Are Scramblers Replacing Adventure Bikes? 

Scramblers as ADV bikes are simply what Nakeds are to Sports Tourers/Supersports; Nakeds can tour and also go to track days. Different strokes for different folks, do and ride whatever makes you happy. Variety is the spice of life.

I have a mate who has a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, he put a 21" front wheel on it, beefier bash plate and some Barkbusters and has ridden with me in the Flinders Ranges, Kennedy Ranges, Helena & Aurora Ranges and forests all around Perth. We regularly do overnight trips and he straps soft luggage to it and away we go. It might not hammer through the rough stuff but it gets through just the same. I have ridden it and it feels a bit like a DR650. With a few mods (like most adventure ADVs and dual sports) they will do the trick if you aren't frightened to get them dirty.

In the 1960s I had a Honda 305 scrambler, I’m now on a home built Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 scrambler. At 75 I love the low 31” seat height. My scrambler has luggage, Himalayan windshield, knobby tires, high front fender, aux fuel, hand guards and a bash plate. All I need for dirt and gravel roads.

I love the look of a good scrambler, the Fantics especially.

Nailed it! I have the Triumph Steve McQueen limited edition 1200XE. Magnificent bike.

That's why Moto Guzzi V85TT it's such a success in the global market. Fresh Air, old scramblar retro desain. Only issue is wheit. If Piaggio group release Moto Guzzi V550 Tutto Terreno or V45, whit V85TT looks that will be unicorn :) MG engine is so good in the low revs, like a tractor!

Two years ago I sold my KLR and bought a Scrambler desert sled. I put some sort of aggressive tires on it and rode down some fire roads. It scared the crap out of me! The front end would just push and slide. I came close to dropping it 3 times in 5 miles. Like you I loved the looks of the bike and just didn't want to ding it up. It was actually a really fun light weight street bike that cornered wonderfully and had the esthetic of a 70's Yamaha 500. Great retro bike. But I sold it and bought a KLR again. The fact is, I will ride the KLR anywhere, travel to my destination, camp off it, throw it off a cliff if necessary. Its my go to long range ADV bike. I don't care if its missing plaint, has broken plastic and is a turd quite frankly. It has a tractor motor and goes almost anywhere. Sob.... I do miss that beautiful duck though!

my first registerable bike was a new 1970 Honda SL450, precursor to the modern scrambler craze

Well put. That's why I love the scrambler.

I own both a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled and an Aprilia Tuareg 660. The key advantage of the Ducati is it's simplicity. Air cooled oil cooled, low center of gravity and low seat height, lesser weight. The advantages of the Tuareg is cruise control for the highway trips between the off road excursions, windscreen for those highway trips between the off road excursions. Liquid cooled, can sit in traffic and not get hot, and bigger fuel tank. Adventure bikes and scramblers and most all bike have become too specialized. The manufacturers figured that out. Now you need 2 or 3 bikes because each is so specialized; so they want us to think.

There were scramblers in the 70’s. Back then they were just street bikes with upswept pipes. Today the range of off road capability varies greatly in these “scramblers”. For any one with adventure touring aspirations I would first check fuel capacity. A lot of these scramblers have tiny tanks. Another thing I would check is the compatibility for luggage systems. When I bought my Himalayan I didn’t want bags because I wanted to make it more suitable for trail riding. Two years later, I have lockable aluminum panniers, which I love. When I go to another ADV rally with trail riding I’ll leave the panniers in the hotel room.

I'm tempted by the lower centre of gravity for off road as a confidence boost. I think I can do without the higher ground clearance on the terrain I ride.

This is great way to present the information. For me I finally figured out the equation that works. I took what I actually ride (not what I think I want to ride) percentage of usage on road over 65, under 65, dirt, single track, hard enduro, river bed riding, sand. Then I weighted that with what I have experience doing in my past, mostly dirt riding under 55 mpg from the age of 9 - 16. I bought a Ducati desert sled and people would stop me everywhere but little stuff made me not trust it. Stuff would vibrate loose, I has 2 flat tires in 2 months on a ride. I've never had a flat on a ride in my life! Then I started riding a bunch of bikes to see what fit me like 150 XRL KTM 390 ADV, GSA 1250, KTM 500 EXC-F, 690, 701 and Africa Twin 1100. I ended up with 150 XRL for my daughter (which I ride too) KTM 500 EXC-F for mostly dirt days (so light and flickable) I will learn harder single track on in and then go back to the trail with the Africa Twin 1100 (which is just a huge bike dirt bike with the power of a crotch rocket.) The twins weakness is mud, road rides over 80 for 3 hours or more (due to the tires I have) and ruts on aggressive down hill since there is a point where you don't have enough traction for the weight of the bike and you loose the ability to slow your roll. I just avoid the steep stuff in mud with ruts with the twin, or send it and pray

I'm glad I'm not the only one that takes hourly breaks on a longer bike trip. Even if I don't need gas just stopping for a few minutes to walk around and stretch keeps me going for longer periods if I were to ride straight through to mi destination. And it's just more enjoyable IMO.

Only bonus of my duel sport xl250 is its light weight, good off road and in the woods, also makes it good in the city with cars. Scramblers are a good compromise bike for those that feel no need for going flat out or jumps in dirt. Asthetics are personal, the orginal Himmy still has the look, if not the hp.

