Ducati Scrambler Review

The Ducati Scrambler for many people means many different things. Some find it classic, some modern. For some it's a great street bike, for some it's a good bike to go off road on. Some would use the bike in every day traffic, some would use it for weekend rides. That's the essence of this motorcycle. It's versatility makes it very difficult to slot it into a category or a segment. I had the opportunity of taking one out for a ride today and here's what I feel.

When it comes to character, the Scrambler likes to maintain a low profile. There's no in your face kind of design. It's how they used to build them. Simple to use. Simple to maintain. Sit across it and you feel that the bike is light and the saddle is not placed on the first floor so even for shorter riders like myself, both feet reach the ground quite comfortably. There is a level of refinement in this bike that I've not seen on any Ducati so far. Ducatis to me used to sound like a factory floor in motion. Not any more. May be the bike was designed under instructions from daddy company Audi, not to make it like a Ducati and for many riders like me, that's a good thing.

The bike is fun to ride in traffic. Light, flickable and all the torque in the world is a twist of the wrist away. On the open roads too the bike pulls off very comfortably in a straight line. The torque curve is quite linear and the bike is fast but well behaved. No surprises. It's happy to lean into a corner and even happier changing directions. ABS equipped brakes do their part quite efficiently. Engine braking is kind of harsh but manageable. Gearshifts are slick and precise and gearless up and down shifts are no problem at all. The handlebars are too high for my liking but there are umpteen aftermarket options to correct that.

Honestly, there truly is no real problem with this bike. And that to me is its biggest problem. It's not as sharp handling as a sports bike nor is it as hard accelerating as a sports naked. It doesn't have the touring abilities of an adventure bike nor is it as comfortable as a cruiser. What it does quite well is pretty much everything. What it does extremely well is pretty much nothing. And that would be reason enough for me not to put my money on it. After a while, I'd get bored of it. For you though, I suggest you head to the nearest Ducati showroom and find out for yourself. It might just strike a chord with you.

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