Scrambler Adventure weapon

I will give a write up on what I have learned so far about the Ducati Scrambler Urban Enduro and why I think its a Adventure weapon !
Engine and performance
The Engine in the Urban Enduro ( UE ) is in my option a work of Italian Art, not a new engine bye any means deriving from the 798 Monster in my option one off the best air cooled engines Ducati ever built ! hence a proven reliable engine right from the start and improved even more by smoothing out the torque by the way of having the one throttle body unlike the Monster and also getting some fine tuning to the fuel mapping and other alterations to produce an engine happy to be in any gear at almost any speed. I also ride a Triumph Tiger 1050 sport ( my third triple ) so I know what smooth is all about and can honestly say its engine is more user friendly around town and city riding than my 1050 Tiger Sport ( TS ) and that is a HUGH CALL but true. The performance is not going to ripe your arms out off your sockets but if that's what your looking for than you have picked the wrong bike ( try a Kawasaki HP2 it will scare the crap out off you with its supercharged engine if you live to tell the story ) anyway for the rider that has just come from a smaller capacity bike ( not a 2 stroke weapon of mass destruction ) but say a Ninja 300 or CB500 etc , or just getting back on bikes after some years or even just wonting a COOL looking bike for you . In saying that the 803cc engine in 1 & 2 gear, if you give it too much off a hand full you may have to check your underwear ! for the novice rider anyway. The engine has a oil window which I love in motorcycles not having to check dip sticks a real pain in the rear end my TS does not have one or my Suzuki DRZ400 its all about getting engine at operating temp than letting it sit for 5 minutes or so " I love oil windows " One off my only criticism with the engine/ gearbox is the false natural from 5th to 6th and visa versa , was told by Ducati Australia its a Ducati thing and cannot be fixed so my UE has a permanent disability ! So just be hard when changing up and down between 5th & 6th OR coming in hard into a 80kph corner in natural will test your roller coaster abilities and many words that may not be in the dictionary. Other than this point I love the engine and performance of the bike and have read that some owners have not had this trouble at all ?
Handling and Protection
Well I can say it handles like its on rails, this is also helped by the outstanding MT60RS tyres that defy the laws of physics by being a 60/40 tyre and handing like a 95/50 " yes I know it doesn't add up " I have pass countless sports bikes in the twisties and I am blown away by the handling off this bike it almost handles as well as my TS on Michelin P4,s yes I know another law of physics thing ? Also in the dirt they also shine I have covered about 1000kms on dirt with my UE on mud, gravel, sand and rocks and they really perform well .I went fro a ride with some other Adventure riders BMW 1200 GS guys -" all the gear and no idea" , a Aprillia 1200 Rally , Tiger 800XC, Triumph 1200 explorer and Suzuki V- Stroms and I had to wait for them lots of times, so the Scrambler UE handles great on dirt , just make sure if your going to do much off road you get the UE or classic with wire wheels they will take bigger hits in ruts and pot holes etc, also some crash bars and wider pegs - for standing up on off road sections ( I used SMMOTO pegs and crash Bars ) the pegs are half the price off the Ducati ones and you can take out the rubber inserts when going off road ( and you need too as the rubber is quite hard and in the standing position does put pressure on the instep of your foot.) also the SMMOTO pegs are very wide and you need to do a bit off adjusting to be able to change gears ( longer gear leavers are not available at present ) the brake side is fine. Also if you don't have the UE model its worth getting the bash plate as the oil filter is in a very venerable area under motor similar to my TS , I actually fitted a SMMOTO bash plate to my TS after a trip too Tasmania Australia ( some off the best twisties you'll find ) A rock from road works on a sealed road somehow flung up and punched a hole in my oil filter ( that really put a damper on my day ) also when I dropped my TS ( first time I have dropped a bike in over 25 years on the black stuff ) anyway this also put a small hole in my engine casing and I was only doing about 25kph , so now I have Givi Crash bars on my TS So crash bars or Orgie knobbs are a great investment ! Well this is long so I hope its worth the read, The tyres are great as I said but wear too quickly have only got 5000kms on both front and rear that's the MT60RS down side. adjustable levers and hand guards are also great for handling and protection ( adjustable levers help you brake better and clutch operation easier) therefore helping handling and hand guards help protect hands from branches the cold wind and rain and protects your levers in a fall.
Equipment
The Scrambler is very basic with fuel injection ABS and a USB under the seat , I think the brakes work well for only a single front disc but that's pretty good for the weight of the bike , but pushing the bike in the twisties you can find their limits and off road I have not had to turn off the ABS this is very good even on a sandy step downhill section . The USB under the seat can be a real pain when you have the bike all packed p for a trip I will be mounting an extra one on the bars. I will also be fitting heated grips for winter as well. I have modified a Ventura rack for my UE which is very handy for trips and every day use also I will be making my own Pannier racks soon so stay posted ! also I fitted a DART- Screen as on the scrambler you get buffered around anything over 100kph so the screen helps for highway use and general fatigue on long trips I can now sit comfortably on 120kph without the buffeting and the DART screen looks cool ! Also the tank is to small 13.5 LTs which gives me about 230kms when the fuel light comes on ( so no fuel gauge ) you get used to the distances with the trip meters anyway, I carry a 3.5 lt fuel bladder and have had to use two times. Well you can equip your scrambler to whatever your budget allows ( or WIFE ) but still is a great bike out off the box
Comfort
The upright seating position is very natural and comfortable all controls are laid out well and easy to use and see , the side stand can be a pain to get down at times. My biggest criticism is the seat it looks comfy but hard as a lump of timber after about 50kms or so. I had mine modified by a local guy and know my seat is black with green stitching looks a bit like the Full Throttle seat but so good to sit on I can sit on it until next fuel stop 230kms with no problems at all.
Suspension
Is ok but will be putting front fork inserts and better rear shock after warranty runs out. Standard suspension is a little harsh on rough sealed roads and corrugated dirt roads but would be ok for new riders and say city riders. And this bike is a one person bike to small for a pillion well on long trips anyway and if your taller than 5/7 then maybe this bike would be to small for you ?
Looks
Its a sexy Italian beauty that has the sound and the looks what more could you wont If you could only marry a motorcycle !
Conclusion
A fantastic bike for all day use and even trips away with you deck it out ! Great motor , Great handling , and Great looks the main let downs out of the box in my option is the Seat to hard , front pegs to narrow , those two are a MUST change other than that Ducati can take their hat off to the Scrambler an amazing bike.