“Happy weekend” is the usual parting words from our friends before going home after a long week of work. Most of us are so eager to come home and relax down in our comfy sofa, while some just want to chill at a nearby pub until the traffic subsides and some go to the beach the next day. But last weekend was a little different. I had the pleasure of experiencing the literal meaning of the phrase “happy weekend” courtesy of our friends at Ducati Manila. I took the Scrambler Icon for a spin down south at the beautiful provinces of Cavite and Batangas where me, the Scrambler and to some extent sir Randzz and some riders who were so happy to pass through the Kaybiang Tunnel, they couldn’t help but honk and at the same time shout their lungs out, had a “happy weekend” – literally.
This year, the Scrambler is making a comeback. First introduced by Ducati in 1962 for the American market, which is basically a Ducati standard road bike converted for off road use when there was no real “dirt bike” available in the market. At the time, 250 cc Ducatis were converted by the Berliner Motor Corp. for dirt track race. The new Scrambler Ducati was unveiled at the 2014 Intermot Motorcycle Show with 4 new configurations: Classic, Urban Enduro, Icon, and Full Throttle.
POWERPLANT
The 803 cc Desmodromic powerplant was grabbed from the Ducati Monster 796 but was toned down a bit to 75 bhp @ 8250 rpm with a reworked cam profile for a wider powerband and a sharp throttle response and no ride modes – staying true to the old Scramblers back in the day. The Ducati’s “L” twin is fed by an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) with a 50 mm throttle body and a 6-speed gear box. Although this brute 803 cc engine is kept cooled only by an oil-cooler and the air that kisses it, I was amazed by its tolerance to traffic, not a second that the temperature warning light flashed even though I was stuck in the usual weekend traffic somewhere in Pasay. Ducati L twins are known for their torque and the Scrambler is no exception delivering a maximum 50 lb-ft torque at only 5750 rpm.
STYLING AND HANDLING
The Scrambler Ducati, yes Scrambler comes first before the Ducati, according to the Italian giant, isn’t just a new bike, it is also a new brand (with its own website outside the Ducati main page). The Scrambler, in its four versions, the Icon, the Urban Enduro, the Classic and the Full Throttle, is set to be Ducati’s interpretation of a fun, all-rounder bike for all ages that combines the old and new school. These Scramblers also comes equipped with an all glass retro-round headlight combined with LED, while the all LED rear light reflects gorgeously on the fender. What keeps the bike gripped down the pavement are 2 Pirelli MT60 RS tires which Pirelli made specifically for the Scrambler. The MT 60 RS, mind you, performs well on the road as well as on dirt even when ridden aggressively. Also, the rim sizes stays true to the Scrambler’s old and new school nature with 18 inches for the front and 17 inches in the rear. While the Icon and Full Throttle rides at 10-spoke aluminum wheels, the Classic and Urban Enduro have wire rims. Kayaba suspensions handles the bumps, with a 41 mm non-adjustable inverted fork in the front and a mono shock with adjustable preload at the rear. The Scrambler is ridiculously stable at the tight corners of the road up to Ternate and even at extra-legal high speeds at Batangas’ wide open roads, making the need for steering dampers no longer necessary.
FUEL ECONOMY, RANGE AND STOPPING POWER
Average fuel economy during the test is 17 km/L city and highway combined. With its 13.5 liter tear-drop tank including 4 liters of fuel reserve, we were able to squeeze close to 250 kilometers in one fill and that includes aggressive riding through dirt and pavement. Stopping power is provided by a single 4-piston Brembo caliper with 330 mm rotor for the front and a single 1-piston Brembo floating caliper with 245 mm rotor for the rear with ABS as standard for all variants.
BRANDO’S PICK
There’s a lot to love about this bike. It is very straight-forward, the power delivery is very wide (starts at around 2500 rpm), the handling and the list goes on and on. The single, fully digital round display will give the rider all the information he needs that includes the ABS Management, RPM, Speed, Ambient Air Temperature, 2 Trip Meters and the Total Trip Meter, Clock (so you won’t be late on your next appointment) and maintenance-related assortments of which the controls are simplified by only 3 buttons at the left handle bar. It is really the “personification” of old-meets-new type of thing, giving the rise to retro-inspired modern bikes that are available in the market today or those built from someone’s garage. With a seat height of only 790 mm and low center of gravity, the Scrambler is your everyday bike in style. Comfortable upright riding position coupled with a powerful engine with a decent fuel range, it can also be your next touring bike on and off road. Running out of battery on your smart phone? Worry no more! A factory-installed USB plug is available under the seat for your smartphone, GPS device or anything that can be recharged through the USB. The only thing you would change in this bike is its skimpy horn and if you want more grunt, the exhaust system. This bike is definitely one of my picks for the year. Happy weekend? We certainly had.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- ENGINE: L-Twin, Desmodromic, 2 valves per cylinder, air & oil cooled
- DISPLACEMENT: 803 cc
- MAX. POWER: 75 bhp @ 8250 rpm
- MAX. TORQUE: 50 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
- TRANSMISSION: 6 speed APTC wet multiplate with mechanical control
- SEAT HEIGHT: 790 mm
- FUEL CAPACITY: 13.5 liters including 4 liters reserve
- DRY WEIGHT: 170 kg
- TOP SPEED: 190 kph
- PRICE: PhP 570,000.00 (Icon)
[See image gallery at www.motorcyclephilippines.com]
Photos by Randy Silva Netto.