[littleowl]

I loved this bike when I got it - and now have had it modded to my tastes, love it even more! I haven't stopped riding it (unless weather dictates) - I did 1695 miles on my Moto Guzzi in one year, I have done over 3000 on the Scrambler in 3 months and every sunny day it's top of my list of things I want to do! It has really given me the full joy of riding a motorbike that none of my previous bikes did.

Things I wasn't happy about -

hard suspension
hard seat
wind blast
clutch lever a bit far away from bar for my small hands
lack of anywhere to put luggage

I have now addressed all of the above and look forward to many more riding miles

 

[littleowl]

A thousand miles on the bike now and while I do really like it, it's not perfect for me. I commute everyday through LA traffic, year round. I knew that would affect my mileage some but not as much as it's turned out to. I stepped up to the Scrambler from a 2007 Ninja 250. I was getting 60 MPG regularly. In the exact same conditions I now get 37mpg with my Scrambler. I figured I would at least get 45 in the city. So that's disappointing. And even though the engine is much larger and the power is nice for acceleration, I still find myself having to shift constantly to find the right gear for the speed I'm doing in the city. Just as much as my 250 which surprises me. I was also hoping that it'd be a bit better for touring. One of the biggest downfalls of my 250 was that it was exhausting to ride on the highway because the engine was at 11k rpms and it made my whole body go numb. I figured with a much larger engine that would be solved. And while it helps that the revs are lower, the fact that the seat is made of marble, the suspension is just for looks, and the range is only about 120 miles is a big limitation. I could go 280 miles on my Ninja. Crazy. I think winding backroads are really where the Scrambler shines. Unfortunately those are few and far between in Los Angeles. I can take it up to the canyons which is a blast but even then I have to fight either 45 minutes of freeway traffic or and hour across town to the PCH to get there. So I don't know that it's perfect for me. It's only my second bike so honestly I don't have much to compare it to. But I'm curious to see what other bikes would be more suited to the type of riding I do everyday. I guarantee that none of them have the cool factor that my Scrambler does.

I'd have to agree I don't think that riding in a city would be a lot of fun on this bike - keeping it at low revs is a PITA. I'm fortunate where I live most of my riding is on twisty country roads and it's made for that. Think I'd be inclined to keep the Scrambler for fun and get myself a small engined bike for commuting (or even a scooter!! )

 

[littleowl]

This is my first Ducati, and this may just be my dealership, but there seems to be an assumption of owner wealth because you own the bike, lol! When I mention anything to them that could be improved, their response is 'for 2 to 3K we could improve that for you'. When I mention to them I'm not really interested in investing 16 to 18K on a Scrambler they just give me a funny look. I do think that for around 1K (reflash and rear shock) I can improve the bike greatly.

One last thing, I know that Ducati has marketed the bike to a certain 'crowd', and seemed to have dedicated most of the accessories to enhancing the 'look' of either the bike or the driver. I would have preferred if they had focused on the mechanical functionality accessories. I know they built the bike to a price point, but I do think if they had upped the starting price a bit they could have resolved most of the issues at the factory (IMO)...

I agree, I've avoided the Scrambler 'accessories' and have only got aftermarket stuff which actually does a practical job - at a fraction of the cost. It's also my first Ducati also and I can't believe the prices they are asking for 'genuine' Scrambler parts - but even if they were mechanically functional as you say - can you imagine the cost ... I'll be sticking to aftermarket I think!

 

[littleowl]

This bike is a toy guys, you can't make a trip, you can't use it on a daily basis to commute to the office. I have 60km / day commuting and it's a nightmare on the highway. This is totally a sunday bike, nothing more. I sold my monster s2r 800 (250km/h bike) for this and I deeply regret it.

Why did you sell your 250km/h bike for the Scrambler - what were you hoping for?

I've done loads of day trips of 100s of miles, I have no problem with it! It's not a touring bike nor does it pretend to be, but if you wanted a bike for that surely there are others more suited ...

 

[littleowl]

It goes without saying that one bike isn't going to fit all - but there are an awful lot who it does fit! :icon_thumright:

 

[littleowl]

Motorway riding is a bit of a drag on the Scrambler but over a year and 8000 miles on I still love it, it suits me even if it isn't perfect. There could be a host of other bikes that would do a better job at certain things but they would be too big/tall/heavy/less appealing. It's still the bike for me!

 

[littleowl]

You could say the Scrambler is Jack of all trades, master of none ... but for me I just can't wait to ride it again and again. I've not found it unstable at any speeds, I don't feel the need to tear up the highways at 100mph + but I've often done those speeds and it hasn't been an issue. I've even had four warranty claims and it still hasn't put me off.

I think it has loads of character that other bikes haven't got, there are a lot of bikes that could do better at specific things but the Scrambler is one I won't be giving up