[burnsies]

Well, what a contrast!

The Ducati and the Triumph might share the same name, but wow, are they different bikes.

I bought a 2015 Triumph Scramber in November 2014. By December it had covered 68 miles and started corroding and rusting, despite being in dry storage - not at all good.

I got rid of the Triumph in January 2015 and my new Ducati arrived today.

Comparison:
- Sound - Triumph wins. I had Triumph loud Pipes fitted and it did sound amazing.
- Ride - Ducati Wins. It is soooo much lighter, nimbler, crisper and responsive. Suspension on the Ducati is not quite perfection, but the ride quality is far better than the Triumph. The seat is also a much nicer shape and more comfortable on the Ducati. Not tried yet with pillion.
- Performance - What do you think? Just on a different level! The Ducati feels so much more agile and fun. The front suspension of the Triumph is horrible and the extra 30 or so KG of weight combined with the 40 BHP or so of power really, really separate them. ABS adds a little reassurance to the mix, (but hopefully won't be needed).
- Style - Tricky, just a matter of judgement I guess. I did like the look of my Triumph, but the twiddly bits of chrome are a total nightmare to keep clean and polished. The engine fins really tarnish on the Triumph and are impossible to reach on the Scrambler version of the Bonny. Having said that the Ducati also looks really cool, but in a very different way. I read somewhere that the Triumph is a bit 'Mock Tudor', which I think is a fair description. The Ducati is not pretending to be vintage, just a modern take on some classic style features.

Overall I am delighted to have swapped. I feel like the Ducati Scrambler is going to be a lot easier to live with (easier to clean and less bits to go rusty and corroded), and much, much more fun to ride.

 

[BudDaytonDUC]

That sounds like a fair comparison. I have a 2001 Bonnie and have had very little corrosion issues. I was afraid since most of the Triumph's imported to the USA are now made in Asia quality could become an issue. It sounds like that has come to pass. I look forward to test riding the Ducati Scrambler.

 

[burnsies]

That sounds like a fair comparison. I have a 2001 Bonnie and have had very little corrosion issues. I was afraid since most of the Triumph's imported to the USA are now made in Asia quality could become an issue. It sounds like that has come to pass. I look forward to test riding the Ducati Scrambler.

It's a shame for Triumph. They obviously send their production to Asia to save cost which is fair enough but if the processes and materials are not up to scratch then quality can drop. I spent £26k buying Triumph bikes and accessories last year but after my experience with the Scrambler I won't be spending one penny this year. I'm very pleased with my first Ducati experience so far and will probably switch my main bike to Ducati as well this year. I just can't decide between the Diavel and the Multistrada but I look forward to trying them both.

I'm sure you will enjoy your test ride on the Ducati Scrambler. It's a big smiles bike ;-)

 

[Hui]

Well, what a contrast!

The Ducati and the Triumph might share the same name, but wow, are they different bikes.

I bought a 2015 Triumph Scramber in November 2014. By December it had covered 68 miles and started corroding and rusting, despite being in dry storage - not at all good.

I got rid of the Triumph in January 2015 and my new Ducati arrived today.

Comparison:
- Sound - Triumph wins. I had Triumph loud Pipes fitted and it did sound amazing.
- Ride - Ducati Wins. It is soooo much lighter, nimbler, crisper and responsive. Suspension on the Ducati is not quite perfection, but the ride quality is far better than the Triumph. The seat is also a much nicer shape and more comfortable on the Ducati. Not tried yet with pillion.
- Performance - What do you think? Just on a different level! The Ducati feels so much more agile and fun. The front suspension of the Triumph is horrible and the extra 30 or so KG of weight combined with the 40 BHP or so of power really, really separate them. ABS adds a little reassurance to the mix, (but hopefully won't be needed).
- Style - Tricky, just a matter of judgement I guess. I did like the look of my Triumph, but the twiddly bits of chrome are a total nightmare to keep clean and polished. The engine fins really tarnish on the Triumph and are impossible to reach on the Scrambler version of the Bonny. Having said that the Ducati also looks really cool, but in a very different way. I read somewhere that the Triumph is a bit 'Mock Tudor', which I think is a fair description. The Ducati is not pretending to be vintage, just a modern take on some classic style features.

