[voyageur]

This was a test drive motorcycle and provided to us by the Ducati Showroom. My biker friend and fellow bhpian, Crazybiker was invited to have a go at this newly launched motorbike. Special thanks to the Ducati showroom for the courtesy and special thanks to him for inviting me to join him.

Please use proper safety clothing and kit at all times.

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Taking the above statement one step forward, the staff in Ducati showroom were so kind and I loved the way they treated their customers. Not that they had done something out of their way to give us any special treatment. It’s just that many motorcycle showrooms don’t even know what customer service means. +5 right there to Ducati.



When I mean first ride, it’s actually my first ride on a Ducati. Ironic enough, I have never driven anything which is above a quarter liter (250 cc) in the motorbike section. Yet again, I have never driven a motorcycle which has more than one cylinder. So couple of days back, my records were re-written and my limits were pushed a bit further when I test drove a DUCATI SCRAMBLER, the newest and the cheapest Ducati that money can buy.





The bike has not had an official launch/promo by the showroom yet I believe, which they are doing only a week later. Actually today I also got the invite for the official launch at Bikers cafe located at Jumeirah.

Ducati Scrambler made it’s debut in last quarter of 2014, will be launched in India next month and hence I feel this is the right time to chip in some quick facts about the motorbike. Basically Scramblers are a class of motorcycles which are light, compact, with off-roading capability, easy to repair due to it’s relatively lesser complex systems. Ducati is not the only motorcycle manufacturer to make a Scrambler. I have heard about Triumph Scrambler but since I have not driven another Scrambler, I would refrain from commenting anything about the other manufacturers.







Things I liked about the motorbike :

• Looks very appealing especially the retro design.
• Feels premium quality as one would expect of a Ducati.
• Light, nimble and flickability.
• Engine.
• Simple and rider friendly. Not too many controls to make you feel confused.
• Ergonomics; upright seating position.

Things to be taken note of:

• Power, adequate enough or a bit less than that.
• Handle-bar is a bit high for my liking (shouldn’t be a problem for many)
• Wind-blasts can be felt at higher speeds
• The service and cost of maintenance is usually high.
• 43,000 AED (`731000 INR) for the basic Icon version and goes all the way till 50,000 AED (`850000 INR) for the top variant.

The test bike had a custom Termignoni exhaust instead of the stock.

Ride :

To sum the whole experience up in one word; Fun.

With the key turned to ignition mode, the unique Ducati styled engine kill switch pushed up to OFF position and pressing the self starter which was previously hidden by the ignition switch; you are greeted by a ear-pleasing growl by the L-twin engine. Thanks to the Termignoni custom exhausts, the note starts growing in you. The motorbike is capable of delivering a max power of 75 bhp @ 8250.



As the motorbike starts moving, you know that this going to be fun. It’s light and flicking between the traffic or changing lanes has never been easier. With a wet weight of around 190 kgs, this motorcycle accelerates very brisk. With a rev friendly engine that it has, it is happy to rev from any point with ease. Thus straight lines and corners felt amazingly good. Though I have mentioned that there is only adequate power, the statement no way means it’s under-powered.



The handle-bars felt a bit high for my liking, though the upright seating would help in long distance drives. It drives on Pirellis, 110/80 r18 at the front and 180/55 r17 at the back which gives it the retro look which goes pretty well in the bike’s favor. Apart from that, the mono-shock suspension at the back and inverted fork in the front do their job pretty well. The braking is very good and it is achieved by a 330 mm front single disc and 245 mm rear discs.



The wind-blast is prominent at high speeds and that is probably a curse of all naked bikes. Serious off-roading wouldn’t be recommended on this bike. It’s a perfect bike for the beginners and amateur bikers who are fans of naked motorbikes. A perfect upgrade to anyone driving a quarter liter class bike.



The initial gears of the bikes are amazing, it pulls very aggressively at any rpm range and especially above 6000 rpm. The gear shifts are precise and smooth. The throttle response is crisp and almost immediate. The clutch is light and easy to use. The rev-counter is not that easy to spot especially while riding. Actually I gave up looking at the rev-counter and went with the engine noise as usual.







