Introduction

Ducati scrambler urban Enduro, retro take on Ducatis first scrambler launched in 1965, comes in four flavors. The icon, classic, Enduro and full throttle, all basically the same with minor differences in styling and spoked wheels for two of the models.

I chose the Ducati scrambler urban Enduro as it looked just like an old school army bike to me. The matt green paint and high fender of the urban Enduro gives it a more off road look than the other models. Although, it's just a look… more on this later.

Engine and stuff

The Ducati scrambler has a 803cc air-cooled engine, which makes 75hp at 8600rpm (or so I have been told!) It pulls reasonably well off the line but runs out of puff after 6k rpm. The throttle is very snatchy, making in town riding a bit of a pain but makes full throttle pull offs fun! I found the bike quite lively to ride and the 75 ponies were more than enough for my leisurely rides on back roads. I did a short highway stint as well and the bike has more than enough grunt to keep your backside free from tailgating cars. The lack of any wind protection however will naturally keep you riding at sane speeds unless you enjoy having your neck stretched!

Riding impressions

First off, let's talk about the seat height. It's perfect for a short of inseam rider like myself at a mere 790mm. That's about the only good thing I can say about the seat! I think Ducati thought it would be a great idea to make a seat that looks as comfortable as a sofa but is in fact as hard as a plank. This is a terribly uncomfortable seat and any riding will not be longer than 45mins before your butt starts protesting. The really firm suspension doesn't do much either in terms of smoothing out the ride and anything besides perfectly smooth tarmac quickly becomes jarring and annoying. I have even been thrown off line after hitting a minor imperfection in the road, quite a scary experience when you have 2 tons of Toyota land cruiser coming the other way!

Over all impressions

The Ducati scrambler urban Enduro is for me, aesthetically the perfect bike. The old school looks combined with an offroad ruggedness appeals to me immensely. However, it's just a styling thing. A brief foray onto a gravel road quickly reminded me that this bike is a road bike. Yes, you will find YouTube videos of guys riding the Ducati scrambler on goat tracks but most of them don't own those bikes. If it's your bike, bought with hatd earned money, trust me, a cursory glance at Ducatis spare parts price list will quickly make you realize that a simple spill offroad will be an expensive one. It's a road bike and a fairly decent one provided you are willing to pony up for a better seat and suspension.

Why I sold my Ducati scrambler

In the end, the terribly uncomfortable seat, the harsh suspension, the excessive heat from the motor, snatchy throttle and no fuel gauge killed the romance for me. Oh, and the tube tyres! Yes, I knew most of these things before buying the scrambler but I thought I could make it work cos she was just so damn good looking. In the end, I am ruthlessly pragmatic, so I took a massive hit and sold the bike. I now have something Japanese and will review it shortly once I have racked up the first thousand kilometers.