Ducati Scrambler Classic, 2015 road test

Ducati Scrambler Classic: The name of a historic model returns, which in the Years' 60 had become very popular with a single-cylinder configuration with displacements from 250 to four-and-a-half. Dusting off this name, full of meaning and tradition, was not easy at all. Ducati has been talking about it for years, but the project never took off. There are many reasons, either the presence in the price list of models like the Sportclassic GT 1000 until a few years ago, or the fear that it would overlap with the Monster's entry level trim levels. Then there was also the fear that dredging up such an important name for the history of the brand could be interpreted as a nostalgia operation, as there are many, with all the pros and cons. In the end, with the new Monster, which has decidedly raised the bar (the 821 starts with 112 horsepower, not to mention the 1200), space has been created for a more "quiet" model, something that would satisfy the needs of those who previously oriented themselves towards less powerful Monsters, but in a way that was anything but banal. This is demonstrated by the fact that Scrambler is not just a model, but a new brand. A new style of experiencing the motorbike. Concepts that will make some people turn up their noses a bit, "marketing phrases" to attract new customers, good for the fate of the brand, but how is the bike? The price isn't even too low, if you don't choose the Icon (not for nothing by far the best-selling of the 4 available versions) you get dangerously close to that of a Monster 821 Dark. Perhaps the choice to "stay tall" was intended to further relaunch the value of Ducati, avoiding proposing an economic model. Not even the risk of modernizing a 50-year-old motorcycle was taken, because the new Scrambler has very little to do with the historic one in terms of technology. Now Ducati hasn't produced a single-cylinder for some time and it would have been anachronistic to do so again. So it too is a Ducati like all the others, with two cylinders and desmodromic distribution, easy and easy to handle, a bike for everyone, but not for this reason its "unlucky" sister, on the contrary. She has a lot of style and it was clear from her first appearances. What surprised us though is that Driving it is anything but boring even for those with a lot of experience. In just a few corners it managed to make all our skepticism disappear, winning us over precisely in the aspect most dear to a motorcyclist: the pleasure of riding.. There remains some doubt about the price, which we consider a little high, but the success it is enjoying seems to prove Ducati right.

Aesthetics and finishes:

rating:  

A unique style, a mix of modern and references to the past

Photo by “LINGEGNERE”

Let's start with a reflection, the Scrambler is to all intents and purposes the first Ducati born from the Audi era. A project that, looking at it closely and focusing on the details, it leaves nothing, absolutely nothing, to chance. Don't think that, given its positioning in the price list, it is an entry level Ducati. It could be for the power data or for some simpler cycling solutions, but the quality and details are true Ducati. It's not even a modernization of the 1962 Scrambler, which only recalls with some gems, such as the writing "Born Free 1962" on the fuel cap or the key that recalls the shape of the light switch of its ancestor, or the look of the two-tone tank (whose two brushed aluminum side panels are removable) and the quilted saddle. For the rest we find modern elements such as the 4 LED segments that form a circumference on the external part of the front headlight, or the rear light, also LED, which draws a "U" under the Ducati writing of the saddle, under which we find a USB socket, another convenient touch of modernity. There is little plastic, a lot of metal and an aspect essential, as it should be. The instrumentation is also a mix of classic (the circular shape), essential (a single element placed on the right of the driver, without too many frills or buttons to navigate the menus) and modern (it is a digital display). Beautiful i spoke circles, which are the prerogative of the Classic setup of our test and of the Urban Enduro, in our opinion the most beautiful to look at. Two important characteristics have also been carefully studied for the exhaust: line and performance. Looking at it, it seems like the union of sinuous manifolds (an aesthetic quirk which however forces you to dismantle the exhaust every time you work on the belts) and a short, modern and beautiful to look at terminal. In reality, when the motion is inclined, you notice that the two elements are not joined directly, but that in the lower part there is a "large pan" which hides a portion necessary for the correct functioning and positioning of the catalyst. More generally, going around the Scrambler and observing it closely, it is clear that everything is well studied and excellently created. Each element is part of the style of this motorbike, nothing is out of place. The black swingarm is beautiful, with the monoshock placed on the left side, the engine finish is refined, with a matte black color and some details such as, for example, the vertical part of the cylinder fins in contrasting metal colour. Everything is essential, but never poor. The fork is an up-side-down one, the front brake disc is single, but with a prestigious Brembo radial mount caliper and a large diameter. Then there is lots of space for customizing the bike, because the Scrambler concept can be experienced as it is, but also by playing with details and modifications that can make it a unique piece.

Engine and performance:

rating:  

Easy yes, but with the right power

Photo by “LINGEGNERE”

The Scrambler's engine is a classic Ducati: the L-twin with desmodromic distribution and air cooling. The 803 cc is derived from that of the Monster 796, but with specific camshafts to give it a different, more fluid and homogeneous character. It remains two valves per cylinder, with a maximum power of 75 horsepower at 8.250 rpm and 68 Nm of torque at 5.750. The modern 6-speed gearbox is then combined with a APTC type slipper clutch. The delivery is linear and makes the “easy” power for everyone, but when driving the Scrambler we were able to remove the doubt that it was too quiet. Just to give you an idea, 75 horsepower nowadays isn't a lot, but they are enough, if you are convinced that to make a single wheel you need to grind like crazy, put the motorbike as a hat, as a journalist did at the Californian presentation of the Scrambler. We have reiterated it many times, the numbers don't say everything, sometimes exaggerated power doesn't translate into fun, other times less than 80-90 horsepower is enough to give flavor to the driving experience. In this way, driving the Scrambler removed all our doubts, the engine is part of a project and fully reflects its characteristics. It's easy to ride, you don't even need electronics (at least on dry asphalt) to always be safe, but thanks to the great handling you can keep up with much more powerful bikes without difficulty. We didn't want a version with a few more horses at all. Furthermore, the rounded and fluid delivery also makes it easy for those who want to have fun doing a few traverses on dirt roads, as it should be for a bike that bears this name. For those who want to give it a more interesting voice, it is necessary to dig into the wallet and replace the original exhaust, which is very "polite".