Talking a bit more about the ride; it handles exceptionally well but I haven’t driven it to insanely high speeds so would reserve my comment on that. The best thing about the motorbike for me is it’s beautiful engine. I really can’t get over it. At any speed below 3500 rpm the engine might start knocking and hence the instruction from the showroom was to keep it at an optimum 5000-6000 rev range. Out of the very few controls that it has, the switch to toggle between the tripmeter and odometer is right next to the horn. Cornering is a very easy task in this bike and the rear wide tires can be thanked for it. It feels composed throughout the corners but what you would appreciate more is the straights just after the corners when it starts pulling like a locomotive. It didn't disappoint me at any time of my drive and left me wanting for more and more and more and even more. We drove it for an hour and a half, again thanks to the courtesy of the staff at the Ducati Showroom. The guy also happens to be a true biker at heart.







My take on the Bike :

A beautiful thing. It’s a fun bike and can possible be a practical bike except for couple of things like smaller 13.5 liter fuel tank capacity. This bike is simple and very rider-friendly indeed.



During the last round of ride that I had on this motorbike, I was thinking as to when will I have the urge to upgrade to another motorbike with more power arise? The answer was not very far from now. But at this point of time, I have to give it to Ducati for it’s a very fun and rider oriented make supplemented by an amazing engine to make it even more attractive. Definitely a good choice for anyone who loves retro styling and fun. Well done Ducati!




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Thanks once again to Crazybiker for some good panning shots. I have all my profile pics changed to those above

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Superbikes & Imports Section. Thanks for sharing!

[abhinav.s]

Thanks for an awesome write up and photos of the Scrambler Ducati!!

Any comments on the seat in terms of comfort? Also like you i too found the handle bars a tad too high by looking at the pics. Otherwise its a good looking bike ticking most of the boxes for most beginners into high capacity motorcycles.

[ebonho]

75 bhp and 190 kilos means it should be considerably quicker and probably faster as well than the Ninja 650, which is the current Indian benchmark for middleweight twins.

[sriku]

I love the Scrambler. The Full throttle variant is what I've been dreaming of for a while now. Watching Moto Geo's videos on youtube give me a clear picture of the ability of the bike to handle most terrain usually encountered, especially in our country. I have but one concern. Whether it will be too small for someone of my proportions (tad above 6 feet, with a very generous waistline).

This bike, to me at least, brings the fun back into motorcycling. Can't wait to get on one, and give the throttle a few twists!

Thanks for the review, amazing pictures as well!

[jkdas]

Good job with the review voyageur! Nice pix too.

Looks very small for a bike with 180 at rear. Maybe be a photo with another bike would help understand the real size.

Originally Posted by ebonho

75 bhp and 190 kilos means it should be considerably quicker and probably faster as well than the Ninja 650, which is the current Indian benchmark for middleweight twins.

5-6k within city will be a pain in my humble opinion. Let's see.
And pillion rider will be comfortable in a N650 from the looks of it.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by jkdas

5-6k within city will be a pain in my humble opinion. Let's see.
And pillion rider will be comfortable in a N650 from the looks of it.

The N650 looks like a more complete bike, because it is. A scrambler by its very definition is a bare bone trails basher.

This bike will at a minimum need a bigger seat and rear mudguard/extension to be sensible for 2-up riding. Even for solo riding, it will need something at the back for putting stuff.

The current saddle is a three-quarter saddle from the looks of it. For the look.

Disclaimer: If you do all of the above, it will become more Bonneville less Scrambler .... and in current guise, its proportions (bar the handlebar) are almost those of a "retro" Duke, upright sit up and beg stance down to the rear placed feet and the chopped off rear with bias all to a beefy "packed engine bay" front, and the comparatively light weight flickable nature.

I do want to know what it can do on the road though.

