Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled: First Ride

[@carperdiem8754]

Wow was considering a svartpilen 401 and just found a good desert sled deal here in the US. This was oddly specific to my needs, thank you!

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@carperdiem8754 That's spooky! Glad to have been of some help 😁

[@wilswood8137]

Good to see you finally out Rob 👍🏼 We’ve Been out twice now springs finally here 😁 sled looks lovely mate, are you getting a tail tidy ? 👌

[@CampbellZeroOne]

Managed a couple of runs now bud. Exhaust has been swapped out and I've a couple of other bits to do, so tail tidy is a wee bit down the road yet. I dare say that I'll do it once I home in on one that I like. Thought winter would never end! 😂

[@wilswood8137]

Yep us too , happy riding mate, keep the content coming , convincing us to coming back to Scotland , Scottish tourism should be paying you on promoting Scotland 🤣👍

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@wilswood8137 That would be nice 😂 They could at least pay for my coffees!

[@wilswood8137]

🤣👍 Scotland east coast islands again for us in sept, Spain south coast next year 👍

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@wilswood8137 Well, at least you are almost guaranteed to see the sun on one of those trips. Meantime, keep taking those vitamin D pills 😉

[@francisgault9017]

Hi you still got the bike.. Any paint loss issues

[@CampbellZeroOne]

Hi @@francisgault9017 Yes, I still have my Sled, and no I've not had any paint issues with it so far. Not unless you count the front fender/mudguard being pretty easy to scratch. Might do a short about that. End of year one review will go live on Feb 7th if you are interested.

[@FrancisGault]

@@CampbellZeroOne hi...i have a yam world raid and a triumph scram 900 aircooled ,love em both do you think i could keep them and justify a sled alongside,never ridden one..i am close to buying a 2022 ..2 k mile blue one,it has some light paint flaking on the front cylider head valve area and some speckeling on the top of the upright cyclinder...that why i was asking about any paint issues...you say you got a winter bargain do you think £7000 would be a good deal also...cheers francis from Glasgow

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@FrancisGault Ah, okay. Yeah the front of the engine does get a little sandblasted with grit. Been looking into an aftermarket belly pan to try to stop the worst of it. That seems like a fair price for the mileage and age. But you've already got two bikes that do what the Sled does. I don't think it'll offer you anything new Francis. I can't speak for the Triumph, but I know that Tenere feels like it has a fair bit more low down grunt along with a nicer sound as stock. If you were replacing one or the other I'd say to go for it. But... I can't believe I'm going to say this... as it sounds like you're going to be keeping both I'd suggest you save your money and give it a miss! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@francisgault9017]

Thanks for that.. You could be right I get a bit of cabin fever this time of year...... The aircooled triumph is a joy to ride loaded with carateur and looks.. Great vids.. And your clear diction and enthusiasm come across very well... Cheers

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@francisgault9017 That's very kind of you to say. Thanks 😊👍🏻

[@HippoDrones]

WOW, 5 months of not riding must suck, ace you were able to get out finally mate 🙂

[@CampbellZeroOne]

The last couple of winters have been similar mate. Not that we get a lot of snow these days. It's purely down to the local authority covering it's arse and gritting if the temperature drops below 4⁰ at night. I mean, they were out again last night on some of the higher roads! It's bloody April for heaven's sake 😂

[@HippoDrones]

@@CampbellZeroOne that is a pain, as is washing tha salt off after every ride!

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@HippoDrones Yeah mate. That's why most folks around here don't bother much over winter.

[@jasonstagg4564]

I'm sure you'll enjoy the 'Sled' as much as I have for the past 3 years especially as you have the beautiful highlands as a backdrop. The seat on mine is fully original and does make your bum numb after about 80 mins, so you've done well finding one with a reupholstered seat! I've had mine from new and the elusive neutral has never gone away but with a little gentle persuasion and a degree of patience, it gets there in the end. These are the only two negatives I have with the bike and are massively outweighed by all the things I love about it. For me it's a keeper just for the smile it always puts on my face, even when I'm just looking at it. I'll only add another bike if I want something different, I will not be replacing it - it's too much fun! Enjoy the 'Sled'. Roll on summer.

