Ducati Scrambler vs Triumph Street Twin vs RE Interceptor 650

I'm going to keep this motorcycle for a very long time - that is, as long I'm physically fit to ride.

BHPian gigatech2006 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a RE Continental GT 535 and I'm looking to upgrade. This will be my one and only upgrade before the finality of the electric bikes flood the market. So, it must satisfy the following criteria:

• Value for money - in this case, style over substance is fine but the substance must be substantial. I don't want to own a beautiful looking motorcycle, but cringe on hard seats and stiff suspension while riding.
• I'd like to do long rides, but not exceeding 400 kms a day. That 400 kms shouldn't be tiresome. (I'll do long 'solo' rides only, so not looking for pillion comfort on highways). I can't do more than 200 kms on my GT535 before massaging my shoulders. Strangely, I've never got a back pain on this bike.
• Reliability should be high. I'm coming from an old RE with a hit or miss reliability, though my old bullet std 350 never spent a day in the service centers apart from regular service. Can't say the same with GT535.
• I know I'm getting into the superbike zone, and I'm not expecting cheap spare parts. But, the spare parts shouldn't be obscenely expensive.
• Service costs - I spend 3k every 6 months for the 535. I wouldn't mind spending 10k a year for the superbike. Anything more than this, I may have to think hard.

So guys, point me in the right direction. I really loved the Ducati Scrambler. I loved the Triumph Street Twin too, but my mind always compares that with the RE 650 and the price point (what am I getting for the extra 6.5 lacs), and things like that.

I'm going to keep this motorcycle for a very long time - that is, as long I'm physically fit to ride. So, appreciate your suggestions and pointers. And do point out if I'm being sensible with my requirements.

Here's what BHPian sandeepmohan had to say on the matter:

When it comes to value for money, it is impossible to beat the Royal Enfield 650's. There is nothing like it. Reading around here and the general inter web feeds, reliability is high and not something you'll need to worry about. Touring solo on a Interceptor is fine. Likely the easiest and cheapest to own in this group as all parts, spares are manufactured locally.

I cannot comment too much on the Scrambler or Street Twin. Looking at these bikes, I am not so sure about a Scrambler being suited for any kind of touring. The Triumph will be more suited to this and its a bigger bike too. Riding pleasure is likely to the highest with the Triumph. The good old 900cc block continues and this motor is music to your ears.

I would not put a price to this comparison. They are all very different motorcycles. Having ridden the old T100/120, if I had Triumph sort of money spend, its an eyes closed buy for me.

Here's what BHPian redeff had to say on the matter:

I've had people do long rides on the Scramber. Have done a Ladakh ride from Delhi too. First is the obvious advantage that the Ducati has, it has more power than the other two. The Icon's suspension is quite 'meh' specially on broken roads. None of the three bikes you have mentioned have offroad creds. Modifications can always be made to these bikes to make them more comfy, but the significant power bump that the Scrambler gets is pretty important to me, specially if this is your last internal combustion bike. The engine is pretty reliable , old school and charming. The suspension can always be upgraded later if you so wish. There are a few issues that were there with the older clutch system, but they have been changed now.

I bought the Scrambler the last time around. Would do so again.

Here's what BHPian no_fear had to say on the matter:

You want to spend Rs 10k on bike maintenance. The Ducati will cost you much more than that yearly just on parts and labor. I wouldn't recommend based on your current maintenance budget.

Here's what BHPian neil.jericho had to say on the matter:

gigatech2006, you certainly have raised a most interesting question. Im sure that fellow members will have a lot of opinions on your post as these are very diverse bikes and many of us will be able to relate to your situation. This requires a multi layered answer, so let me try to slice it and look at it from different lenses.

The good thing is that each bike is quite capable and has been around for some time. So accessories availability is not going to be a problem. However, touring and aftermarket accessories for the 650 twins are going to be a lot cheaper than the other two. There is no doubting that.