[abhii176]

Thanks for that crisp review Voyageur, this is one bike I've been eagerly waiting for. Have been devouring the net for reviews and it's great to see one on team bhp now.

Have to admit, am really smitten by this bike. The Icon in yellow is what does it for me. Now only if I could get the moolah I place to get my hands on this beauty once she's launched in India.

[grplr02]

Great news that Ducati Scrambler will soon be available in India. Was all set on a Triumph Scrambler or scrablerising a Bonnie T100, but now will have to do more considering. If I go the Ducati way, I'd probably lean towards the Urban Enduro route. Where I live, off-road is practically an everyday given, so anything that makes it easier for these conditions is a big plus (says the guy riding a RE Conti GT with oem road tires currently!). Thank you for the nice review and pics!

[vaisakhr]

Nice write up there bro, and great pics too. Especially the second one (pic of the fuel tank).

The handle bar as you've said looks quite a bit high. But IMO, it just adds up to the retro look of the bike.

[petrolhead_neel]

Wow, finally I got what I wanted! Or is it? I wanted a Scrambler, I got its review instead. Something must be wrong!

Was very much looking forward to a review of this retro Ducati. Very well written crisp review. Pics are stunning too.

Would love to know more about the riding position and comfort. If I am not wrong, you are a Bulleteer. So, how would you pitch the bike in terms of long distance riding?

@Crazybiker, your thoughts are very much welcome. Wish I was your friend too

Finally, wish it were cheaper.

Cheers,
petrolhead_neel

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Thanks for an awesome write up and photos of the Scrambler Ducati!!

Any comments on the seat in terms of comfort? Also like you i too found the handle bars a tad too high by looking at the pics. Otherwise its a good looking bike ticking most of the boxes for most beginners into high capacity motorcycles.

The seat is comfortable enough. It's got adequate cushion. I rode for 20 mins and I was perfectly alright. I have asked our fellow bhpian Crazybiker to chip in his thoughts on it because he had most of the fun on it. Forget the pillion though.

Originally Posted by sriku

I love the Scrambler. The Full throttle variant is what I've been dreaming of for a while now. Watching Moto Geo's videos on Youtube give me a clear picture of the ability of the bike to handle most terrain usually encountered, especially in our country. I have but one concern. Whether it will be too small for someone of my proportions (tad above 6 feet, with a very generous waistline).

This bike, to me at least, brings the fun back into motorcycling. Can't wait to get on one, and give the throttle a few twists!

Thanks for the review, amazing pictures as well!

The seats are too small to have a pillion. But it's perfect for one person ie the rider. The seats are comfortable and I never had a single complaint from the seat. I am 5'11 and I have no doubt that you will find it comfortable.

Originally Posted by abhii176

Thanks for that crisp review Voyageur, this is one bike I've been eagerly waiting for. Have been devouring the net for reviews and it's great to see one on team bhp now.

Have to admit, am really smitten by this bike. The Icon in yellow is what does it for me. Now only if I could get the moolah I place to get my hands on this beauty once she's launched in India.

It starts in UAE from 7.1 lacs. So expect somewhere north of 8 lacs for the Icon? That's a hopeful guess. With all the taxes, I have a doubt that it will be even more. Fingers crossed.


Now there are quite a few things that I have missed out writing. I am really sorry about it.

First of all, it's a six speed gearbox. The engine is borrowed from the Ducati Monster 796 and detuned to make 75 bhp as opposed to the 86 bhp that the Monster 796 produces.

The reason why the engine is so rev friendly is cos the bike sports desmodromic valves instead of the conventional springs. That means less failure rate of springs at higher revs. Read more about them here.

The front suspension is 41mm upside down as opposed to 43 mm in the Ducati Monster 796. The suspension is not stiff and took the speed breakers pretty well. Now this is expected of an off-road bike.

The brakes at the front is a single rotor and of course Brembo and ABS is standard. Hard braking is never a problem, the bike feels poised. I did try out a couple of quick stops and nonetheless I was impressed.

