Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE

Appears In
No Time To Die

On Film
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is first seen in the pre-title sequence of the film, ridden by Primo in Matera. After Vesper Lynd’s tomb is blown up, Bond jumps off the bridge to avoid assassins and knocks Primo from the bike. Learning Madeleine is “the daughter of SPECTRE”, he commandeers Primo’s Scrambler and roars off down a set of steps into the ancient city. He avoids a big religious procession by carrying out a breathtaking jump into the piazza many feet above, before dumping the bike at the door of his hotel. Later in the Norwegian forest chase scene, Triumphs are seen again as part of the multi-vehicle team pursuing Bond, Madeleine and Mathilde.

The Vehicle
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE features a liquid cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin engine, offering 1200cc and 89bhp. It has multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, a brushed 2-into-2 exhaust system with Arrow brushed high level silencer and a six-speed gearbox. On screen it also boasted an iconic oversized Triumph tank badge and brushed decal foil kneepad with hand-painted gold coachline.

Inspired by the custom Scrambler from the film, Triumph created a special limited edition motorcycle. The ultra-rare Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition launched in 2021 in a series of 250 individually numbered models worldwide and sold out instantly. The exact Scrambler 1200 XE ridden during filming by Daniel Craig and stunt riders Paul Edmondson and Martin Craven, sold at the 2022 Christie’s charity auction, achieving £138,600 against an estimate of £20,000-£30,000.

The Production
Filming for the Matera action sequences in Italy took place in the late summer of 2019 with the production carefully preparing and protecting the city’s ancient walls ahead of filming. The Scrambler 1200 XE was specially modified to handle the rigours of the Italian action sequence.

The jump scene took three days to shoot and was executed by experienced stunt rider Paul Edmondson. A lighter Triumph dirt bike was used for the aerial stunt and dressed to look like the meatier 1200 XE. Wind conditions were a major factor in the exposed hillside location and caused Edmondson to fall once during practice but he successfully completed what is arguably the most iconic motorised stunt in the film, powering the bike up an archway and making the mighty jump into the square many feet above.

Every single electrical connection during Triumph’s testing process was completely waterproofed, which ensured there were no breakdowns across the shoot, including the action sequence set in Norway where the stunt team were riding through rivers and across river beds through up to a foot and a half of water. The Norway chase sequence was filmed at the Ardverikie estate in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, and in Windsor Great Park. Among the stunt team was British Motocross Champion Rob Herring, who rode the camera bike.