It's an L. I am 1.85M. The fit is OK and exactly as recommended by Surly, but I could have happily gone a size bigger, which for bike packing would have been better I think.
Many thanks. I am sure you will enjoy riding in this part of the word, it is magnificent and there is so much variety. with the videos we publish of journeys from A to B, there is a link to the route and accommodation used in the description of most of the videos, with more to come.
I wanted to put flat bars on my road bike but my LBL told me the brake levers wouldn't be compatible with road hydraulic discs /Shimano/. What are you using here?
@@maxrevell3830 You should be able to use either flat mount or post mount callipers with the MTB levers, though be sure they everything is compatible (IE leavers, callipers and hose are all compatible with the same brake fluid - mineral or DOT). If you are at all unsure about this, you should ask a competent mechanic to do the job, brakes are not something to take a chance with.
Recently discovered your channel and the videos are excellent and give me a great idea on riding in Nth Thailand mate and the Triumph 400 looks ideal for over there. I’m about to head off from Oz to Vietnam for 3 months then will settle in Chiang Mai end November and the Triumph will be on my list for a bike to test out, ride safe.
Thanks for getting in touch, and for watching the videos, I am please you enjoy them. November is a great time to be in north Thailand, super weather, cool and dry (depending on your elevation, it can be downright chilly in the morning). If you enjoy riding on the dirt roads you may also want to consider Honda's brilliant CRF250 or 300, either the L or Rally model. If you do want to ride the dirt roads there are some companies in CR and Pai who will show you around the trails to give you an idea of what's there (plenty). If you plan to ride on the byways and easier gravel roads as shown in my Triumph videos, the Triumph is fantastic; thoroughly enjoyable, stylish, and at an unbeatable price here in Thailand. Honda's CB500X is the go to workhorse for many, but to my mind it lacks the charm and style of the Triumph and I expect will show it's extra bulk if you venture off the sealed roads, it's also considerably more pricy than the Triumph. Have a great time in Vietnam, and, of course, in North Thailand.
@@nicolasghislain2332 Hello Nicholas, many thanks for subscribing and for the question. I am 1.85M, which is believe is around 6’1”, so you are considerably taller than me. I strongly recommended at least sitting on a Triumph 400 before buying one, ideally get a test ride. I can tell you that the 400 Scrambler has lower footrests and higher and wider handlebars than the Speed400, making it more spacious. Also, the 900Scrambler has a lower seat height than the 400Scrambler, so a trip to a Triumph dealer to try them for size is a good idea I think.
Thank you. Yes, it is a beautiful land, with much of the country being quite different to the Thailand most tourists see. It's a glorious place for motorcycling; we are lucky to be here.
Cheers to you too! Totally loved the tour. Would love to meet Echo too! As we heard her but never had a meet up i think, maybe i missed it. Anyhow, I’ve had my sights on the new Triumph exactly like yours. Look forward to more videos. Cheers 🍻
Many thanks. I hope to have a review of the Triumph 400X compared to the CRF300Rally Honda soon, so that may be of interest if you're looking to buy a Scrambler. Echo was away visiting friends during the last trip, she'll be alone, doing the filming on the next one, if ever it stops raining here; cheers!
Many thanks, I am pleased you like it. The Scrambler is great, it's super for journeys such as this, exploring a mix of byways and gravel. Thanks for the comment.
Many thanks Steve, I am pleased you enjoyed the video, and I appreciate hearing from you. I have included links to all the accommodation used in the videos in the description, so if you're looking for a place in any of the towns featured you can easily find the places I have used. Thanks again and best wishes.
So good views, so good sounds ! In that time of part is a game changing ! Just go on and on about capture field views and dreams ! Have a nice ride and a wonderful time !
Many thanks for commenting; I am pleased you enjoyed the beauty Thailand has. Yeh, I was trying to be kind to Oxfordshire 😁, Thailand has many very high quality roads.
Greetings from US - do you have a link? I tried the fb page but shows inactive here… I would very much use that for my second d battery and rain gear (I swap out to go further) Thanks!
The website is here buffalobagth.com . The bag is now several years old, and is regularly used as luggage on our motorcycle and as general luggage when travelling, and it remains in excellent condition.
I was in Nan two weeks ago on my NX500...i sold my 400X a few months ago but would have kept it if i had somewhere to keep all the bikes haha. The border roads to the North and East of Nan are very cool as well. Did you change the suspension on the 400X?
Those border roads in Nan province are indeed wonderful. The suspension on my 400X is standard, though I am interested that you ask; did you change yours? I am curious to hear your thoughts and experience with the suspension. I am also interested in the comparison between the 400X and the CB500X. I imagine the 400 Triumphs will dent Honda's sales; I wonder why you chose to keep the Honda rather than the Scrambler. Thanks for watching the video, and happy riding.
