MotoGP – Rossi’s lecture in Jerez –

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BMW R nineT Scrambler impressions, Ducati Scrambler and SWM Silver Vase 440

Sun, sand and scrambler

The hit man Howard Carpendale has already found tracks in the sand. Only they were taken away by the flood. An intolerable condition. So three scramblers moved out to leave impressions of their joie de vivre in the unpaved sediment, where the land borders the great water. Beach free for the BMW R nineT Scrambler, Ducati Scrambler and SWM Silver Vase 440.

The test routine forces every test editor into a tight corset. Your own thinking is strictly based on the 1000-point plan. The weal and woe of every two-wheeler caught in the grid of the most objective evaluation. Consumption, driving performance, braking performance – everything flows neatly into the final assessment as an irrefutable collection of data. That hits the technical core of every motorcycle – but not necessarily its essence, its character. Therefore, something different was needed for this comparison, less objectivity, more risk. Three scramblers – BMW R nineT scramblers, D.ucati Scrambler Classic and SWM Silver Vase – were already eagerly awaiting the start. The inclined reader would now interject that the comparison had long since been decided – after all, a Bavarian motorcycle is included!

BMW R nineT Scrambler impressions, Ducati Scrambler and SWM Silver Vase 440

Sun, sand and scrambler

R nineT Scrambler, Ducati Scrambler Classic and SWM Silver Vase in the transporter. They travel across Germany in the dark of the hold before they receive a gem for motorcycle fans with tiresome tires in the shine of the last evening sun. We are right here. The gentle wind blows salty air in our faces, the desired and legally navigable destination called the beach is just a stone’s throw away. At this place, the scramblers should show whether the offroad topic is really in their souls of steel, aluminum and leather. We prefer to keep quiet about where exactly we set up camp. The insider tip may remain one.

Grobstoller for more fun in the sand

The striving for comparison, which is deeply anchored in the tester’s soul, for the actual question of the better cannot be shaken off completely, which is why the next day is characterized by exciting competitions. Simply milling through the sand would not be appropriate. There has to be added value, a pentathlon motorcycle versus motorcycle without ever emphasizing seriousness. In order to adequately serve this touch of seriousness, the rims of the BMW R nineT Scrambler are adorned with fresh Karoo 3. The Grobstoller promise more fun in the sand than the series-mounted Tourance Next. Almost all preparatory measures have been completed with this conversion campaign. Quickly unscrew the mirrors, because what’s not there can’t break, and the first sand fountains are ours.

After man and machine have got used to the new underground, we open the games. Contest number one is dedicated to acceleration in a direct duel. Three different displacements, 1170 cm³ for the BMW R nineT Scrambler, 803 cm³ for the Ducati Scrambler Classic and 445 cm³ for the SWM Silver Vase 440, three completely different outputs (BMW: 110 PS, Ducati: 73 PS, SWM: 30 PS) and three passes. Top tester Schorschi quickly sniffs out his self-confidence at the Italian from Borgo Panigale: “Before you engaged, I’ll be gone a long time ago…!” Stefan, on the BMW, and the author at the SWM briefly exchange a glimpse. Especially now. The flag falls, the engines roar. Sand shoots up from the rear wheels. The three mill their way forward more across than straight ahead. And at the end of run one, SWM is ahead. Take this, top tester.

Material for a photo love story available

The blow sat like a well-timed boxer’s hook on the unprotected solar plexus. Bam. But before Schorschi completely loses his composure, start for run number two. Stefan activated the optional traction control on the BMW R nineT Scrambler. The fat boxer pushes forward inimitably like a tank in the deepest mud. The other two sink into the sandblasting bath. At run three the acceleration improver is back in the off position. The SWM Silver Vase 440 breaks out massively at the rear, converting its few horsepower not into propulsion, but into lateral acceleration. The line of the BMW lies exactly in the target area. Contact, gas out, the barrel is lost. Schorschi has finally made it forward on the Ducati Scrambler Classic.

After so much excitement, we need something to calm down now. Wide beaches are made for kite flying. That should be able to be combined with a passenger rating. Driver at the front, passenger at the back, and always keep the string to the flying object taut: Curtain up for task number two – kite flying from the motorcycle. To cut a long story short: the SWM Silver Vase does it best and wins the pillion ranking between surf and dunes. The reason: your bracket. Point. But that doesn’t matter because the driver and co-driver of all three have seldom sat on a motorcycle in such harmony and happiness. That would offer enough material for a photo love story and the potential for a slowdown from the stressful everyday life prescribed by health insurance companies.

"Falling below 30 km / h does not count as a fall"

Before the upturned corners of the mouth can only be knocked out of the faces with the help of brute force and a hammer drill, back to something more strenuous. In the style of the top test slalom race, deep sand wedges now follow with a rapid U-turn. Stefan dashes through the turns with the BMW R nineT Scrambler. His enduro experience helps to keep the 220 kilo boxer on course. The rest is done by the towering torque of 116 Nm at 6000 revolutions of the flat win together with the coarse stalls in the format 120/70 R19 and 170/60 R17 on the rims. At the turning point, he sends the rear wheel into the outer orbit with a lot of gas, forming a furrow in the sand that resembles the depth of the Mariana Trench. At least roughly. And only until the front wheel decides to lose targeted traction. Due to the large, stylish steel tank that extends far back, Stefan doesn’t get enough pressure on the front. He sends a short thrust of gas in the hope of stabilization towards the rear wheel, then the protruding cylinders take their bed in the soft beach. The photographer cheers. His credo: The best pictures are always those about to fall. Stefan hisses back: "Falling below 30 km / h does not count as a fall." "Well then again, please,"throws the man back on the trigger.

