Ducati Scrambler Icon in the top test

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Ducati Scrambler Icon in the top test

Conquer hearts, rule ice cream parlors

Admittedly, 100 percent species-appropriate husbandry looks different. But: We had fun with the new Ducati Scrambler Icon. The top test clarifies whether Ducati’s retro offspring also triggers feelings of happiness on the asphalt.

Retro is very fashionable. The practice, which has been common in the automotive sector for quite a while, to present the latest technology in a backward-looking look (New Beetle, Fiat 500, etc.) is also becoming more and more established among two-wheeler manufacturers. That is not all with the launch of the new Ducati S.crambler obviously. “It’s not retro, it’s post-heritage,” Ducati points out – and is somehow right. In contrast to the more old-school, conservative classic models from Triumph or the blissful sport classics of the Bolognese themselves, the four scrambler variants cites the theme of the old single-cylinder scramblers half a century ago. More like an electronic remix, if you will, rather than a detailed cover version of the original.

Ducati Scrambler Icon in the top test

Conquer hearts, rule ice cream parlors

Ducati Scrambler agrees with the makers. With its simple, unexcited and unobtrusive design, the Scrambler Icon we tested (8490 euros) is obviously particularly popular with those who have nothing to do with two-wheelers. Passers-by seem to perceive, in a strange way, intuitively that something different, fresh is thundering through the streets. At the cafe, too, the Icon proves to be a popular figure; she is, beware, bachelors, the two-wheeled equivalent of the puppy dog. Too much hype? Let’s let the market decide.

2 Short bench is good for people who have just fallen in love

Either way, the appearance is not only right when viewed from a distance, there is also a lot of love in the details. To name just a few examples: The chic aluminum lamp holder, the elegant finish of the tank emblems (also aluminum), the old-school throttle cable housing, the gas cap – there are little gimmicks and reminiscences everywhere that attract the eye magnetically and from the heart and soul of the designer announce. In any case, the Ducati Scrambler passes the Rolf Henniges litmus test for a motorcycle; the author would have a beer with it in the garage in the evening. But what about the actual benchmark, the 1000-point top test? As much as the Ducati Scrambler tries to evade this with its simple, reduced-to-the-essentials style, it is of no use: Even style icons should be able to tie their shoelaces. So away with the latte macchiato and Claudia’s phone number, and here with the helmet and ignition key!

Anyone who sits on the Ducati Scrambler for the first time should be surprised by the graceful shape of the motorcycle. At 790 millimeters, the seat height is low, and the machine is nice and narrow around the tank and seat. The bar on a handlebar, on the other hand, is wide, high up and close to the pilot, which requires an upright, boss-like, casual, but hardly active posture. Those who are as compact as the machine are automatically seated in a small hollow directly behind the tank. Taller drivers can slide backwards, but then the very best of them crouches on an edge in the upholstery, which is uncomfortable in the long run. Due to the moderately high mounted footrests, the knee angle is a little bit acute, but bearable, for drivers at 1.75 meters. If you don’t need a ladder to pick cherries, you will feel a bit oversized on the compact Ducati Scrambler. The space available on the Numero due seat is cozy: although the knee angle fits, the short bench is more suitable for people who have just fallen in love or who want to become one.

3 Ducati Scrambler manages the balancing act between mild and wild

The engine of the Ducati Scrambler should actually be taken out of the program, not long ago Ducati communicated with the end of the Monster 796 also the end of the air / oil-cooled two-valve engine. Funny how the disused units of days gone by are experiencing their second spring today – see BMW R nineT. Here, in the Ducati Scrambler, the 803 cubic L-Twin, modified by means of a modified throttle valve body and camshafts, delivers an excellent performance. Such affable manners would hardly have been expected of the engine in the past. The scrambler is unfamiliar with the somewhat rough chopping of the old monsters, instead there is swallowing-free pull-through from 2500 tours and a decent torque plateau of over 60 Nm from 4000 tours. Even at the top, the Desmodue doesn’t let up and offers speed reserves of up to over 9,000 revolutions.

Sure, 75 HP doesn’t embarrass any 180 slippers, but the incredibly smooth and predictable, linear thrust of the drive allows the pilot to achieve appealing performance at any time. The Ducati Scrambler manages the balancing act between mild and wild: Beginners are not overwhelmed, advanced riders can munch the twin to their heart’s content and then circle pretty quickly. The whole thing is acoustically backed by a soundtrack that warms hearts and spares neighbors. Hard, bassy L-twin beat, rounded on the baffle plate, mezzo-like puffed out, robust and yet socially acceptable, and as the icing on the cake, a subtle tennis ball sizzling in push mode. Voila, the ear canal flatterer is ready.

4 short, bone-dry switching paths

The clutch works inconspicuously and underlines the playful character of the Ducati Scrambler with good controllability and little manual force. The promised anti-hopping function of the APTC unit has to be looked for with a magnifying glass, but rear wheel stamping is still not an issue. The six-speed gearbox is – surprise! – a typical Ducati gearbox with short, bone-dry shift travel. It would like to receive its switching commands from an authoritarian foot, but rewards it with a full detent. The translation is short in line with practice. A remarkable top speed of 195 kilometers per hour is specified, but longer stretches of the motorway are prohibited due to the lack of wind protection. That wouldn’t fit the character of the Ducati Scrambler at all.

Better to enjoy a leisurely swing on the country road, where the Ducati Scrambler delivers a largely coherent picture. Using the wide handlebar, it can be circled through all kinds of radii with very little effort, it turns easily and evenly and stays cleanly on track. The straight-line stability is flawless, and the freedom from leaning is good. Turning to the right – late, but still – the exhaust cover is still scratching hard in front of the footrest. It’s good if there is no bump.

