Triumph · Vehicle
James Bond in No Time to Die, 2021 — as worn by Daniel Craig
In the pre-title sequence in Matera, Italy, James Bond seizes a black Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE as the ambush around Vesper Lynd’s tomb spills into the city.
The scene — James Bond
In the pre-title sequence in Matera, Italy, James Bond seizes a black Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE as the ambush around Vesper Lynd’s tomb spills into the city. With Madeleine Swann separated from him and pursuers closing in, he rides the bike through Matera’s steep stone streets, narrow alleyways, stairways, elevated passages and open piazzas, turning the old city into a vertical chase course. The escape peaks with the film’s headline motorcycle stunt: Bond launches the Scrambler from an archway, clears a wall and drops back into the action amid a religious procession below.
In that moment, the Triumph reads less as a polished accessory than as an emergency tool, matching the sequence’s emphasis on survival, speed and improvisation. Stunt coordinator Lee Morrison said the production chose the Scrambler 1200 because it looked right for the story and could credibly deliver everything the scene demanded; he described riding it aggressively through Matera’s slippery streets, over steps, through quick direction changes and jumps.
That practical capability is exactly what Bond needs here: a machine rugged enough to turn the city’s obstacles into escape routes. On screen, the bike’s tall stance, long-travel suspension and high-mounted exhaust are repeatedly outlined against Matera’s pale limestone surfaces. The sequence favors practical action, and the Scrambler is framed in motion through tight lanes and sudden openings, its dark bodywork cutting sharply across the sunlit stone as Bond darts from shadowed passages into bright public squares.
The object
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is a modern-classic scrambler from Triumph Motorcycles’ Bonneville-derived range. For No Time to Die, Triumph officially confirmed the use of Scrambler 1200 and Tiger 900 motorcycles in the film’s action sequences, and the Matera bike is identified as a stunt-prepared Scrambler 1200 XE. It is powered by a 1200cc liquid-cooled SOHC 8-valve parallel-twin Bonneville engine with a 270-degree crank, tuned for strong low- and mid-range torque, and paired with a six-speed gearbox. Key XE-spec hardware includes a 21-inch front wheel, long-travel Showa upside-down forks, Öhlins long-travel rear suspension, Brembo M50 brakes, wire-spoked wheels, high-level twin silencers, and six riding modes with modern rider aids such as cornering ABS and traction control.
The specific screen-used look is a dark Sapphire Black-style finish, visually distinguished by Triumph tank badging and detailing that informed the later limited Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition. For the most demanding stunts, including some aerial work, production also used lighter machines dressed to resemble the Scrambler for continuity, while the on-screen hero bike retained the XE’s tall stance and off-road geometry that made the Matera staircase and wall-jump action believable. The standard Scrambler 1200 XE remained a retail production model in later model years, while the exact film specification was a specialized stunt/pre-production setup rather than a regular showroom trim.
Production Notes
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