Georg suspects nothing good. He effortlessly maneuvers the Ducati Scrambler Classic through the right-left sequence. The 18-inch model 110/80 at the front expresses its will, demands full effort on the wide and high handlebars in order to stay halfway on course. At the turning point, the sand sticks like grease between the delicate tread blocks of the MT60 tires from Pirelli. Traction on the fat 180/55 rear tire remains a wish, not a reality. Nevertheless, Schorschi manages to turn the Duc by 180 degrees in a remarkable drift – mind you, without a soil sample. The SWM Silver Vase 440 follows next. As a complete novice to the sand, the author tries to compensate for inability with courage on the gas hand. Inside, it feels as if the previously unknown genes from Ken Roczen’s genetic material pool are finally coming to light, on the outside it looks different. It’s a fight, it’s a fight The SWM digs through the sand because of its low, easily controllable performance, which is suitable for beginners. When it comes down to it, however, she clearly communicates that her casual chugging is more important than spontaneous speed. 36 Nm at 5500 rpm are just not too much. Nevertheless, it is enough for delicate drifts and soil samples to research the exact shape of the grain of sand. The bottom line is that this task goes to the BMW R nineT Scrambler, which is making up ground with Schmackes. But woe, speed and lean angle don’t come together for a short time, then it goes downhill. A tool for experts.

Water passage and the deep sand field

What not only these should master are water crossings. The floor slippery, the fountains high, the result is impressive images and the knowledge that the material holds. A leaky plug connector, carelessly laid electrics or bad plug connections do not like the salt shower at all. In order to fully test the quality of the material, this test was number three on the program several times. Contemporaries involved were only amazed that the photographer was finished with the accompanying snapshots when there was no more dry spot to be found on the tester’s smart clothes. We’ll mark this as an individual case and would rather be pleased that neither the BMW R nineT Scrambler, Ducati Scrambler Classic nor SWM Silver Vase 440 could ostensibly harm the bath in salty sea water. The Silver Vase alone was increasingly annoying with hard dropouts, and its fuel pump once refused to work. These pitfalls persisted even after thorough washing. Wasn’t quite her day.

One last test is still waiting: the deep sand field in front of us stretches for a good 200 meters. Once there, once back – and as quickly as possible. The BMW R nineT Scrambler stomps ahead like a Lanz Bulldog. A wheelbase of 1,522 millimeters and a steering head angle of 61 degrees are ideal ingredients, which is why their speed is impressive. The boxer pushes and pushes. The front wheel prances, looking for its track. Stefan corrects the aluminum handlebar with a delicate hand. Then the Bavarian is back at the starting point. The SWM Silver Vase 440 wants to do the same. But the author’s heart sucks. Your steering head angle is also rather flat at 62 degrees and thus promotes stability, but at 1,427 millimeters, its wheelbase is much shorter than that of the BMW. The 445 engine bravely struggled through this test in gear one, but the BMW rider and motorcycle couldn’t come close. Which is all down to the pilot. Fear eats up lap times. There is nothing to shake. The Ducati Scrambler Classic is still missing. Schorschi wants to know now. Not targeting the sand field, but even the dune next to it, a sand field with a rise, so to speak. If that works, the winner of this test would be determined. But doubts are appropriate.

After all, the Ducati Scrambler Classic, with a wheelbase of 1445 millimeters and a steep steering head angle of 66 degrees, clearly has the most values ​​designed for road use, wants to run around corners more easily than ultra-stable straight ahead. The top test doesn’t care at this moment. He picks up momentum, the run-up is right, the Italian digs her way up the hill with spinning rear wheel, her air-cooled Desmo two-cylinder cheers, and yet man and machine fail. Shortly before the deep summit, the load stands as if deliberately parked in the sand. Only six hands and a quick jolt help to free the motorcycle again. Schorschi does not give up. Even more gas, even more start-up, don’t flinch – and he has made it, looks triumphantly around. Sometimes it’s really the little things that make seasoned men happy. And because we all see it that way – no matter how much talent there is – we are now sending the photographer home, ending the sand games and just banging around on the beach for fun. Enjoy the vastness, the quiet lapping of the rushing waves and every gentle drift.

It sends pure endorphins through your body every time, awakens the senses – or to put it another way: it’s just fun. Why it is like that? No idea. Hence the advice: try it yourself, bring a little courage and dare. In the end, you always win a lot more than you think you lose. This is why all three motorcycles are winners here and now, regardless of whether they are expensive like the BMW R nineT Scrambler (14,020 euros), priced in the middle of the field like the Ducati Scrambler Classic (10,595 euros) or as a budget offer like the SWM Silver Vase 440 (5,240 euros) go through. Every driver has found his favorite in this field, which is suitable for his heroic deeds. It doesn’t take more. The strict scoring will follow soon. Promised. We still use the short time until the sun gently kisses the horizon for the fun of our lives.

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