@@PaintedRoads Hi, the forks are fairly stiff on the Triumph the rear was fine. I didnt do any real offroading but i did 7000km on the 400x. Its a great bike really fun and good looking. I got the rear and side rack and used soft luggage. The 400x let me down once when the immobilizer shut me out of the bike...had to get it towed to the dealer. That sort of set me off the bike. Honestly it was more the soft luggage. I did 40,000km on a Honda Rally 250 with soft luggage and i wanted to get the aluminum boxes but didnt want a big bike....the NX500 was my initial choice but the 400x came onto market earlier so i bought it.
The NX500 is the best selling big bike in TH from what the local Honda is saying at least. It was 225k with a years insurance and a bunch of accessories thrown in too. They are a bit different. The Honda is very smooth in every regard...feels small as well and feels light...the NX500 is shorter i can flat foot on it...i love both engines but the NX is smoother less jerky overall as far as fuelling goes....both are great bikes...i put Michelin Road 6 tires on my NX right from the start because i dont plan on offroading it...i might buy another Honda Rally for dirt riding--so teh NX500 is kind of a mini BMW i think for me--light cheap and reliable and very smooth and does 120km all day with a decent windscreen lip added on...i also got the NX seat modified to be taller--the riders triangle is a little small but now its perfect...both bikes are similar but most wont tour like i did on the 400X i suspect.
@@drd3816 Thanks for your interesting reply. According to Rally Raid Products in the UK, the 400X does not have the 150mm of travel on the front forks as claimed; it apparently has 130mm, something Rally Raid say they will address. The 400X suspension is harsher than my 300Rally, but that is unsurprising (I have YSS on the back of the Rally). I am in a quandary over luggage; my wife and I have travelled much of Thailand and Lao on the 300Rally with soft luggage; alas, the Eduristan Blizzard panniers don't work well on the 400X so I am currently looking for some side racks, and am leaning towards the ones by Rush Kustom; I don't want hard panniers, but it seems that sort bags need some support on the Triumph. I am very interested to know what you used. As for the immobiliser and the silly key with a chip in, it's a shame they don't offer an option without this; it's just something to go wrong in a country where theft is not a big issue; did Triumph tow you in?
@@drd3816 I expect the NX500 deserves to be the best-selling big bike in the country; it's a great machine and the one I will go for if we cannot sort out the luggage situation on the Triumph, and of course, it's a Honda. However, it's a head vs heart thing, and the Triumph is so stylish and a joy to own and ride and admire. And it's nice to be part of the Triumph thing for just TB180,000 😊. I guess a twin will always be smoother than a single, and Honda's are always going to work great (although the CRF300 can be a little jerky on and off the throttle). Raising the seat on the NX is interesting; I imagine a local upholsterer did that. Many thanks for your interesting replies.
They are both really nice looking bikes. It is good to see that Triumph have made the effort to put out a couple of smaller machines. I wonder if the bike rental companies in Chiang Mai have them? They would be perfect for me. I always get a bit caught out in Thailand as they have either scooters or big bikes with not much in between.
I was in Chiang Mai a couple of months back, at least one rental place had a 400 Scrambler and that was when they were still fairly scarce in the north (I was still waiting for mine). I expect there will be a fair supply of them in CM soon, if not already. Chiang Mai has many motorbike rental places and a good varied selection of machines, it's probably worth a day checking out the different shops. Happy riding.
@@PaintedRoads Very helpful, thanks! I looked at Pops Big Bikes and he doesn't have any listed yet. I'll have a scout on the internet to see if I can find some.
@@person.X. I think the place I say a Scrambler for rent was here maps.app.goo.gl/7GQ4HkKZHYgUciDMA I am not certain, but it was on this side of the road and in this area.
Many thanks for subscribing, it is appreciated. Yes, I live in CR. That's a nice selection of bikes you have, the SCR950 is interesting and quite unusual; if I see you on the road I will be sure to say hello.
@@1990-t1j Sounds as though you're close to Bandue, Phrabat Hot Springs or similar. I am outside the city enough to be straight out onto trails, yet close enough to town to be able to grab a pizza or a Guinness; one of the great things about CR.
Just came across your channel today in my RU-vid feed. I have been watching your video with the Triumph back to back. Very nice videos. Those roads in the north are just incredible. I definitely need to plan a trip there. I also ride a Scrambler 400x for over a month now. Such a nice motorcycle for Thailand at an incredible value. Cheers from Siracha.
