[NickJ]

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Ducati modernizes its take on the scrambler concept with its all-new Scrambler Icon ($8495). Incorporating current technologies like LED lighting, all-digital instrumentation and switchable ABS, the Scrambler is powered by the Italian firm’s last remaining air-cooled 803cc L-Twin engine. Ducati ticks all the check boxes on paper, but will it ignite the senses better than the competition?

The Ducati Scrambler came up against some heavy competition from Triumph; a battle of new versus old, a genre-bender versus a classically-styled scrambler, and the final scores were close. While the Triumph won out in many of the subjective categories, there’s no denying that the Italian Scrambler offers impressive performance, giving it perfect objective scores in all but two categories.

At the top of the list is the performance of the repurposed L-Twin engine, first seen in the Hypermotard 796, where the Scrambler Icon grabbed 10s in both subjective and objective assessments. The 45.93 lb-ft peak torque arrives early in the rev range, at 5700 rpm, but the Bologna bike maintains plenty of pull well into the mid 8000’s. It’s also untouched in terms of horsepower, getting up to 68.47 hp at 8400 rpm. Additionally, the Duc is a screamer when it gets up to the middle of the rev range, topping at 97 dB in our sound test. Sure it’s loud, but the growl is invigorating and can make for a more entertaining ride. The clutch and gearbox offer good action ahead of the Moto Guzzi, but not quite at the level of the refined Triumph – it is close however.

Check out the rest of the article here: 2015 Ducati Scrambler Icon Comparison - Motorcycle USA