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I've had some horrible bikes but ones I put considerable miles on there is only one:
My XR1200:
So, what can I say? The XR1200 was a sporty cruiser. It handled like a cruiser, felt as heavy as one, and despite everyone at the Harley dealership telling me it was “fast,” it definitely wasn’t. Quick? Sure. But fast? Not even close. I ended up trading it in after putting 10,000 miles on it.
I swapped it for my Bonneville T120, which handled better, stopped better, and was faster; bone stock.
Now don’t get me wrong, the XR had its perks. It just felt like it wasn’t fully thought through. It could have been a decent sport-touring platform, but it lacked practicality in the ways that mattered most.
The 3.5-gallon tank maybe got you 100 miles. I pushed it more than once when the fuel light came on at 85 miles, and by 90 it was bone dry. So when I mean I pushed it; I did, more than once along the highway. Sure, 3.5 gallons isn’t a lot, but my T120 and Scrambler 1200 both sip fuel from their 3.8-gallon tanks and often return 180 miles per tank. That’s the efficiency of the (not so) new Triumph 1200 Inline twin.
Now, the engine on the XR was fun. It came alive near its 7K Buell-inherited redline, and the primary chain’s whine sounded like a chainsaw between your feet. But it only had five gears, and the massive engine lump made slow-speed riding clunky. It shed some of its weight at speed, but the bike’s sheer length never let you forget it; it handled like a cruiser no matter what.
I overheated it once. Had repeated EFI issues that left me with a stuck high idle. The main harness literally caught on fire. And, of course, it leaked oil; just your classic Harley experience.
Looking back, yeah, it was a cool bike, but it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t put real miles on it without constantly stopping for gas, especially on the interstate. Touring was a no-go, despite my many efforts.
Ironically, my Scrambler 1200 today is very reminiscent of the XR1200; but Triumph did everything right where Harley did everything wrong with the XR. The 21" front wheel with cruiser-style tires gives it a laid-back feel, but the Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes make sure it’s poised, progressive, and sharp when it matters.
The 135-pound weight difference is immediately noticeable. The Bonnie-based Scrambler carries its weight lower than the XR, and after lowering my XE to XC spec, the ride height is comparable to the XR; upright and comfortable. The bench seat on the Scrambler is far superior to the stiff, locked-in riding position of the XR though.
Performance? No contest. The 1200cc twin in the Scrambler; dyno’s at 92WHP with a Thruxton ECU tune, airbox mod, and pipe; this outperforms the XR even with the similar bolt-ons (which only got me to 80WHP, I had it Dyno'd). The Scrambler drinks premium like the XR did, but still gets 15–20 MPG more per tank.
In hindsight, the XR did lead me to the right decision; it helped me figure out what kind of rider I really am. I knew I wanted a twin. I knew I wanted something more standard or vintage-inspired; not a plastic-wrapped modern sport-tourer with a screaming four-cylinder. I’m glad I owned the XR; not because I enjoyed it, but because I learned so much from it.
I’ve since put over 120,000 miles on my T120 and coming up to 11,000 miles on the Scrambler 1200 I bought last fall. And honestly, the Scrambler is already pushing my FZ1 for the title of “best bike I’ve ever owned.” If it survives its first 40K without major issues, it may very well take the crown. It’s already knocked the T120 down from the top spot as my "favorite" bike.
Funny enough, I never would’ve appreciated the T120 if I hadn’t disliked the XR so much. A buddy let me ride his T120 in Florida back in 2018. The moment I got back to New England, I rode straight to the Triumph dealer, traded in my XR, and bought my Bonneville.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Cheers!
My XR1200:
So, what can I say? The XR1200 was a sporty cruiser. It handled like a cruiser, felt as heavy as one, and despite everyone at the Harley dealership telling me it was “fast,” it definitely wasn’t. Quick? Sure. But fast? Not even close. I ended up trading it in after putting 10,000 miles on it.
I swapped it for my Bonneville T120, which handled better, stopped better, and was faster; bone stock.
Now don’t get me wrong, the XR had its perks. It just felt like it wasn’t fully thought through. It could have been a decent sport-touring platform, but it lacked practicality in the ways that mattered most.
The 3.5-gallon tank maybe got you 100 miles. I pushed it more than once when the fuel light came on at 85 miles, and by 90 it was bone dry. So when I mean I pushed it; I did, more than once along the highway. Sure, 3.5 gallons isn’t a lot, but my T120 and Scrambler 1200 both sip fuel from their 3.8-gallon tanks and often return 180 miles per tank. That’s the efficiency of the (not so) new Triumph 1200 Inline twin.
Now, the engine on the XR was fun. It came alive near its 7K Buell-inherited redline, and the primary chain’s whine sounded like a chainsaw between your feet. But it only had five gears, and the massive engine lump made slow-speed riding clunky. It shed some of its weight at speed, but the bike’s sheer length never let you forget it; it handled like a cruiser no matter what.
I overheated it once. Had repeated EFI issues that left me with a stuck high idle. The main harness literally caught on fire. And, of course, it leaked oil; just your classic Harley experience.
Looking back, yeah, it was a cool bike, but it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t put real miles on it without constantly stopping for gas, especially on the interstate. Touring was a no-go, despite my many efforts.
Ironically, my Scrambler 1200 today is very reminiscent of the XR1200; but Triumph did everything right where Harley did everything wrong with the XR. The 21" front wheel with cruiser-style tires gives it a laid-back feel, but the Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes make sure it’s poised, progressive, and sharp when it matters.
The 135-pound weight difference is immediately noticeable. The Bonnie-based Scrambler carries its weight lower than the XR, and after lowering my XE to XC spec, the ride height is comparable to the XR; upright and comfortable. The bench seat on the Scrambler is far superior to the stiff, locked-in riding position of the XR though.
Performance? No contest. The 1200cc twin in the Scrambler; dyno’s at 92WHP with a Thruxton ECU tune, airbox mod, and pipe; this outperforms the XR even with the similar bolt-ons (which only got me to 80WHP, I had it Dyno'd). The Scrambler drinks premium like the XR did, but still gets 15–20 MPG more per tank.
In hindsight, the XR did lead me to the right decision; it helped me figure out what kind of rider I really am. I knew I wanted a twin. I knew I wanted something more standard or vintage-inspired; not a plastic-wrapped modern sport-tourer with a screaming four-cylinder. I’m glad I owned the XR; not because I enjoyed it, but because I learned so much from it.
I’ve since put over 120,000 miles on my T120 and coming up to 11,000 miles on the Scrambler 1200 I bought last fall. And honestly, the Scrambler is already pushing my FZ1 for the title of “best bike I’ve ever owned.” If it survives its first 40K without major issues, it may very well take the crown. It’s already knocked the T120 down from the top spot as my "favorite" bike.
Funny enough, I never would’ve appreciated the T120 if I hadn’t disliked the XR so much. A buddy let me ride his T120 in Florida back in 2018. The moment I got back to New England, I rode straight to the Triumph dealer, traded in my XR, and bought my Bonneville.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Cheers!
I like to wrench and trouble shoot so my Triumph's always give me a puzzle to solve, every now and then . I just prefer the Bonneville platform over the Sportster platform. And the big cruisers are tanks and I know many folks that have brought their Baggers and Dynas to or over 100K miles. 
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