The seats. It's comfortable. It's nice, it's wide and not to mention it feels good to be on it. It's quite wide and there is no way that you can have a pillion on that bike. Isn't that one less problem? like Arianna Grande said to her boyfriend

The alloy wheels are glossy black 10 spoke. I read it up in some other site that it's same for Icon and Full throttle version while the classic and urban enduro gets wired spokes? Not sure as the showroom only had Icon variant. The engine is air-cooled and the classic variant gets a mud-guard as I see from their site. The under seat storage comes with a USB socket which is a standard equipment. We didn't open the seats but were told by the showroom in-charge. There are a lot of other classic equipment list like vintage seats and stuff.

Let me clarify once again. Here on the roads most of the motorbikes do pretty high speeds owing to the wonderful roads. Now when I mentioned adequate power, it is only in regards to scenario here. I am sure that it won't disappoint anyone with respect to power. The another thing probably is that higher GC and off-road oriented suspensions will deal with the potholes and abnormalities our roads have to offer. The exhaust note might vary as the test drive bike was fitted with an after-market exhaust.

Sadly I have never had a chance to drive the Kawasaki Ninja 650 (someday) but I think practicality wise the Ninja might beat this bike. This is for the cowboys, who love retro looks and some off-roading. The handle-bars are a bit high and that can possible be the first mod if you were to buy it. It sure looks retro though.

That is most of it I guess, and if I happen to recollect anything more I will run back and put it up again.

Cheers!

Edit :

The rev counter is at the right most side of the display and revs are shown in clockwise direction which was new for me. I looked at the rev counter a couple of times and it was zooming in the form of blue lines in clockwise direction. It was a bit hard as well to know at what value of rpm I was at. That was something I wanted to figure out later but I couldn't.

[crazybiker46]

Thanks Anoop for the wonderful pics

When Ducati announced scrambler, i was wondering why a retro bike, because for me Ducatis are powerful superfast sports bikes. So i wanted to have a go on scrambler just to know what's so special about it.

Few months back in January, had a conversation with Martin,(senior sales exec or rather the face of Ducati, Dubai) regarding scrambler. I had gone to the showroom for a Multistrada test ride as i was looking forward to buy a used one that came in my budget. It was during that time he offered me scrambler test ride whenever bike is ready after run in.

My impressions

Love the retro styling and looks. Just like any other ducati, power delivery is instant at any gear. However the bike feels more refined at 5k-6k rpms. Martin had advised to keep it on a lower gear higher rpm while cruising. But anyway termignoni exhaust had made the bike sound louder.I was exepcting the bike to be slightly sluggish, but it's quick. I was able to negotiate turns at triple digit speeds. Not exactly canyon carving but will be fun if you ride fast. Also Wanted to try some offroading, but since damages while offroading are not covered by insurance, didn't bother. But with this ground clearance, definitely offroading is possible but not heavy like BMW GS, more suited for dirt roads. Also its nimble and flickable in traffic. Seats are comfortable and good for long distance. But as you can see from the pics,I'm dwarfing the bike and there is very less space for a pillion. Scramble icon and classic are more for city rides.But there are other models like urban enduro, offroad which i think have extended seats plus room for putting luggage.Overall this is a good bike for starters and those who like retro styling and looks.

Only thing i don't like is the handle bar positioning, it slightly awkward. Especially while taking corners, i wished handle bars were slightly lower. However we have the option to opt for handle bars from Scrambler enduro which is more upright and lower. Maybe because I'm used to riding sports bikes and tourers, i didn't liked this.

Will i buy this? Not now because I'm a fan of sports bikes and sport tourers, canyon carving to be exact i took this test ride more out of curiosity.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I do want to know what it can do on the road though.

Doc,

If you are looking at the outright top speed, its capable of touching 227 Kmph from what I could gather from forums abroad.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Doc,

If you are looking at the outright top speed, its capable of touching 227 Kmph from what I could gather from forums abroad.

That is a serious "O teri ...!" speed there Mahesh. Major wolf is sheep's clothing there. Understand well your continuing interest hence.