Ducati Scrambler Icon - Fast road test and review

[@dustytriumph]

Wow, what fantastic looking roads and countryside!

[@benniehitchcock]

Adam Mathews Yeah, it's one of my prettier routes. Great when there's no traffic around ;)

[@slaaaaave]

Great video, considering one of these after getting some experience on a 125. Fun, enjoyable and seeing all the appeal that riding a bike can bring. Thanks!

[@benniehitchcock]

Tom Earnshaw Thanks. It's a good learner bike. Easy to get on with if you don't have a lot of experience. I probably wouldn't recommend riding it like this until you've got a bit more experience though!

[@BN1960]

Nice to see one of these being ridden spiritedly instead of the usual flaccid fapping up and down the roads near the dealer accompanied by adonoidal missives on how retro it is and so forth.

[@teop7887]

By far one of the best reviews on the little Ducati. Great riding, scenery, and sound. I also appreciated your defensive riding, well done. Too many "reviewers" post video of them riding like wankers. Cheers!

[@benniehitchcock]

Teo P Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. I try to ride within my limits and not be a complete dick! I'm sure some 'advanced' riders would still consider this reckless though.

[@timarmitage8538]

Got an icon and love it, never realised it was so quick! In your hands not mine😀 great riding on what looks like a great road apart from the goats. Fab review well done.

[@benniehitchcock]

***** Thank you. Had a lot of fun with this scrambler. Great little bike. Tbh, if there were more goats on the road and less cars, the world would be a much happier place!

[@leicaman100]

Enjoyed the Video ... nice to see the little buggar riden properly. Waiting for PDI on my Classic ..... even more excited after watching your Video :)

[@benniehitchcock]

+Carl johns Thanks. It's a fun little bike this. Close to perfect as an everyday street bike. Have fun! ;)

[@gordonemoore]

Excellent video and commentary! You ride like you're barking mad and that's a compliment! I think you missed the mark a little by consigning this bike to "beginner" level. The dealer told me it's old farts like me who are buying them and they can barely keep them on the showroom floor. I've been an active rider for 57 years and I bought one. Love it! It has everything I like - style, fit & finish, hella acceleration, and a good turn of speed. The last new street bike I bought was my '69 Triumph TR6R which I still have and I expect to be riding the Duck in 46 years too! :-)

[@benniehitchcock]

+Gordon Moore Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Wow, 57 years? Good to see you still get a kick out of riding bikes after so many years.You are of course correct about the type of riders that are actually buying the scrambler, but that wasn't really the audience Ducati were going for when they marketed the bike. But this bike is way to good for hipsters anyway! There was a 3 month waiting list at one point. Not surprised really, cracking little bike. A future classic and definitely a good investment I reckon.

[@deanwalker4923]

Great videos mate. You will do well at Vlogging! I need to get me a camera! Looks like fun......

[@benniehitchcock]

Dean Walker Thanks mate. I don't plan on becoming a prolific vlogger though tbh.

[@trex8693]

Beautiful road and nice shifting. Excellent no BS review. Keep em coming:) BTW, goats in your country are well behaved. See them getting out of your way in the video.

[@benniehitchcock]

+RR3 Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. Any other time of the week, these roads are full of tourists, so it was nice to get a good run on these roads for once! Quickshifters are pretty neat, but I like using the clutch and blipping the throttle on the downshifts, It's just more fun! Yeah we train our goats well here in the UK. Some of them get to university, the rest get eaten :(

[@songsabai3794]

Great ride - Great review! - Thanks!!

[@nilsatisno9964]

Honestly had me laughing out loud there mate, cheers.

[@benniehitchcock]

NilSatis No9 Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it

[@nullunit5566]

Thank you for the vid! I'll be getting the 2019 model in Atomic Tangerine. Happy trails

[@nullunit5566]

Put in the Buyers Order today, will be a fun summer!

[@will01quinn]

Don't know what people are talking about, nothing wrong with that riding. It was fast but you could see you were also aware of the road and everything on it. Nice review of the bike. Real world proper review.

[@benniehitchcock]

will01quinn Cheers mate. On roads like this, you can be fast and safe. Like you say, it's all about awareness and positioning. I'm not an 'advanced' rider or racer by any means. This is just stuff you learn from 10 years of riding quickly on the road! Plus it helps when you have a bike that is more than capable of being ridden in such a manner

[@markwith140]

Excellent video! I am looking at one of these at the moment, i have to take one for a test ride but somehow i think i am buying☺

[@benniehitchcock]

Mark Witherington Do it! Great little bike. You won't be dissapointed

[@markwith140]

Well, the Scrambler arrived and I have put 450 miles on it so far. This bike is so easy to ride, just what I wanted as I am getting back into riding after a long break. Not sure I will be riding as quickly as you were for a while but it is good to know it will do it.

[@benniehitchcock]

+Mark Witherington Yeah, they're very easy to ride like you say. But still a lot of fun and enough performance to have some real fun with. Enjoy your new scrambler. I'm a bit jealous

[@MrVirtualVlogger]

Good stuff man, thanks for sharing!

[@CornishMotorcycleDiaries]

And that speedo was calibrated in Kph wasn't it??? Seriously tho' don't think i'd have chosen Cheddar Gorge as my test track, too clogged with numpty tourists most of the time, just like down here in lovely Kernow. Just looks like way too much fun!