Ride and handling:

rating:  

It rides like a bicycle and can be fun for those who enjoy it

Photo by “LINGEGNERE”

There was some skepticism, we admit. Either due to the price which, in a hasty judgment, might seem superior to the contents, or due to all the media effort for the launch of what is not only a model but also a new brand, it seemed to us that the aspects that are fundamental to us in a motorbike had been lost of sight. Getting on the Scrambler however was a very pleasant surprise, a motorbike that can be driven like a bicycle, super easy to handle, but capable of giving great emotions even to those who have been riding for years and appreciate a good ride. A bike with which to go for a walk, but also to pull off on the right path and get a lot of satisfaction. A handful of curves were enough to convince us, between the Culmine pass and Val Taleggio. The first narrow ones and ideal terrain for a motorbike like the Scrambler, quick and easy to handle like few others, before moving on instead to the sequence of changes of direction and wider curves, from third and fourth gear, which we find going down towards the Bergamo area. Perhaps because we are fresh from an experience in this area, but after a few curves riding the Scrambler the feeling is exactly that of riding a Flat Track motorbike. Wide handlebars, light front end, you ride with your weight forward to load the front and with the shoulders ending almost above the handlebars themselves. The Classic has a high one, of the 4 only the Full Throttle differs in this as it has a lower one. At first the tires are a bit scary, one expects them to be an aesthetic quirk which will be paid for in terms of grip road, and instead the Scrambler always "stays there", even when you start pushing it hard. The footrests are low, but they do not easily touch the ground, but the tips of the feet do. You then ride on tiptoe, sliding them back and keeping them tightly closed inside to avoid sliding at the first bend. That it is easy is immediately obvious, just look at it, simple and "concentrated" in the engine area, with obvious advantages in terms of mass centrality. I am The Scrambler weighs 170 kg dry, 186 in running order. They go up by 6 and a half in the Classic configuration, but little changes. The low seat, smooth delivery and easy handling make it perhaps the best motorbike on the market also for taking the driving license examFurthermore, the power is sufficient to directly obtain that without limitations, provided that age allows it. The braking system is also excellent, and although it is based on a single disc brake and a single brake caliper, it takes them from none other than the Panigale. A big record from 330 mm combined with one Brembo monobloc 4-piston radial caliper makes braking always up to par: A system is also provided Latest generation Bosch ABS. Even if this aspect won't change anything for everyone, thanks to the tires it's equipped with, the Scrambler really is as its name would suggest: on dirt roads the Flat Track soul really comes out and you can have fun doing two traverses without being a pilot. Exactly what those who created this type of motorcycle did.

Price and consumption:

rating:  

We start from 8.240 for the Icon, 9.640 for the other three versions

Photo by “LINGEGNERE”

To be politically correct we could say that the price is in line with the competition. In fact, the Triumph with which it shares the name costs a whopping 10.190 euros and is certainly less brilliant in light of its 59 horsepower. In reality the two bikes are difficult to compare, they are two very different interpretations of the "Scrambler concept". To tell the truth, it is really difficult to compare it with any other motorbike, because we are faced with a unique genre, in some ways transversal to the segments we are used to analysing. In our opinion the entry level to the Ducati Scrambler world, the Icon, with around 8.240 euros (red, because yellow costs 100 euros more) is already not cheap, even if on closer inspection it justifies its cost without major problems. There Classic of our test and the urban enduro, which among other things gain the expensive spoked rims (which however are a must from an aesthetic point of view), rise to 9.640 €, same price as Full Throttle (which has exhausts and a sporty setup combined with alloy wheels). We, but we could get into a very complex discussion on the real value of a product, which includes concepts such as brand value and much more besides the mere production cost, We had some doubts about whether it was more than the price one might expect from this bike. Just to stay in Casa Ducati there are just 600 euros that separate it from the much sportier Monster 821 Dark, another 500 for the "standard". Such a limited difference that, even if the two models should not overlap because they are profoundly different from each other, it seems to leave little room for a peppered model of the Scrambler, with a few more horsepower and a sportier chassis. For this reason, in our opinion, the price could be the only important flaw of the Scrambler. However, the sales data say that the pricing choice was correct, because 9.000 units sold in the first half of 2015 are making it an important success. On its side, the Ducati Scrambler also has a good expectation of maintaining value over time, also because the Ducati brand is increasingly a certainty, made more solid by the partnership with the Audi group and far from the times of presumed poor reliability. Then, taking a look at the price lists, for less than 10 thousand euros which bike offers style, quality and fun as much as the new Scrambler?

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Beautiful and with a unique style, easy to drive and fun beyond expectations

We do not like it:
High price, exhaust that heats the right leg in city traffic

Ducati Scrambler Classic: the Motorionline Report Card

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Photo of the test by “LINGEGNERE”
Test clothing:
Jacket: Dainese Washington Jacket
Trousers: Dainese Jeans Prattville
Gloves: Dainese Blackjack black
Shoe: Stylmartin Sunset
Helmet: AGV RP60 Splatter