VOL. 53 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 13, 2016 P57
DUCATI SCRAMBLER ICON
I
f you think about the modern
scrambler, chances are the
Ducati will be the first bike that
springs to mind. Two years ago
the crew from Bologna rein-
vented the segment, regardless
of whether Triumph had a factory
scrambler for 10 years prior or
not. They made Ducati cool—as
if that was ever a problem in the
first place—and introduced the
brand to a whole range of people
that would have otherwise never
heard of it.
The Ducati was my pick of the
bunch. For the price, you get a
hell of a lot of bike—it's got style
for days, an easy-to-ride 803cc
desmo L-twin and of all the bikes
here, this one makes me want to
play around with it and customize
the most.
Weight plays a big factor in the
Ducati's ranking—it carries its lack
of girth extra well, and feels like a
toy in the dirt. That's exactly what
scrambling is all about—easy dirt
riding with capable on-road man-
ners. Predictability in the handling
department was a big score for
the Ducati, even if it lost out to the
all-around grunt of the BMW.
1
st
Place
(Left) This kind of
stuff is easy on the
Ducati. The package
wills it so!
That seat was a let-down
and a deal-breaker for some.
Good brakes were another
Ducati strong point.