Thank you for watching the videos and commenting. Yes, the 400 Triumphs are of extraordinary value in Thailand; I bought mine quickly as I feared the price would soon rise; I expect they will eat into Honda's CB500X/Scrambler/Rebel etc sales. We are fortunate in the north of Thailand, it's a wonderful motorcycling playground. If you head up from Si Racha, I have found Issan has lots of fantastic gravel roads, and being fairly flat they lack some of the tricky rutted climbs of the northern dirt roads, making it ideal Scrambler territory. Happy riding.
@PaintedRoads I did some rutted trails and the Scram works pretty well but I agree with your video that the CRF would be better for those. I dropped her and suffered some damage. The handguards and brake lever broke. The brake pedal and handlebar bent. I replaced the handlebar and handguards with aftermarket stuff. The original parts are for style only, expected at this price point. Price wise they announced a 5000 baht increase last week, nothing major. They will keep the motorcycle competitive most likely.
@@Alsinsin dropping your nice new bike must have been annoying. I have already bought some new hand-guards for this reason and hopefully that will take care of the leavers in case of a fall. I wonder which handlebars did you now have on your scrambler.
@PaintedRoads going off road, falling is expected at some point of time. This is why a low cost motorcycle makes a lot of sense for going around. Less cry, more fun 😂
@@leeinwis This is a good question and I intend to make a video soon giving my thoughts on the two bikes and how I feel they compare. Please keep in mind, that what I say is my opinion, and others may disagree. For my needs, if one of my two bikes had to go it would keep the Rally as I ride unsealed roads, tracks and trails a lot, which is where the Honda shines whilst still being perfectly capable on sealed roads. Having said that, since I bought the Scrambler it is the bike I have been riding 95% of the time (though I ride off-road less in the rainy season). If I had a 200 km journey on the road, I would take the Triumph, if I was going on dirt roads, I would take the Honda. The Triumph has significantly more power, and the engine feels more refined and sophisticated; the Triumph has more room for two people, and on Thailand's steep climbs, and overtaking, the extra power of the Triumph is welcome. Both bikes will go to most places and do most things, however, if you spend a lot of time on dirt roads and trails and riding unsealed tracks in the hills then the Rally is better and has significantly more ground clearance, which may be important if riding on rocky terrain, though this is a little beyond the design brief of the Scrambler. If your riding is mostly on sealed roads the Triumph is better whilst still happy and capable on gravel roads. I have had no problems with the Triumph, but the Honda is a Honda with all the peace of mind that brings. Style is personal, but for me, the Triumph is cool and has charm. In short, mostly sealed roads and gentle gravel roads, Triumph Scrambler. If you enjoy exploring unsealed roads and trails, CRF Rally. I intend to make a comparison video in the next week or two, so please keep an eye on the channel, or subscribe so as not to miss it.
@@leeinwis This is a good question and I intend to make a video soon giving my thoughts on the two bikes and how I feel they compare. Please keep in mind, that what I say is my opinion, and others may disagree. For my needs, if one of my two bikes had to go it would keep the Rally as I ride unsealed roads, tracks and trails a lot, which is where the Honda shines whilst still being perfectly capable on sealed roads. Having said that, since I bought the Scrambler it is the bike I have been riding 95% of the time (though I ride off-road less in the rainy season). If I had a 200 km journey on the road, I would take the Triumph, if I was going on dirt roads, I would take the Honda. The Triumph has significantly more power, and the engine feels more refined and sophisticated; the Triumph has more room for two people, and on Thailand's steep climbs, and overtaking, the extra power of the Triumph is welcome. Both bikes will go to most places and do most things, however, if you spend a lot of time on dirt roads and trails and riding unsealed tracks in the hills then the Rally is better and has significantly more ground clearance, which may be important if riding on rocky terrain, though this is a little beyond the design brief of the Scrambler. If your riding is mostly on sealed roads the Triumph is better whilst still happy and capable on gravel roads. I have had no problems with the Triumph, but the Honda is a Honda with all the peace of mind that brings. Style is personal, but for me, the Triumph is cool and has charm. In short, mostly sealed roads and gentle gravel roads, Triumph Scrambler. If you enjoy exploring unsealed roads and trails, CRF Rally. I intend to make a comparison video in the next week or two, so please keep an eye on the channel, or subscribe so as not to miss it.
Making me nostalgic. I did a huge loop around Chiang Mai a couple of years ago on a scooter 😄. Northern Thailand has got to be the best place on earth for back road pottering on a bike. The roads are in great condition and the scenery is fantastic. Very little traffic but plenty of places to stop for a bite or a coffee. I thought the area around Nan was the most scenic of all. I want to go back but will rent a proper bike next time.