Overall I am delighted to have swapped. I feel like the Ducati Scrambler is going to be a lot easier to live with (easier to clean and less bits to go rusty and corroded), and much, much more fun to ride.

There we go !, a proper comparison by someone who has used their own cash and NOT been influenced by how much a company has donated to a magazine for advertising, wining/dining etc.
I do like the look of the Triumphs though, especially when I saw the Steve McQueen replica/tribute. On saying that my gut feeling was that the Ducati would be the better bike to ride.
If you want some free horse power just reduce the weight. (somebody said somewhere)

 

[El Toro]

You had the Triumph two months? How much depreciation did you lose??

 

[burnsies]

It cost me £2k To get rid of. I did 100 miles in total; 72 of which were trips to and from the dealer.

You had the Triumph two months? How much depreciation did you lose??

 

[El Toro]

Bleeding hell! I think I'd have hung on to it a bit longer if that was the case

But if the finish was truly shite I would have told the dealer to take it back and would have demanded my money back. No ifs or buts. I've done it before and I'd do it again.

 

[Albie]

I cannot comment on riding one but my mate has one and he loves it. He rides hard and fast so he gets the best out of bikes and always keeps it pristine and goes out early and does 300 mile rides often. He also had 2 triumph rocket 3's and tigers and has a 60's tiger cub. It sounds sad that you were disappointed but at the same time you have a great Ducati now. He also had monsters and has since sold all of them because of his leg but the scrambler is good for him and he wants to try a scrambler. We are taking both to the IOM TT races so will do some swapping ,

 

[Hui]

Back in 2006 I bought a new Hayabusa after riding a friends a few times, so I knew what I was getting. Two weeks later I asked my dealer to get me an MT01, it took two weeks to come so the Busa was gone after four weeks. I lost over two grand on that deal but there ya go. It had seven hundred miles on the clock and needed a rear tyre.
Since then I have a golden rule, don't sit on, and definitely no test ride on a bike before purchase no matter what.
Willie Young my bike dealer said to me "You don't like that kind of bike, too much plastic", and he was 100% correct. He knows me better than I know myself.
If I get the oochafckr when I see a picture then that's good enough for me, the problem is I get the oochafckr quite a lot. Never did get it with the Busa though, funny that.

 

[burnsies]

Whenever you buy a new bike you have to assume you will lose £2k minimum. Obviously I didn't want to take such a hit after no miles. But after the Triumph dealer had it for all of January and didn't replace the rusty wheels or engine parts I felt let down by them and by Triumph. I could have gone legal but in the end I just wanted to get out of it and move on with more positive things.

This isn't really the place for me to slag off Triumph. I lost money on that bike but made a little on my Thunderbird 1600 last year. In the end Triumph have lost a lot more than the £2k I lost as they have lost a customer who buys 2-3 bikes per year and I just have to be pragmatic.

This forum is all about the Ducati Scrambler and the more I get into it the more it grows on me. I think I will do a lot more miles on this and get a lot more smiles.

Bleeding hell! I think I'd have hung on to it a bit longer if that was the case

But if the finish was truly shite I would have told the dealer to take it back and would have demanded my money back. No ifs or buts. I've done it before and I'd do it again.

 

[Hui]

Whenever you buy a new bike you have to assume you will lose £2k minimum. Obviously I didn't want to take such a hit after no miles. But after the Triumph dealer had it for all of January and didn't replace the rusty wheels or engine parts I felt let down by them and by Triumph. I could have gone legal but in the end I just wanted to get out of it and move on with more positive things.

This isn't really the place for me to slag off Triumph. I lost money on that bike but made a little on my Thunderbird 1600 last year. In the end Triumph have lost a lot more than the £2k I lost as they have lost a customer who buys 2-3 bikes per year and I just have to be pragmatic.

This forum is all about the Ducati Scrambler and the more I get into it the more it grows on me. I think I will do a lot more miles on this and get a lot more smiles.

Yep, you buy a bike with your heart and if you get embarrassed even slightly with rusty bits and bods then it's time to get rid. It's not like it's just a generic mod of transport for work although some may be but usually a bike isn't. I've noticed that people can't help themselves and always want to point out the flaws like you didn't know about them.
Like you say, their loss.

