VOL. 53 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 13, 2016 P59
THE VITALS
Ducati Scrambler Icon
Engine: 803cc, air/oil-
cooled L-Twin, eight valve
desmodromic 4-stroke
Chassis and suspension:
Tubular steel trellis frame,
41mm, inverted, unadjustable
Kayaba forks, single preload-
adjustable Kayaba shock
Front brakes: Single 330mm
disc, radial four-piston
caliper, ABS
Rear brakes: 245mm disc,
single-piston floating caliper,
ABS
Front/Rear wheel sizes: 18
inch/17 inch
Weight: 410lb (wet, claimed)
Electronics: ABS
MSRP: $8995
Kit Palmer: "If you're looking for bang-for-buck
performance, the Ducati is the best bike. It's
got the suspension, the motor, the brakes, the
technology, the looks and the sound. Unfortunately
for me, it doesn't have the comfort. For my 6'1"
frame, the Ducati is a touch too cramped and the
dip in the seat compounds the problem by making
it nearly impossible to move around and stretch
out, something I wanted to do shortly into my rides on the Ducati. An
aftermarket seat would be a cure. Straight to the point: The Ducati is
the all-around best-performing bike of these four. But, for me, when it
comes to scrambling, it's not all about performance."
Sean Finley: "With a roomier cockpit, the
Ducati would be my first choice. It is a great bike
overall that feels very refined, runs great, has good
brakes and is the best bike in the group for carving
corners on the pavement, although the BMW
has a much more impressive motor. The Ducati
has an authentic scrambler look as well. The
seat-to-footpeg range is tight for my average 5'10"
frame and the bike feels cramped. If you are used to riding sportbikes, it
probably will not feel too cramped but for me a bike like this needs to be
about comfort. For shorter riders, the short seat height would be great.
In the dirt, the Ducati is also very predictable and the small feel adds to
that, especially if you are standing up. It will allow for some fun slides
on gravel roads and the predictable power provides confidence."
Jesse Ziegler: "The Ducati is the cool guy or
gal's scrambler—the one where you can say,
'Yeah, it's a really fun bike, plus it's a Ducati.'
And that's what scramblers are really about—
being a bit different than the rest and truly
owning a look. I liked riding the Ducati a lot. It's a
good-looking bike that oozes legitimate cool. The
only components not up-to-par are the ridiculous
seating position and a somewhat silly looking swingarm. The drive is
good from the 803cc L-twin, offering torquey grunt that doesn't get
out of control in the dust. It's got good power for what these bikes are
designed for. It doesn't have the highway passing surge speed, but who
gives a shit? This bike is for ripping paved corners and exploring fire
roads and looking cool, and it does that extremely well."
Bar bend is quite high
with a few testers
commenting they
would bend quite
easily in a tip-over.
