piloted a very lightly modified Scrambler 1200 XE to 5th place in class and an incredible 17th place over all in the gruelling 1347-miles NORRA Mexican Rally. Making Triumph’s and Vigil’s achievement all the more stunning is the fact that they were competing against proper off-road and enduro motorcycles, on what is effectively a stock Scrambler 1200 with some Triumph accessories bolted on it!
This isn’t Triumph’s first time taking some of its hardware desert racing, a few years back Felipe Lopez raced their awesome looking Tramontana Tiger 800 at the Baja, and Vigil himself was supposed to compete in this event in November 2018 but withdrew after a training injury.