On the service costs, you can expect anything between Rs 6 - 10K for the service of the Triumph and the Ducati. Once these bikes are out of warranty, you can get them serviced in top garages like Highlander (HSR Layout) and others, where the service bills will come down and the quality of workmanship is impeccable. But, the abatross around the Street Twin's neck is the abysmal service quality and incompetence of the Bangalore Triumph dealership. To me, that is a complete dealbreaker if this is a new bike purchase. If you were looking at pre-owned bikes, I would say that buying a Triumph in Bangalore is not a problem and you can get it serviced outside the dealership. On the Ducati front, do bear in the mind the cost of the impending and dreaded Desmo service. There was a discussion on the prices being charged across cities in one of no_fear's Ducati threads IIRC. So, keep aside Rs 50K for it in a recurring deposit, if you buy your Ducati Scrambler. Ducati service quality in Bangalore is good, other members like deepfreak_15 who own Ducatis in Bangalore can chip in here. Royal Enfield has service centers around Bangalore, so there is nothing to worry about in terms of reach or costs.

Since you mentioned that spares should not be obscenely priced, do take a look at the pricing of tires nowadays. Dont be surprised when you have to replace the tires on your next bike after 15K kms.

For long rides, all three bikes should be fine. Get a windscreen and you will be able to easily manage. 400 kms is not that much compared to some of the mile munching that other TBHPians do. Ive done 550 kms easily on my Continental GT 535.

Now, coming to the tough part. You mentioned value for money as an important criteria. To be honest, this single criterion swings the decision, completely in favour of the 650 twins. Yes, the Street Twin and the Ducati Scrambler are better bikes than the 650 twins. They are better engineered, will give you you the big brand feels and get you exclusivity.

But are they Rs 6.5 lakhs better? Absolutely not! Are they Rs 3 lakh better? Absolutely not!

If the gap was Rs 1 to 1.5 L or so (for arguments sake), yes, I could convince you that the Triumph or the Ducati are worth the premium. But Rs 6.5L is a whole lot of money in 2021. Keep some money aside for modding the Royal Enfield 650 twin and put the rest in an FD, buy Eicher Motors shares and invest in mutual funds. You will save money and make money at the same time.

Case closed, right? Not exactly.

Now, all of this goes for a toss, if this is your last motorcycle purchase. You are looking for the one bike that will do it all and remain in your garage for the next 20 to 30 years. So what bike pulls your heart strings the most? When you are retired and want to go on a ride, will you enjoy your current ride or will you look back wistfully and regret not buying a different bike? In the really long run, will the extra cost of the Triumph and the Ducati, really make a difference? Isnt it better to be happier and not regret missing out on a purchase?

Like all of us, you seem to be battling between your heart and your head. So let me make it simple. If you are buying with:

- Only your head : Royal Enfield 650 (Interceptor or GT is upto you). Its so inexpensive that you can buy one Interceptor and one GT 650 and it will still cost you less than either the Ducati or the Triumph. Think about that.

- Head + Heart : Royal Enfield 650 or the Ducati Scrambler. The service quality at the Triumph Bangalore dealership should make you stay away.

- Only your heart : Buy what you want. If its the Ducati, hope interest rates on your Ducati FD are high. If its the Triumph, pray that warranty gets over quickly.

Case most definitely closed, right? Maybe not.

Now, like you, I too own a Continental GT 535 and I have a bigger bike (the Triumph Street Triple 675) in my garage. So let me throw in my last 2 cents, based on my 3 years of owning both bikes in Kerala. Of course, the road and traffic conditions here are not the same as what it is in Bangalore, so take it for what its worth. With the benefit of these few years of experience, I feel that if you have a scooter or a bike for your city duties, then getting a big bike like the Triumph Street Twin or the Ducati Scrambler makes a lot of sense. Keep the big bike for weekend fun and you can use your smaller bike for everything else in between. But if you will only have one bike in your garage, then the Royal Enfield twins should be it. End to end, it is a better big bike than the other two as it will do your daily commute, the weekend fun rides, touring and what not, reliably and economically. Its the best engineered Royal Enfield to date and there is a reason as to why it is selling so well in International markets and why it has won so many awards in India and abroad.

If I had to sell both my current bikes and buy only one motorcycle, that I had to keep for the next ten years, if not more, it would undoubtedly be the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

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