Ducati Scrambler

The Ducati Scrambler 800 has been one of the most popular sports bikes in several countries and the company has now set its eyes firmly on India. Unveiled in 2014, the Scrambler 800 is a naked off-road bike with throwback looks. It’s more of a sub-brand from the Bologna headquartered motorcycle company, in a sense that it’s not necessarily coloured in the same way Ducati bikes look. The Scrambler 800 series has several members, including the Desert Sled, Cafe Racer, and the Mach 2.0 that were added last.

The Scrambler 800 series comes with an arresting styling, a sporty ride position, and some great features that make it a favourite of sports biking enthusiasts. Each Ducati Scrambler bike boasts of engineering prowess and great build quality. The Scrambler 800 standard, priced at ?7.23 lakhs (ex-showroom), is the cheapest Ducati available in India. It comes in five attractive colour options: Silver, Ducati Red, White, Black, and Yellow. The Scrambler series has competition from within the Ducati range. Its peers are the Diavel, Hypermotard, Hyperstrada, and the Monster 1200. The 800cc Scrambler returns a mileage of around 20kmpl.

The Scrambler 800 has a distinctive, naked styling with minimalistic cladding. The bike has a round headlamp. The instrument cluster is single-pod and fully digital. The vehicle gets a wide, tall handlebar that adds to the comfort while riding. The tail is short, while the 13.5-litre teardrop-shaped fuel tank is compact, with the ‘Scrambler’ insignia. The main ‘Ducati’ branding is mentioned below the insignia in a smaller size. That aside, the Scrambler has a short tail. The detailing of the Scrambler 800 is reminiscent of the 1970s. The hep-looking bike is fitted with front and rear aluminium mudguards, stylish spoke wheels and a vintage looking brow seat having diamond-shaped inserts. Other striking features include under-seat USB, radiant LED tail lights, and the round headlight. The Mach 2.0 variant sports visual upgrades that include a special paint scheme by California-based motorcycle designer Roland Sands, inspired by the 1970s West Coast style.

The Ducati Scrambler 800 is equipped with a powerful, desmodromic distribution, L-Twin, two-cylinder 803cc motor. The air-cooled engine has four valves that produce 74bhp at 8250rpm. The peak torque output of the bike is 68Nm at 5750rpm. The engine is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission gear system. The bike is endowed with a wet multi-plate APTC clutch with mechanical control. The result is a vehicle that offers a punchy performance which is also engaging and fun to ride. The Ducati Scrambler can hit a top speed of 193kmph. While the N650 can manage to cross the 200kmph limit, but that would be too much under Indian road conditions. 

The braking duties in the Ducati Scrambler 800 are handled by 330mm and 245mm solid disc brakes in the front and back respectively. It helps the bike to have a superb on-road bite even while applying the brakes suddenly at a higher speed. The Scrambler is a top performer in the handling part. It does almost everything with equal ease, like hitting corners, going off-road, jumping over speed breakers and potholes, accelerating at signals, and riding in peak-hour city traffic. While the heating issue is a concern, the Scrambler is fun to ride. But at higher speeds, the bike may appear a tad unsettling because of the absence of fairing, and windblasts due to the lack of a visor. 

The Ducati Scrambler is mounted on a tubular frame Trellis steel chassis. It rests on 41mm upside down Kayaba forks in the front. Pre-load adjustable rear shock absorbers handle suspension duties at the back. These, coupled with 18-inch 110/80 and 180/55 spoke- aluminium wheels, provide super stability to the vehicle. While ABS is standard across all variants, the Scrambler loses out on traction control system. But with a kerb weight of 186kg, the Scrambler is surprisingly nippy to ride. Common features include a digital tachometer and speedometer, engine kill switch, low oil, battery, and fuel indicators, a tripmeter count and pass light. While the Scrambler 800 should not be mistaken for a retro-bike, it certainly has a post-heritage design that conforms to the late 1960s design aesthetics. It is an exceptionally good bike which returns value for every penny spent.