 

[greer]

I loved the sight of the '02 Bonneville I owned, but it definitely looked better than it rode. I sold it and haven't spent much time thinking about Triumphs since...
burnsies, please continue to post as you add up the miles, looking forward to hearing all about it.

Sarah

 

[burnsies]

Really enjoying the new Scrambler (But not the weather).

So far I have put a few more miles on it and everything is good.

Best bits so far...
surprisingly slick gear change
so nimble around during traffic - awesome!
Comfortable seat and riding position (far better than the Triumph Scrambler which digs into your thighs)
Sounds better than I thought so I probably won't bother changing the exhaust other than for aesthetic reasons maybe
Just so light and agile. For reference, my main bike is an Explorer 1200 so everything from start up to clean and put away is so much easier. It's also probably faster in traffic point to point unless on a long journey, where the power of the 1200 scores.

Worst bits so far...
I'm not very keen on the position of the horn button as it's too close to the menu button so I kept making myself jump when setting the clock
Somehow I seem to switch on high beam every trip so need to get used to the light switch position
That's it. Everything else about it is really nice so far. Big smiles.

 

[Hui]

Really enjoying the new Scrambler (BUIt not the weather).

So far I have put a few more miles on it and everything is good.

Best bits so far...
suprisingly slick gear change
so nimble around during traffic - awesome!
Comfortable seat and riding position (ffar better than the Triumph which digs into your thighs)
Sounds better than I thought so I probably won't bother changing the exhaust other than for aesthetic reasons maybe
Just so light and agile. For reference, my main bike is an Explorer 1200 so everything from start up to clean and put away is so much easier. It's also probably faster in traffic point to point unless on a long journey.

Worst bits so far...
I'm not very keen on the position of the horn button as it's too close to the menu button so I kept making myself jump when setting the clock
Somehow I seem to switch on high beam every trip so need to get used to the light switch position
That's is. Everything else about it is really nice so far. Big smiles.

If that's the only negatives then we have nothing to worry about.
I'm glad you're enjoying it, and it will only get better.

 

[burnsies]

Thanks, Hui

Yes, only very minor points and probably as much to do with me being clumsy with my left thumb.

It really is a nice little bike and I can't wait to get it fully run-in so that I can stretch the engine a bit more. Keeping the revs down is pretty easy though, as there is plenty of grunt at the bottom end of the rev-range and it is only doing about 4,000 revs at 60-70MPH. It's my first V-twin bike and it has a sweet thrum to it.

So far so good, and it does draw a little attention if I call in at a bike shop anywhere. I haven't seen another one on the road yet but I guess we will see more as the weather improves.

I hope you get on well with yours.

 

[ELVISTO]

Thanks for the updates burnsies, Perhaps we can meet up at the Ponderosa when the weather improves, Perhaps pick mine up on thursday,

 

[burnsies]

Congrats on getting yours soon (dress up warm)!

Would be delighted to meet up given half a chance.
(Latte, no sugar please)

Thanks for the updates burnsies, Perhaps we can meet up at the Ponderosa when the weather improves, Perhaps pick mine up on thursday,

 

[Albie]

Congrats on getting yours soon (dress up warm)!

Would be delighted to meet up given half a chance.
(Latte, no sugar please)

My mate George is meant to be getting a red icon soon and he goes often to the ponderosa. He lives in Anglesey

 

[ELVISTO]

We seem to be getting a lot of new owners in this area,

We are most definitely going to have a few meet ups shortly,

 

[littleowl]

Good to hear of your positive experiences burnsies . I've got a Moto Guzzi V7 which I love the looks of but it's my first Guzzi and I've not really got used to being shaken about so much . I've been dithering about changing it but the deciding factors were hitting the rev limiter on more than a few occasions, wanting more but there was nothing more to give! Not that I ride like a maniac I just want a bit of power when I need it .. also the vibrations can leave my feet and hands buzzing after a long ride . I was looking at the MT07 as it's a light bike (I'm short so always have trouble finding bikes light enough or low enough), but it was still in need of lowering and I'm not keen on the Transformers-type look. A friend suggested looking at the Scrambler - which I had dismissed as I thought it would be too high. Well it's the first bike I've ever been able to comfortably touch the ground on in a stock seat! Enough to take it for a test ride!!

So the deal is done, like you I've lost £2k on the Guzzi but think I am going to love the Scrambler, can't wait