- Triumph Originals returns for 2026, challenging teams to build the ultimate Scrambler inspired by a defining era in its history
- Seven countries will each collaborate with a local custom workshop to design and build a bespoke, one-off Scrambler
- Entries will be judged by the public and an expert panel, with combined scores determining the winner
ATLANTA, GA – May 26, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Triumph’s global custom motorcycle challenge is back for 2026. Triumph teams from around the world will compete to create the most distinctive, inspired and beautifully executed Scrambler.
For this latest edition of Triumph Originals, the brief is Time Capsule, a theme that challenges each team to draw on the model’s rich heritage, reinterpreting a defining era through modern design and craftsmanship.
Teams from seven countries are already underway on their builds, with the UK, US, Spain, France, Italy, China and Canada all participating this year. Each Triumph team has hand-picked a custom workshop to collaborate with on completely original concepts. Every entrant will select a momentous decade or significant era from the Scrambler’s history, developing a machine that captures the style and attitude of that moment in time.
Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud said: “The Scrambler carries a remarkable legacy, influencing both culture and the competitive racing scene. From the stripped-back desert sleds of the 1950s to the big-screen stunts of the 2020s, it’s been ridden by icons from Steve McQueen to James Bond. This motorcycle started out as a model made by riders, built through personal tweaks and ingenuity, and that same spirit of customisation still sits right at its heart today.
“With such a rich and varied past to draw from, picking just one moment in time won’t be easy for our teams. Triumph Originals gives us a global stage to celebrate not just the engineering excellence, but also the enduring appeal of this legendary model.”
Each country will reveal its bespoke build this summer, when a panel of design and cultural experts will judge the builds. Then all seven Scramblers will be put to the public vote. The scores will be combined to determine who’ll be the ultimate winner and take the title of Triumph Original 2026. The winner will be announced in Autumn 2026.
A dedicated hub on the Triumph website features interviews with the builders, alongside photos and stories from behind the scenes of each build, so Scrambler and custom fans can follow each country’s progress over the next few months.
SCRAMBLER: BUILT FROM CUSTOM CULTURE
The Scrambler was born out of custom culture, making it the perfect platform for Triumph Originals 2026. Back in the 1960s, riders looking for more freedom and real off-road capability started modifying their road bikes by adding knobbly tyres, wider handlebars and high-mounted exhausts. These machines became the original ‘desert sleds’, built to handle tough terrain and competition alike. They were ridden by icons like Steve McQueen in the desert and at the ISDT, while Bud Ekins competed in races such as the Big Bear and Baja 1000.
Triumph brought the Scrambler back in 2006, blending timeless style with genuine adventure capability. Now available in five variants, every model shares a confident riding position, easy handling and a rugged, go-anywhere character. Signature details like the high-level twin exhaust, stripped-back design and premium finishes give the bike its unmistakable look and timeless appeal.
Scrambler 400 X
The Scrambler 400 X combines accessible performance with authentic design cues, including its commanding riding position, wide handlebars and long-travel suspension. Its lightweight chassis and responsive single-cylinder 400cc engine deliver confidence on and off the road, making it a versatile entry point into the Scrambler range.
Scrambler 400 XC
The Scrambler 400 XC builds on the 400 platform with a specification focused on enhanced off-road capability. With a rugged stance and purposeful detailing, it is designed to deliver control and confidence across varied terrain while maintaining the core Scrambler character.
Bonneville Scrambler 900
With its distinctive high pipes, iconic silhouette and thrilling British twin bark, the Scrambler 900 is the first choice for urban classic style and all-road riding fun. Its high-torque 900cc Bonneville engine and ride-by-wire throttle delivers superb performance, rideability and control. Its 19” front and 17” rear wire-spoked wheels add to its stylish and confident stance.
Bonneville Scrambler 1200 X
The Scrambler 1200 X delivers authentic Scrambler style with thrilling, characterful performance, and effortless all-road agility. It is also remarkably accessible, with a seat height of 820mm, reducing to 795mm with the accessory low seat.
Bonneville Scrambler 1200 XE
The commanding presence of the Scrambler 1200 XE makes it capable of conquering the most rugged terrain, with an off-road ready 21” front wheel and Triumph’s premium quality and finish. The high-power, torque-rich 1200cc Bonneville engine has a dedicated Scrambler tune.
ENDS
For further information contact:
Global PR & Events Manager, Lisa Jones at [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT TRIUMPH
- First established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles celebrated 120 years of motorcycle manufacture in 2022. For more than three decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes that perfectly blend authentic design, character, charisma, and performance.
A GLOBAL BRITISH SUCCESS STORY
- Record global sales of 141,683 motorcycles were delivered in Triumph’s latest Financial Year (FY25: July 2024-June 2025), through a network of 950 dealers in 68 countries, confirming Triumph Motorcycles’ position as the largest British motorcycle manufacturer.
- Triumph currently employs around 3,000 personnel worldwide and has subsidiary operations in the UK, North America, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sweden (Scandinavia), Benelux, Brazil, China, and Thailand as well as a network of independent distributors. Triumph has manufacturing facilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and Thailand plus CKD facilities in Brazil and India.
A WORLD-CLASS RANGE
- With a laser-sharp focus on what riders across the world are looking for, a passion to deliver the perfect ride for every customer, and attention to detail that delivers the highest quality motorcycles, Triumph offers a growing range of category-leading motorcycles spanning Modern Classics, Roadsters and Adventure bikes. From the accessible Speed 400cc TR series to the Rocket 3 with its powerful 2500cc engine, every model exemplifies Triumph’s iconic style, quality and performance.