In general, bumps and the Ducati Scrambler are not exactly best friends, as the directly hinged, underdamped rear shock absorber in particular sends short blows to the rider’s rear by express delivery. At the front it fits halfway, but a somewhat softer setup and better responsiveness would follow the Scrambler’s easy going nature better. So we book the simple chassis, which can only be adjusted in the preload at the back, a bit optimistically under "robust and honest". For two-person operation, it is imperative that the rear is more pretensioned, as otherwise the freedom from inclination will shrink badly.

5 Half the braking system of the Panigale

The roughly profiled Pirelli MT 60 RS in the dimensions 110/80/18 at the front and 180/55/17 at the rear has been reissued especially for the Ducati Scrambler. The rubber liked with its low set-up moment and good grip level, especially when wet, and in contrast to its ancient predecessor, which was popular among Supermoto pilots at the time, low driving noise. However, the zero-degree steel belt tire already showed acute signs of wear and tear on the front flanks after a good 1300 kilometers of test operation. So nothing for those who eat miles, but if necessary, current rubbers in the dimensions mentioned with more durable compounds can be found in stores – only they don’t look so cool then. Who needs to know: The tire still plays along on forest and gravel paths, but real off-road inserts are of course not possible due to the tight spring travel and the unsuitable seating position, no matter how spectacular it looks. The retro rocket is much more likely to be the urban jungle, where ease of use and a comfortable seating position enable stress-free A-to-B. Only the width of the handlebars bothers you a little when you wind your way through the traffic lights.

To decelerate, a single 330 millimeter disc and a Brembo monoblock are used on the front wheel of the Ducati Scrambler, in principle half of the Panigale’s braking system. The anchors are easy to dose and calculate, but the pilot also has to reach in for heavy decelerations. We couldn’t detect any fading, and the twisting tendency of the asymmetrical single-pane system is negligible. The Bosch ABS, which can be switched off, does a good job with short control intervals and low pulsation in the adjustable brake lever. At the back it says “typical Ducati” again. Here, the braking performance is modest and of a more cosmetic nature, no matter how hard you kick in.

6 4.7 liters consumption per 100 kilometers

The Ducati Scrambler is also easy to handle in everyday matters. With 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers, the consumption is within the normal range for this class, which results in a theoretical range of around 300 kilometers with a tank capacity of 13.5 liters. Maintenance intervals of 12,000 are easy on the wallet, standard Ducati controls are easy on the driver’s nerves. The equipment is spartan, the only luxury is a USB socket under the bench. But fans can book this as purism. The small digital speedometer provides information about the essentials, namely speed, daily kilometers, clock and, barely decipherable, the speed as a clockwise rotating bar.

But you don’t really want to chalk such little things to the Ducati Scrambler, because it makes absolutely no secret of the fact that it doesn’t really care about the everyday category. A lot of things that score points don’t matter to her, and that somehow makes her likeable. For cynics it may be a fashion item, for racers a crutch, too common for the custom scene and a mystery for utility fetishists. For everyone who enjoys simple, uncomplicated motorcycling, beautifully made objects and Italian moments, it could be just the thing. Their good-natured, honest driving behavior is no mystery, and the pearl of an engine fits in wonderfully with the overall concept. To say it again: We had fun with the new Ducati Scrambler.

Conclusion

Anyone who has fallen heavily in love with one will only be marginally interested – nevertheless we can report that the Ducati Scrambler, apart from small chassis weaknesses, is a good motorcycle with a great engine. Sure, there’s just as much for less money elsewhere, but that’s not the point. The Ducati Scrambler takes no prisoners when it comes to winning hearts and running ice cream parlors.

Motor Scrambler Icon / Monster 796

Manufacturer

The engine of the Ducati Scrambler: Originally in the Monster 796, now in the Ducati Scrambler. 803 cubic meters, air-cooled and timelessly beautiful.

The dead live longer

It should actually go, but now it stays: The air / oil-cooled L-Twin should also disappear with the departure of the Monster 696 and 796 from the Ducati portfolio. In the Ducati Scrambler lives on the two-valve engine now.

After the Monster 821 and 1200 with their water-cooled units advanced into new performance areas, but did not necessarily win beauty prizes (have you ever noticed that the water monsters are usually photographed from the right side?), Friends of the air-cooled two-valve model can rejoice. In the Ducati Scrambler, the 803 cubic L-Twin equipped with desmodromic forced valve control is experiencing its second spring.

The drive has been properly modified for use in the retro bike: a single throttle valve body (50 millimeters in diameter) instead of two, modified camshafts and a tame eleven degree valve overlap – that costs around 12 hp at its peak, but brings a much smoother response and one wonderfully even power delivery.

The revised engine accelerates much earlier without jerking and chopping, has no torque or power teeth and pithy pressure in the middle. On top of that it lacks a bit of monster revving, but you can live with that in the Ducati Scrambler. And let’s be honest: Doesn’t it look gorgeous?

Technical data Ducati Scrambler

28 Pictures

Pictures: Ducati Scrambler Icon in the top test

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Used Ducati Scrambler Icon in price comparison

1000PS marketplace app

A large selection of scrambler icons is waiting for you on the second-hand market.

With the large range of accessories from Ducati, the Scrambler Icon is a good basis for various conversions. It is therefore surprising that so many copies are still in series on the used market. The selection is still very large. Here is a price comparison: used Ducati Scrambler Icon in Germany.

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