[@CampbellZeroOne]

Thanks Jason. Yeah, it's a classic in the making and will make longer days in the saddle that bit more tolerable for sure. After riding a couple of Hypermotards last week it doesn't seem so tall now, and I'm more aware of the fact that you sit in this bike rather than on it. Selecting neutral is a little easier than it was. I just need to make sure to pull the clutch lever as far back as possible. How do you find the throttle on yours? Now that I've ridden it a bit I feel it's a little 'soft'. I know the originals were quite abrupt and it was addressed on the updated model when they dropped the cable. I feel it could do with a bit of adjusting to give it some snap. All things I'm learning as I go 😊

[@jasonstagg4564]

Initially, the throttle felt like an on/off switch but this has either softened over time or I have just got used to it and added a little finesse to my throttle control. I don't ever remember it feeling soft as such! Seems pretty responsive to me. I added some Evotech mirror extensions as all I could see were my elbows no matter how much I adjusted them and I've fitted a pair of SW Motech Urban ABS side cases for days out with the missus which can be removed quickly and the carrier frames don't spoil the look of the bike too much when the cases are removed. Next I'm going to get the suspension tuned as it's a little firm as standard which seems quite common. Driving on our roads feels like being off road so something a little more forgiving would be nice.

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@jasonstagg4564 What year is your Sled Jason? I found a thread online saying that the updated model doesn't have a throttle cable like the original ones did. And that Ducati built in more free play to make it less snappy for newer riders! Unfortunately that means that I can't order throttle cams for it. I believe you can change the throttle tube to compensate, but I've got those Oxford heated grips fitted. They'd get wrecked if I tried to take them off 🤦🏻‍♂️ I thought about changing the front sprocket to give it some low down grunt. But it would seem that's another drawback to the newer model... Doing that brings up a warning light for some reason. I'll get in touch with Ducati Dundee and see if there's a workaround. Sounds like you've a good setup there. Ticks a lot of boxes this bike.

[@nipso4367]

So it comes with an off-road mode you say .That will come in handy more than you think .

[@CampbellZeroOne]

I think you misheard that... It's a 'Don't go off the road' mode 😉

[@twistandgo3414]

Don’t go on road mode? 😂. bike looks great mate, good to see you finally out and about on it. The weather has been truly rubbish hasn’t it!?

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@twistandgo3414 It's been a long winter for sure Chris. Would have made it out sooner but they kept on chucking down more salt! Yeah, it's going to make for a good all-rounder this bike. How's the Scrambler X suiting you?

[@twistandgo3414]

@@CampbellZeroOne so far so good. Updates coming soon but first service booked in just over a weeks time, it's really good. 😁😊😎

[@CampbellZeroOne]

@@twistandgo3414 It's a good looking bike. And I love how good it sounds stock.

[@CodgerBiker]

Perfect bike for you and the places you go. I wouldn’t worry too much about neutral, I never do. In the city I’m in first ready to escape a rear ending, and I always cut the engine with the side-stand, so it is in gear and can’t fall over…just saying. It’s a proper belter. I love it! Plush on/off-roader, cool as! 👌👍

[@CampbellZeroOne]

Cheers mate. It's growing on me. Hasn't taken long to adjust to at all considering how different it is to all of my previous bikes. Doesn't even feel that tall now. I'm looking forward to doing some big days on it 😊

[@CodgerBiker]

@@CampbellZeroOne it's perfect. 👍

[@MrFlocker77]

Looks and sounds nice, try and catch a coffee at sometime 😂

[@CampbellZeroOne]

Aye, that'd be good. It's been a long while mate.

[@thejokersteve]

Ducati Desert Sled UK Owners Club.