- Delivering a fun, agile and confidence-inspiring ride for riders of all ages and experience levels, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X launched in 2023 with a brand-new single engine platform (TR Series), representing incredible value for money and bringing Triumph to a whole new generation of riders. The range has now expanded to include the Scrambler 400 XC, Thruxton 400 and Tracker 400.
- The Modern Classics feature Triumph’s legendary Bonneville twin engine. Famously named to celebrate Triumph’s 1956 land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, the Bonneville was the original British superbike and a race-winner straight out of the crate, chosen by famous motorcyclists of the past for its handling, style, and character. Now, the Bonneville family has evolved, with rider-focused technology and cool custom style. The range includes the Bonneville Bobber, Bonneville Speedmaster, Speed Twin 900, Speed Twin 1200, Scrambler 900, Scrambler 1200 and the iconic Bonneville T120 and T100.
- The Roadsters start with the agile and popular Trident 660 and Trident 800, with the sporty Daytona 660 and Street Triple 765 RS and RX, and finally the Speed Triple 1200 RS and RX. For adventure riders, Triumph has a complete line-up of epic Tigers, starting with the Tiger Sport 660 and Tiger Sport 800, moving up to the Tiger 900 range, and finally to the Tiger 1200 range.
- Triumph’s debut in the competitive off-road arena has delivered outstanding results, with race wins and podium finishes for the TF 250-X, TF 450-X, TF 250-E, and TF 450-E, which have all delivered at the highest level on some of the off-road world’s most competitive stages. 2025 also saw the addition of a TF 450-X and two new cross-country models, the TF 250-C and TF 450-C.
- In October 2025, Triumph Motorcycles launched its first electric youth motorcycles; the new Triumph TXP range, powered by OSET. This collaboration with the OSET team, who joined the Triumph family in 2022, has resulted in four new models with scalable electric performance, premium design, and built-in safety features for children as young as three. Each bike is engineered from the ground up with age-specific frames, geometry, controls, and components, optimised for the rider’s size and experience.
TRIUMPH RACING
- Triumph has a glorious racing history, competing in and winning races in almost every class and field of motorcycle sporting achievement, from winning the second ever Isle of Man TT in 1908, to the thrilling last-lap victory at the legendary Daytona 200 by Brandon Paasch on the Street Triple 765 in 2022.
- Triumph’s racing legend continues as the exclusive engine supplier to the FIM Moto2™ World Championship since the start of the 2019 season. Triumph Motorcycles provides all the teams with race-tuned 765cc triples, each of which is based on the class-leading Street Triple RS powerplant. Redefining the class, Triumph broke record after record in the inaugural year, including the first ever +300km/h Moto2™ top speed. Reflecting these great successes, the wonderful feedback, and partnerships that Triumph have had with the riders and their teams, and the incredible response from Triumph fans across the world, Triumph and Dorna, decided to extend the relationship in 2021 and again in 2023, signing a new contract for another five years of racing: 2025 – 2029.
- Triumph is working with PTR Triumph Factory Racing to participate in the 2026 World Supersport Championship. Tom Booth-Amos and Oli Bayliss are racing on the Street Triple 765. Macadam Triumph Factory Racing continues with British Supersport riders Brad Perie and Max Wadsworth. Triumph will also enter the all-new Sportbike World Championship with the Daytona 660. On the roads Triumph will compete at the Daytona 200 and the NW200 with the PTR Triumph Racing team, with KTS Macadam Triumph Factory Racing also lining up for a number of stops on the road racing calendar including the IOM TT.
- In 2023, Triumph announced its intention to compete in the 2024 MXGP/MX2 and SuperMotocross World Championships, and after two successful seasons, is racing with a four-rider team for 2026. Jordon Smith, Austin Forkner, Jalek, and Mikkel Haarup are racing for the British manufacturer, competing for the first time in AMA 450 Supercross with the TF 450-X, as well as the AMA 250SX East Championship with the TF 250-X. Triumph will also compete in the AMA Pro Motocross series in both categories. Triumph earned its first Main Event win in Supercross in February 2025, and has enjoyed podium finishes in the Pro Motocross series in ’24 and ‘25. In the FIM MX2 World Championship Camden McLellan is competing for a third season aboard Triumph machinery, alongside Guillem Farres with positive momentum in the new season thanks to podium results from ’24 and ’25, as well as a first moto win in April 2025.
- In September 2024 Paul Edmondson was officially appointed Team Manager of Triumph Factory Racing’s enduro programme. In 2025, Jonny Walker took 2nd place overall in the SuperEnduro World Championship on his TF 250 and finished the 2025 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo on a near-standard TF 250-E four-stroke. Walker went on to win the AMA EnduroCross championship with the TF 450-E. Triumph earned podium finishes in the Enduro1 category of the EnduroGP World Championship with riders Mikael Persson and Morgan Lesiardo. Lesiardo took Triumph’s first Enduro1 overall victory and EnduroGP podium. Triumph competed at its first International Six Days Enduro in August with the TF 250-E contributing to Italy’s World Team Trophy victory with Lesiardo and Team Sweden’s first podium in decades with Persson, as well as impressive top five individual finishes overall. Triumph’s factory effort lines up with Mikael Persson and Jeremy Sydow for 2026, with Jamie McCanney moving to a role as Rider Coach.
Source: Triumph Motorcycles America Ltd
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