[AZ911]

Originally Posted by shiraz

Dear outofthebox, I know this sounds cruel, but my suggestion would be to let it go. If this is how the journey begins, then I shudder to think what would happen at the first way point. Due to the low volumes, luxury product retailers often try to save on infra, training and a service network. Look to other reputed brands that have made this investment, otherwise you will be spending half your time fixing one problem after another. You are a weekend warrior, not a Ducati chop shop!

Though I agree with you on this point, the bike sure is a dream that many would not want to part with. I mean look at these pics


Also want to add something I noticed in the Ducati Gurgaon showroom when I went there to check this bike out. Apparently, there was an angry Ducati owner there who had an accident and although he had taken a zero dep insurance, the Ducati guys had screwed his paperwork from their end and were charging him lakhs to get the bike fixed (not aware of the exact details). Once he started shouting at them (and rightfully so), they admitted their mistake and started making some phone calls. I mean, you are a well known brand and still treating your customers kind this. Not done.

[Ragtop]

Test rode the Ducati Scrambler Icon today in chaotic Mumbai traffic and I walked away truly impressed. Like others have mentioned, the bike is bigger than it looks in pictures but still very useable. My first reaction to sitting on the bike was that I was not too happy with the handlebar position, for me it was way to upright and forward. This issue has been raised on international forums as well and a simple bar swap with the Full Throttle bar seems to solve the problem for most. On the road the bike seemed just right! There have been complaints of snatchy, over sensitive throttle response but I did not experience that at all. While I did have to respect the throttle, power delivery was linear and seamless and the low end torque allowed the bike to putter around in 1st/2nd/3rd gear at low revs without any jerkiness. Handling was crisp and the bike felt VERY light and nimble, perfect for our traffic. Up to speed, the bike is in its own league! plenty of power when you want it, great handling and precise, predictable braking. This bike just begs to be played with and ridden hard. Tyres felt good and provided strong grip on clean tarmac as well as sections with dust/dirt etc. Overall a great motorcycle. I have been waiting for years to buy a useable big bike but none of the Indian offerings did it for me until I saw the Scrambler. After the test ride, I plonked down the full pmt and will hopefully have my Icon some time next week. Cant wait!

[Sojogator]

@Ragtop Congrats on the purchase !

From your test drive experience, it sounds like it strung all the right chords for you. Hope you have loads of stress-free and happy miles on her !

Ducatis rolling in !

[outofthebox]

Hey @Ragtop, congrats and I feel relieved to read your review, since I believe these are first comments from riding in Indian conditions and with Indian fuel. You have put to rest most of the speculation related to throttle response and fuelling.

Haven't taken one for a spin myself but one look at that handlebar and I knew it was going to be an issue for long term urban usage. I managed to find a great source for Rizoma goodies in Aliexpress, handlebar included, and most of it has been delivered, though sadly I don't have the Red devil yet. Lets keep in touch and compare notes.

Hopefully will get to share my post ride thoughts soon too.

[Ragtop]

The only points I forgot to mention in my earlier post was regarding engine heat. When stuck in really slow stop/go traffic or long traffic signals, heat from the right side is quite high but the moment you get moving it seemed just fine. Also, the front suspension is harsh for our broken surfaces and unfortunately the front forks offer no adjustments at all! Might have to go in for some aftermarket forks as well which are already being sold in the West.

[crazybiker46]

Originally Posted by Ragtop

My first reaction to sitting on the bike was that I was not too happy with the handlebar position, for me it was way to upright and forward. This issue has been raised on international forums as well and a simple bar swap with the Full Throttle bar seems to solve the problem for most.
After the test ride, I plonked down the full pmt and will hopefully have my Icon some time next week. Cant wait!

The only points I forgot to mention in my earlier post was regarding engine heat. When stuck in really slow stop/go traffic or long traffic signals, heat from the right side is quite high but the moment you get moving it seemed just fine.

Congrats on your purchase

Good to know that there are others too who felt that the handlebar positioning is awkward.

Regarding heat, i didn't felt too much considering the fact i rode at the bike with temperature around 40'c. My 600cc Yamaha generates much more heat, good enough to give blisters

Seems like everyone is going Scrambler icon only, nobody interested in Classic? I feel that's more retro and beautiful

[shayne]

Originally Posted by Ragtop

Also, the front suspension is harsh for our broken surfaces and unfortunately the front forks offer no adjustments at all! Might have to go in for some aftermarket forks as well which are already being sold in the West.

Hi Ragtop, before going in for suspension mods, try 2psi less in the front tyre. Makes a big difference on my M796.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by crazybiker46

Seems like everyone is going Scrambler icon only, nobody interested in Classic? I feel that's more retro and beautiful

Fully agree with you, it is undoubtedly the best looking of them all. Initially I was interested only in the Classic version, I changed my preferences later due to the following practical & $$$ reasons:

a)It is a full 22Kg heavier than the Icon variant due to the wire wheels and I'm pretty certain it will have a negative impact on acceleration, braking & handling in general.
b)It comes with tubed tyres, from the India puncture situation that's not a very good idea.
c)It will be at least INR100k dearer than the Icon with above impediments.
d)Lastly, there is no clear indication of it's availability in India yet.

