When most people think of flat track racing, it often comes with a distinctly American flavor: Indian FTRs at full tilt, Harley-Davidson XR1200s ridden like supermotos. But, for a period in the ’60s, the star-spangled world of flat track racing was taken over by British manufacturers, with BSA and Triumph each taking home more than their fair share of titles. With Triumph’s latest entry-level bike, the Tracker 400, it’s harkening back to that era — and building a very pretty bike in the process.
The Tracker 400 is the latest in Triumph’s entry-level single-cylinder lineup, joining the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X — but not quite mimicking them. The Tracker gets a higher-output version of their 398 cc mill, with new cams that boost the engine to a claimed 41.4 horsepower, and a “dedicated chassis” (it’s not clear if the entire frame is unique to the Tracker, or just the subframe). The bike’s 43mm nonadjustable front fork offering 5.5 inches of travel and a preload-adjustable monoshock out back that travels 5.1 inches may be borrowed from the Speed, but the ergonomics have been adjusted to put the rider in a more aggressive position — the bars are unique to the Tracker, wider and lower than those on the Speed, and the pegs have been shifted rearward and higher up to tilt the rider’s body forward. Yet, despite its appearance, it’s not such a focused rider-only proposition — there’s a pillion seat hidden beneath that removable cowl.
Not just a prettier Speed
With Suzuki’s TU250X dead for years now, and Honda’s CB300R not really looking all that classic behind its round headlight, Triumph really has the retro-modern entry-level market all to itself — why wouldn’t the brand make a whole range of bikes, appealing to every possible niche of the customer base? By splitting up the engine internals and the rider triangle like this, Triumph’s seemingly managed to make the Tracker a meaningfully different bike from its entry-level siblings. Of course, we’ll have to ride them back-to-back to know for sure, but one thing’s clear: Triumph has the only flat tracker in the segment.
The Tracker is set to hit American dealers in March of 2026 with an MSRP starting at $5,995, just $400 higher than the Speed 400. The brand seems intent on keeping pricing low for the 400 lineup, which I’m all in favor of — the more accessible motorcycling can be, economically, the more people we’ll see on bikes. Maybe the diversity in the lineup will even lure in new motorcyclists who couldn’t see themselves on a Speed or Scrambler, but have enough love in their hearts for flat-track racing to finally take the MSF and get a Tracker. We can hope.