[@benniehitchcock]

+sfbdotcom You're right about Cheddar gorge. Usually, it's loaded with tourists and no fun at all, most of the time, but not all the time and not this time! ;)

[@1990-t1j]

Bristol: nice city. At last, a proper review. The bike was given a proper workout by a relatively experienced rider. I've seen too many reviews where the 'tester' has just posed about projecting himself instead of focusing on the bike. No need for trendy backdrops, just the bike been ridden properly. Well done. Two questions: how tall are you? Was there enough room on the bike?

[@benniehitchcock]

Nick M Thanks. I try to focus more on the bikes than myself in my vids. Nobody wants to hear me banging on about myself all the time! I'm about 5"10. Plenty of room on the bike for me. Quite a narrow seat at the front and the footpegs are quite low, so plenty of room for your legs.

[@1990-t1j]

Thanks, Bennie. I'm thinking of buying one. I run a B-King, and they are fairly cramped (I'm 6ft1), but I'm used to it. I hope the Scramblers prove to be reliable. I'll make sure they are before I buy. If I, in fact, decide to do.

[@benniehitchcock]

Can't see why there would be any problems with reliability. It's essentially a detuned monster796 motor which is well proven. The finish looks good. Not sure how it would look after a few British winters though. I did notice a little glitch in the fuel injection at lower revs very occasionally, but they should sort that out with a re map soon. Italian electronics are not what they used to be, Ducati's electronics are as good as anybodys nowadays.

[@greggferns3278]

Usually,if when describing a bike,the narrator says "it's a lot of fun",that's code for "you'll be fed up with it in a week" and then you'll want to go back to the kind of bike you normally ride.I think most of us have been down this route at some time.IMOHO

[@jpsv9531]

Nice clear run up Cheddar Gorge. What time of day was this? Had a good run down it once on a supermoto, awesome. Lots of cyclists around usually.

[@benniehitchcock]

+JPSV This was on a Wednesday evening, around 7pm. Way too many tourists at the weekends to be safe and have a good run.

[@jpsv9531]

+Bennie Hitchcock Have never seen goats there before! Extra hazard!

[@SuperCmac84]

Great vid

[@MotorcyclerideCyprus]

rip mate and well done on encouraging the younger bikers on the road how to ride!

[@benniehitchcock]

cliffy amo Thanks. Ironically, most of the people who seem to buy this bike seem to be older riders!

[@benniehitchcock]

cliffy amo Btw, I've seen that video already, but thanks.

[@MotorcyclerideCyprus]

its not for you its for anyone watching your video and thinking that riding of a motorcycle that way is any way normal!

[@benniehitchcock]

cliffy amo I doubt anyone who buys a Ducati wants to be normal!

[@benniehitchcock]

cliffy amo Fair enough though. I'll approve the link

[@alfiechung]

nice review, great pov to see how the ride actually is and good honest opinion. Im a beginner rider looking to get my first bike. Scrambler or HD-street 750? What do you guys think?

[@jpsv9531]

+Alfie Chung Scrambler! Much lighter and more maneuverable than the HD, which has a long wheelbase. The HD would be fine if you only want to cruise in a straight line.

[@jamoyme4475]

what's your top speed? great bike!

[@vitaminjtuber]

I notice you get up there in speed on some of those straights. I ride a '81 XS650 that shakes like a leaf at anything above 120km/h (75mph) and revs pretty high. I'm looking for something a little more stable at highway speeds for longer distance riding. How's the Scrambler in this regard?

[@benniehitchcock]

+vitaminjtuber It'll cruise quite happily at about 75-80mph. It will do around 120mph, but feels a little bit soft and a bit wobbly at those speeds. But it holds the line well on fast corners, brakes well and never really seems to get too out of shape no matter how fast you ride it.The engine will be much smoother that a big single, but still has that low end torque to play with. Having said that, Ducati's do like to be revved. It's quite an upright position and certainly comfy enough for doing distance on. But windblast might be an issue at anything above 90mph for any amount of time. Same with pretty much any naked bike though tbh.

[@vitaminjtuber]

+Bennie Hitchcock That's a great reply, thanks man! How's the seat for long distances? I know it's not a touring or adventure bike, but I would like to do multiple day roadies on it. Is it up for this task?

[@benniehitchcock]

vitaminjtuber The seat is quite narrow upfront, so makes the bike feel light and nimble, but it's wide and supportive at the rear. It's a good compromise. Your legs and feet are in a fairly neutral position relative to the seat, so your weight gets spread quite evenly and makes it all day comfy. The high and wide handlebars and the upright position does make the front end feel quite light at times though and means that you lack a good feel from the from end through your hands. It's not that bad really, but doesn't feel as sharp as the front end on a monster for example. More comfy though for sure.

[@vitaminjtuber]

+Bennie Hitchcock Beauty! Thanks again! I think I'll have to take one for a test drive!

[@DarshanSIngh-le3ui]

What units are your speed in? Mph or kph ?

[@benniehitchcock]

darshanpreet khosa Here in the UK, it's mph.

[@buzzwaldron6195]

Obviously, you're not one of these testers that says it's only fun below 75 MPH... you're riding it like a Ducati should be ridden... I've had '74 Ducati 450 Desmo Scrambler and '75 GT 750...

[@teaflavor8913]

Baaa 1:54

[@VittorioSergi]

in my book, high seat position=good, sporty seat=shit

[@robertg2397]

Overtaken on a hipster bike haha!

[@monck552]

You're as barking as that bike. Enjoyed the review though.

meee :)))

[@Paulco67]

You drive way too fast.....slow down.