You have summed up Thailand eloquently in a few words; it is difficult to imagine anywhere better for motorcycling, as long as you stay off the busy highways. Nan is magnificent, but I reflected on this during this journey and concluded that all the northern provinces are, but being more remote, maybe Nan is quieter; of all the provincial capitals, I think Nan is the prettiest. I am glad the video has rekindled your passion for riding here; I hope you can return soon. Many thanks for watching and commenting.
Many thanks. The on-bike shots are created using an Insta360 X4 camera. The camera is attached to the bike with a stick that becomes invisible automatically, and the panning is achieved during post-processing.
The last time I was in Chiang Mai, I saw a 400X for rent; the Triumph 400s were only just appearing in showrooms then, so I expect they will soon become quite readily available in Chiang Mai. There are many big bike rental shops in Chiang Mai offering a wide range of high-quality bikes, such as Honda Africa Twins, CB500X, CRF300, Triumphs, Royal Enfields, and a whole host of sports bikes and scooters. In Chiang, Rai ST Motorcycles offers CB500X, CRF250L and a range of scooters. If you are in Thailand on a tourist visa, I expect it will be easier to rent a motorcycle than buy one.
looking to retire in Thai or the Pines in the next 2 years, spent time in both and love both, hard decision. But I do want to ask if you had to chose between the rally and the 400x and you could only have one which would you chose and why. Those are both of the bikes I'm considering and i really like both any insight would be helpful. Thanks.
Many thanks for commenting. Yours is a very valid question as both bikes are made in Thailand, have road and dirt road ability, and are pretty much the same price. If I had to choose just one now, it would be the Rally, however, this is because I ride on unsealed roads and trails a lot; having said that I have not ridden the Honda since I got the Triumph (though I intend to get into the hills on the Rally tomorrow). Here in the north, there are many steep and (for me) challenging dirt trails where the Rally is more competent. If I did not ride off-road so much then I would choose the Triumph as it is more comfortable both solo and with a passenger, it has a more powerful and refined engine, to my eyes it's more stylish, and I like its character and general vibe. Having said this, my wife and I have been on many trips on the Rally, two up with luggage on journeys of several thousand kilometres - with a pair of 50/50 tyres the Triumph would be able to explore the dirt roads. Having said that, everywhere I go off-road on the Rally, hill tribe folks go on Honda Cubs, so I am sure the Triumph can go anywhere, just not so well as the CRF. The power and torque difference between the two is significant, as is the dirt road ability; so the question is, what are your priorities? It will be interesting how I feel about the Triumph in a few months, especially when the rainy season is over and I venture off-road on it more and get more dirt road experience. As an upcoming video with soon show, I have been using it on gravel roads recently and it works well. I would also take into consideration how far the nearest Triumph dealer is from where you intend to live. I intend to make a video comparing the Rally and the Scrambler as they are such great bikes for Thailand, I will try to get this done before too long.
Hello from France from a 1200 xe rider. I was thinking about a road trip in northern Thaïland for some time. Now, after watching your vidéos, i can't wait anymore. Probably by september. Hope there will not rain too much.
Many thanks. I saw someone on a green Scrambler a while back, whilst I was riding my 300 Rally, I wonder if it was you. My helmet is a Shoei Ex-Zero, I bought it in the U.K. but I believe they are available in Thailand, though presumably here they will be Asian fit, which may not be ideal if you are not Asian.
Salutations from east-canada rider ! Always like excellent video views and informations around Thailand ! Sound realy good for now !! A little micro-lag around speaking but is a very little detail. In one word.. lovely ride and speach !! Take care on the road, do it with passions and im waithing for the next video ! Have fun and have a wonderfull time under the sun ^^
Many thanks. I also noticed the micro-lag with the sound; it's rather annoying, but I don't think there is much I can do about it with the video footage I recorded over recent days; hopefully, a firmware update will address the issue for future videos. I hope to get the next video out next weekend; thank you for watching.
55 y.o. Aussie here, long time motorcyclist and visitor to the land of smiles over the past 7 years. I reckon this would be a beaut bike for riding over there 😊
Many thanks for commenting. Yep, it's an ideal machine for Thailand; not too fast, not too slow, comfortable for one person or two, it's economical and has the ability to explore the wonderful unsealed routes; oh, and the all-important classic style that Thai folks so love. I am sure you will be able to rent one next time you are here.
Many thanks,I am delighted the videos are capturing the essence of the north. It's our intention to show Thailand away from the tourist haunts, so it's great to hear it's working out, krub 🙏.