Having said that, for those who really want it without compromising on point a & b above, can go for these tubeless beauties from Alpina for the Scrambler, but it will set one back by at least GBP2K. (I had dared to enquire about the price from them )

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

a)It is a full 22Kg heavier than the Icon variant due to the wire wheels and

Mate,

Classic is heavier than the Icon by 6.5 Kilos. Yes they will have a small impact but do not think it would be that much.

By the way are they accepting bookings for the other variants as well?

Last time when I spoke with Kapil Sharma, he was not clear as to when the other variants would be made available as booking is still not accepted.

This update is 2 days old.

For the puncture, you can use puncture sealants which are available in plenty.

Having filled my Thunderbird with them, there has hardly been a puncture. Yes the tire compound also matters a lot to it.

[outofthebox]

Oops! Thanks for pointing that out. Just referred back to my notes and 22kg is not entirely correct. I had noted down the max delta from motorcycle.com a while back and forgotten to write the accompanying text! Wet weight of one (424lb) vs dry weight of the other(375lb)!

In real world conditions, assume about a 10kg delta between the two as a worst case scenario.

No word about formal bookings for other variants and I didn't enquire specifically recently, but last week a senior sales staff told me about the pending arrival of a green Scrambler, which I took to mean as the UE.

I also use Slime in my tubed Pirelli Sport Demon RE Classic 500 but taking out the wheels to repair punctures is still a huge hassle.

Ideally I would like to use what I have in my car - a 12V Stop & Go kit. A lot less hassles, a permanent fix and most importantly - it can fit nicely under the Scrambler seat!

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

After my learning experience, my advise to anyone booking a Ducati here - respect & revere the 'Ducati' but pay real attention to the 'India' in Ducati India

Nice pics @ Neil. I still love the red paint job though. I guess it can be called 'personal preference', but yellow is amazing as well.


Very true. When the name India comes in, things start getting complicated for no reason. I am yet to hear any major issue about a Authorized Service Centre here in UAE.

It's sad that with all the high end brands in India, the scenario is more or less the same. Actually is it the govt. to be blamed?

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by voyageur

Actually is it the govt. to be blamed?

Out of interests what does the Government got to do with this?

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Out of interests what does the Government got to do with this?

Implementing stricter laws so that these high end brands/dealers take customers seriously. Just a thought cos this is not the first time in India.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by voyageur

It's sad that with all the high end brands in India, the scenario is more or less the same. Actually is it the govt. to be blamed?

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Out of interests what does the Government got to do with this?

Originally Posted by voyageur

Implementing stricter laws so that these high end brands/dealers take customers seriously. Just a thought cos this is not the first time in India.

Agree with voyageur's sentiment completely. Its the duty of the government to first protect its own citizens. Simply making anti dumping laws or protectionism for private industry in the form of the current absurd duty regime is not enough.

If you allow foreign companies to set up shop here, or local operators selling foreign goods, you as the government needs to ensure that citizens are not short-changed after paying through their collective noses to buy their products and then be left high and dry.

My Post #74 referred to exactly that.

[outofthebox]

A democratic govt. is nothing but the reflection of its own people, so we can't just pass the buck to the administrators and expect the problem to go away. That works better in a school.

Besides, more rules almost always means less personal freedom and potential misuse of rules. It is a lot better to be a mature, self governing citizenry, than to be a native of a regime which is all about rules, rules & more rules.

I think this issue is more about a clash of cultures than govt. rules. As a society we have always embraced ''Sifarish', Jugaad' and 'Chalta Hai' attitude in almost every aspect of our lives since independendence. More recently we have learnt to cry wolf when the same attitude hits us back.

Compared to other Asian countries, we don't want to fully adopt the core culture of the Western world just yet - which is to follow rules without 'cutting corners' and questioning the validity of the rule, but we definitely want all the products & services which are born of this systematic culture right now. When there is cultural friction of this kind, sparks are bound to fly.

I'm not saying one is wrong and the other is right but it is all about embracing the best of both worlds and creating a unique mix of modern culture which we can be proud to call our own. Thailand, the country where Scrambler is manufactured is a great example of the extent of adoption of this new age Asian culture.

My written feedback to Ducati India management on my 'Scrambler episode' was pretty much on similar lines:
"Mistakes happen, there will always be a few bad apples because you recruit from the same ecosystem as say, a Hero motorcycles, (no offence to any Hero owners here) but setting higher organisational standards, investing in CRM systems, educating staff and having a zero tolerance policy towards unethical, unprofessional conduct is very much within your control - if you don't acknowledge the issues & consciously do something about it, it doesn't bode well for the future of Ducati in India."

<Rant Over> <Back to Scrambling Mode>

BTW, just got news that the next batch of Scramblers won't be in till mid-June.