[SVSteve]

Hey everyone.
I've been riding street bikes for about 20 years or so. I've ridden everything from a gs 400 cafe to SV 650/1000 and now finally an old XS750.
I've wanted a scrambler since 2015. So here's the question. I like the new night shift for everything but the spoked wheels. Should I go for the dark model and start modding or spend the extra bucks on the night shift? After changing the bars, mirrors, exhaust and likely the seat out on a dark model I'd probably end up spe doing more than the night shift. Plus then there's the 1100 sport....
Thoughts?

 

[Yellowhead]

With similar dark paint schemes, I agree you could pretty much turn the Dark into a Nightshift if you wanted.
And it would be fun to make those mods. But for the sizeable $2,100 difference in MSRP, if it were my money, that would seem like quite a lot to spend on what are mainly cosmetic changes. (Of course bars, mirrors, and seat are not just cosmetic, but you can't evaluate the ergonomics of a bike until you've bought it and ridden it a while anyway...)
So that's my first of 2 cents (kind of an expensive plan).
My second thought concerns the wheels. It sounds like you're not too keen on the spoked wheels of the Nightshift. Perhaps someone with more specific knowledge of those wheels can chime in, but to me they don't look like the type that can run without tubes. That'd be a deal-breaker for me. I also have an R nineT, and was told by the dealer that the cast wheels were actually lighter than the spoked wheels available from the factory. If you were doing a lot of heavy duty, rough off-road riding you'd appreciate the additional "give" and durability of spoked wheels. But if you're not really doing such intense off-road riding, you might, like me, rather go for lightness and ease of maintenance.
So this would be a reason not to opt for the Nightshift at all - because switching out those wheels would undoubtedly put you another couple thousand higher still!

 

[utahvin]

Are those the only trims you'd consider? In my very biased opinion the 2018 Mach 2.0 trim is/was one of the best looking stock scrambler trims, and if you can find one at a dealer still you can of course save a ton of money. Found this one at a dealer in NY:

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2018-Ducati-Scrambler-Mach-2.0-5014633741

Not sure what there is up in Canada though? Only downsides of going with a 2018 are no gear indicator and no fuel gauge... it still has a fuel light that comes on when you hit the reserve with ~30 miles left. If you've ridden for 20 years you're probably plenty use to no gear indicator, although I admit it'd be a nice luxury sometimes. Oh and no hydraulic clutch, but the cable clutch is plenty light.

Just some food for thought if you were looking for other options. If you are already committed to paying for a Dark or Night shift then this would leave you with quite a bit of extra play money

 

[dunchooby]

I would recommend getting a scrambler with a hydraulic clutch so post 2018 I think. You can always find someone to trade the spoke wheels for a set of mags.

 

[utahvin]

If he rides a XS750 currently and is ok with the clutch I think he'll be pretty happy with the cable clutches on the earlier scramblers... all depends on your hand size/strength, but I've got fairly normal hands I think for a 6' male, and I can operate the cable clutch with one finger if needed, with two fingers effortlessly. All else equal I'd say the hydraulic clutch would be a tie breaker that's nice to have, but certainly not a reason to rule out earlier bikes unless you typically struggle with clutch pull. Of all the 2018+ updates the only one I find myself wanting sometimes is a gear indicator to keep me from looking for that 7th gear on the freeway.

 

[SVSteve]

I've never seen a mach 2.0 before this. Looks like a cool model. .
Thanks.

 

[SVSteve]

If he rides a XS750 currently and is ok with the clutch I think he'll be pretty happy with the cable clutches on the earlier scramblers... all depends on your hand size/strength, but I've got fairly normal hands I think for a 6' male, and I can operate the cable clutch with one finger if needed, with two fingers effortlessly. All else equal I'd say the hydraulic clutch would be a tie breaker that's nice to have, but certainly not a reason to rule out earlier bikes unless you typically struggle with clutch pull. Of all the 2018+ updates the only one I find myself wanting sometimes is a gear indicator to keep me from looking for that 7th gear on the freeway.

The clutch on my XS is brutal. You almost need 2 hands to pull it in lol! I have read that the cable operated clutches on the earlier models were prone to failure. Can anyone chime in on this? I dont want to be replacing a clutch after 10k km.

 

[utahvin]

That's a great question, I've tried reading up on it as well and there doesn't seem to be any solid facts just some folks complaining about early failure and then others claiming theirs is fine. I can't comment with only 1200 miles on the clock... I'm just making sure I keep a good 3-4mm of free play at the lever and hoping for the best. Given the massive quantity of Scramblers out there in the world though, I have to imagine if it was truly defective there'd be a lot more info about it. But maybe Ducati is good at covering things up, must be how they spend all those insane dealer fees haha.

 

[K1W1]

Many Scrambler owners are new to Ducati and also new to motorcycling and as far as I can see these people are often the ones with issues. Ducati cable clutches and gearboxes take some time to warm up and you need to be careful with them for the first 10 minutes or so of any ride. I can’t fire the Scrambler from cold up pull in the clutch drop it into first and ride off the way I do on my Triumph. I let the Scrambler idle for a good 3-4 minutes whilst intermittently operating the clutch prior to putting it in gear and riding. Making sure the bike Is properly warm also helps eliminate the “I can't find neutral” complaint.
As far as cable clutch operation is concerned my wife who is 5’3” and has been riding motorcycles for nearly 50 years has no problems at all with the clutch on the Scrambler or her 2006 Monster S2R.

 

[Gotgolf52]

Hydraulic clutch is nice to have and easy on the fingers during stop and go traffic. The NightShift look so cool and everything I want from Scrambler line. If I didn’t buy my Caferacer, I would pickup the NightShift over any other scramblers in the line up.

 

[Tom_A]

Hey everyone.
I've been riding street bikes for about 20 years or so. I've ridden everything from a gs 400 cafe to SV 650/1000 and now finally an old XS750.
I've wanted a scrambler since 2015. So here's the question. I like the new night shift for everything but the spoked wheels. Should I go for the dark model and start modding or spend the extra bucks on the night shift? After changing the bars, mirrors, exhaust and likely the seat out on a dark model I'd probably end up spe doing more than the night shift. Plus then there's the 1100 sport....
Thoughts?

Stretch if you can to the 1100 Sport Pro. Absolute dynamite! I bought it in May and it's awesome. Great power and speed, turns and stops incredible. Ohlins shocks. Plus not many around so you definitely stand out

 

[SVSteve]

Stretch if you can to the 1100 Sport Pro. Absolute dynamite! I bought it in May and it's awesome. Great power and speed, turns and stops incredible. Ohlins shocks. Plus not many around so you definitely stand out

I'd be 100 % down for the 1100 sport pro I'd it wasnt so expensive!