The 270 engine is there to make it feel more like a Harley to cruiser riders on the America. In itself I didn't think it was detrimental. What they seem to have done then is set up the fueling or timing or something to give it a rougher feel and that results in less power. The 360 engine as you'd expect is more like a two-stroke single in that it will rev. Put the America engine set up with that high level exhaust and you loose 10 HP. You can cure it no doubt, but would be chipping/jetting putting a new exhaust on.
The Bonneville Black I have would cruise two up for the whole (poxy) tank range at 80 mph plus straight out of the dealers. It was fine in lane three of the M-1 or M-62 on a Friday night when shall we say the traffic moves. The Scrambler they lent me had a rather anti-social set of pipe, K&N filter and the like and didn't want to play on the motorway full stop. There wasn't enough left to make it worth doing more than picking a group of vehicles obeying the speed limit or less and sticking with them. The mechanic said that was a big improvement over the stock Scrambler.
I've ridden the Black on mud with and without knobblies and took the Scrambler up a few short tracks while I had it. IMHO there is nowhere the Scrambler will go that the Black won't so long as you don't mind the odd ding in the exhaust (which will in any case rot before your eyes and need replacing before the first MOT).
Hence, IMHO you are better off Scramblerising a Black at your leisure than buying what's really a dress up job from Triumph that wants mechanical mods.
Andy
