Menus
- Shake me, shake me !
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- Highway
- Departmental
- Comfort
- Braking
- Consumption
- Convenient
- Conclusion
Shake me, shake me !
Fashion is classic, old and revival. For the past ten years or so, there has been a revival of the classics and a few limited attempts at scramblers, these motorcycles with wide handlebars and studded tires for fans of sand and mud. While other brands have offered Scramblers, Ducati has put a lot of effort into it, practically developing a brand as much as a model and its own universe by declining it in no less than four models from the basic Icon version, to Urban Enduro, Full Throttle and Classic versions up to a dedicated Sportswear clothing line. So much so, that by dint of advertising and marketing at all costs, many have forgotten the motorcycle in favor of the trendy image and communication! And yet, this is not a real novelty, since the Bologna brand has "only" taken up its sources and a model developed between 1962 and 1975.
Discovery
The Scrambler delves into the world of the beach but also Fast-Track races depending on the model. We therefore find a machine with wide handlebars, raised exhaust and round headlight, directly from the 70s. The models are then differentiated by the saddle, or the rims sometimes with spokes or sticks, or even by the silencer. We notice in passing the huge 18-inch front wheel, with its 17-inch rear little sister.
Under the ramage, we find the engine base of the Monster 796 with the twin-cylinder of 803 cm3, the last air twin of the brand, whose power has been castrated to "only" 75 horses while offering a torque of 68 Nm placed enough high at 8750 rpm. The 2 in 1 exhaust system with two aluminum mufflers has been specially designed.
In the saddle
First surprise, with a 790mm saddle and a relatively thin crotch, the 1.70m rider puts his feet flat and therefore better than most roadsters on the market. Even the 1.60m rider will manage to put his foot on the ground, not to mention that the wide handlebars offer a perfect hold.
Uncluttered as in the 70s, the dashboard boils down to a simple round screen slightly offset to the right and almost behind the throttle cable. Apart from the 70s form, the counter is fully digital with a speedometer, a graduation around the perimeter for the engine speed (with a red zone at 12,000 rpm), an odometer, two partials, a reserve mileage indicator, a fuel reserve warning light, an ambient temperature display, service reminders (every 12,000 km), a clock and an ABS indicator. Then there are the most standard engine oil pressure warning lights, the full headlight warning light, the neutral point indicator, the turn signal indicator, the electronic immobilizer and an overspeed warning light..
In the end, when starting up, everything first lights up like a Christmas tree !
Contact
The circuit breaker is raised to uncover the contactor on the right. The Scrambler then plays the bass tone of its two in one. First engaged, the start is brutal and the throttle cut just as much. We pass the second, slowly, to prevent the nose-up. Who says peak torque is high? The first few yards are more temperamental, while the numbers tend to indicate a "cool" machine. The beast begins to take control after a few meters, helped by the very wide handlebars, which makes you want to lift, pitch up, wheeler! Calms you !
In the city
Brutal, nervous from the lowest revs, the Scrambler needs to be awake as little as possible in the morning and even more so in the rain on pain of ejecting its driver. Habit helping, we dose the accelerator in a more subtle way to limit the kick in the butt with each acceleration. And yet, for those who want smoother shifting, the twin is a reminder that it can knock if you don’t keep it above 3,000 rpm. That said, the playful biker can force himself to drive in the last gear at 50 km / h, just at the limit of 2,000 rpm. It is possible but in 99% of cases, we will prefer to stay above 3,000 rpm.
However, the engine offers a hell of a stretch with a first that pulls up to 70 km / h and a second that pulls up to 100 km / h. Suddenly, in town, we never go as far as these illicit speeds, but we generally oscillate between second and third gear, the first being a little violent..
But it is this character that contributes to giving a fun side with a good dose of pulp that never stays at the bottom.
The wide handlebars offer leverage and enormous maneuverability aided by a large turning radius of 35 °. The only flaw in quality, the handlebars are very wide to pass without a cold sweat in city center traffic in the middle of a traffic jam, even if its height regularly allows you to pass over the rear-view mirrors of the cars, but not always. We pass more easily between the lines with the brand’s roadsters or sports cars than with the Scrambler or say, that goes, but often fair, even very very fair.
Highway
This is not a roadster…. it’s a Scrambler! And with even wider handlebars than a roadster and an upright stance, it quickly looks like a sail with enormous wind resistance. It holds up, it doubles very well…. but it is not suitable and we appreciate with delight the return to the small roads.
Departmental
After the ordeal of the motorway, the Scrambler immediately finds its marks on the small roads to string together the virolos with happiness. The more daring can almost drop the knee if the mood takes them because the ground clearance is generous. Without excelling at it, the engine has enough potato to attempt the attack, especially if you let it run above 4,000 rpm and if you whip it up to 8,000 rpm…. And between the first two gears, we then oscillate between 70 and 100 km / h, which leaves room for one..
In short, we can really accelerate the pace especially as the Scrambler is not bland and offers excellent agility … a very playful Italian in a way..
Comfort
The rider’s seat looks wide and comfortable, but that’s a misconception, due to its thinness, reinforced by a less vertical shock absorber than usual. Result, despite a significant clearance of 150 mm, we can feel the defects of the road.
Braking
The Scrambler brakes excellently from the rear! When you usually benefit from a simple retarder, the rear balances the front very well, especially since heavy braking from the front puts the machine off the ground and it dives excessively. So suddenly, for anyone who wants to manhandle her, the whole thing can look like a rocking horse quite quickly. But if you operate both levers simultaneously, you get excellent braking, with a good feeling. And yet the single 330mm disc at the front could have raised concerns about under-efficiency, especially since the rear is as usual a mere 245mm. It must be the Brembo four-piston calipers and radial mount !
Consumption
Despite a small 13.5-liter tank, the Scrambler offers relative autonomy with its consumption between 5 and 5.5 liters, or about 200 kilometers before the reserve light comes on..
Convenient
There is little space under the seat, but you can still fit two drives in it and that’s it. But above all, space is added to a USB socket! And suddenly, you can recharge your mobile phone under the saddle! Ah and to open everything, just turn your head 180 °: yes, the key is under the mudguard. It is important not to forget it when parking the motorcycle.
Conclusion
Have you always dreamed of a beach bike as a child, but motorcycle engine sizes were then limited to 125cc? The Scrambler is the model for you. Playful, easy to handle, the model is also a real eye-catcher. And with a real engine, calm compared to the Monster but with a good dose of character, you will not get bored on its handlebars, far from it. !
Strong points
- look
- motor character
- seat height (low)
Weak points
- comfort
Ducati Scrambler technical sheet
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