I grew up with the original Scrambler bike fad,, craze,, movement, whatever you want to call it. To say I'm a bit smitten 😘, is an understatement!! That said, w/a few little tweaks anyone of the New Scrambler bikes could become the new "Swiss Army Knife" machine in your stable 🙌💯. And Solid,,!!, you are one of the BEST on the Tube. 🙏🏻Thank you. Cheers 🍻, G . in beautiful Boulder City Nv, USA 🇺🇸

Well, a Desert Sled has been on a rtw trip - I think a guy called Henry Crew was the youngest guy ever to do it

“PensionaryEclipse”….. Bravo sir…….. bravo.

Honestly I don't get the pointing fingers attitude in the motorcycle community... you can literally drive any bike anywhere, just some more comfortably than others... you choose what you want/like and nobody should influence you

Great video! Thank you! I can’t decide between the scrambler and adventure bike, so this video really helped

For a moment I thought I was looking at my near new 74 TS185 or later new, & handsome, Red 77 DT400 monoshock (loved that bike). Those were the days of new-found freedoms. Old x-military lace up boots, a pair of blue jeans and I can't remember if I even wore a jacket or not. I can still remember carrying salt with us to peel the leaches off after getting out of the swamp. Before burning real sausages over the red coals. And then crashing in the back of my XY van. (before someone else did). Never carried cameras, we thought it would never end I suppose.

I own a Fantic Caballero 500 Rally, one year now. It does great job on and off road so far, I'm very satisfied with that scrambler. If i can say a negative it would be the windy highway! Nothing else!

I bought my Triumph Scrambler 1200XC new in 2020 and have averaged about 30k/year since I've had it. I live and work in the hinterlands of southern California's Mojave Desert, and the machine has proven to be ideal for my uses. Between recreational riding and commuting to work I travel on about an 70/30 mix of paved/unimproved road surfaces. I have had a few brief forays into more technical offroad riding but have found the 1200XC to be a bit of a pig when I'm in anything deeper than about four inches of loose sand (although admittedly, this is probably more of an indictment of my own lack of ability rather than any deficiency in the Triumph). Many of your assessments of Scramblers in this video I have found to be spot-on. You're particularly accurate when talking about the aesthetic appeal of the bike. No matter where I ride my Scrambler, I'm besieged by people that range from gawkers to nods and thumbs-up and hipster chicks seem to be attracted like moths to a flame. Sure, there are occasions when I wonder if I wouldn't be more comfortable on an adventure bike with more amenities and fairings, but then again, it would pretty much defeat the purpose of riding a motorcycle in general in my mind. If I really want to keep the wind and other elements off of me and enjoy a heated seat, I'll drive my car instead of the bike.

In a country like India, with unpredictable road conditions, another thing about scramblers that really help is the ability of the headlights turning in the direction of the front wheel. It's a really big advantage after dark, to be able to clearly see where you are going.

I currently ride a Honda Africa twin 1000. Love it but..... When I rode the Ducati desert sled it gave me more off road confidence and more road confidence through the twists. I've seen reviews where an owner owned a t7 and a desert sled and remarked that the Ds was better in the technical terrain. Alot of scrambler bikes are seriously lacking in the suspension department but some like you mentioned are pretty dam good. Another thing about all these adventure bikes when you drop them the fairings can get badly damaged. Again the desert sled has a visard plastic which can be easily replaced

So many nice bikes in your clips, it would be great to have their names at the bottom of the screen. Nice vid, still torn between the two options

“…. pensioner eclipse….” Almost had me blowing my morning coffee out my nose 😆😆😆. Hilariously accurate 🤪👍!

Yep a twin 500 with a 19 inch front with decent ground clearance would be great for most of the off-road riding I do

I think the scramblers will replace over half of the adv market. For most adv riders don't really go to far off the beaten path. Cheers mate a good one

I got hooked to offroad riding on my Urban GS (not a good bike to learn off-road riding on in hindsight...) - But I did manage Desert Raid 2021 on it , out to well 5 on the Canning and I only fractured a rib... -- I always wanted a classic looking bike that performs like a KTM and that's how I ended up with my Husky 901 :)

Great Points good sir 😊 aesthetics mean a lot to me

I love the scrambler look , but the CFMOTO 700 adv looks good , the H 710 is a future looking one

I still remember when a Range rover or the original land rover Discovery were actually very off-road capable & now look at them!. The same can be said about many or even most adventure bikes. Many of the new breed of scramblers are starting to fill the gap that the over complicated, over priced & over weight adventure bikes have left behind. Not to mention that they actually look like motorcycles.

I moved up off my old enduro to a mid weight adv bike. No more mixing 2 stroke gas.

Love my Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE for all the good reasons you stated. I keep a DR650 for the real narly stuff 👍

I don't have a bike for offroad that's why I converted my CG125 into a scrambler. Best decision of I've ever made so far. It can go anywhere can ride on any roads without problems specially in the mountain trails, well it all depends on the driver anyway. For someone like me who can't afford those big adv's, a converted small bike scrambler is perfect.

Hi, great video. It is the very one about acrambler vs ADV bikes I have seen. Another advantage of the scramblers is its weight, they are much lighter than an ADV with the same cc. Congs. for this excellent video from Argentina.

THANK YOU! I have sold my 900 Street Scrambler and my Tiger 900Gt; I now have the Triumph Scrambler 1200X 2024; This will be my unicorn bike. Its got a 15ltr tank, I have put on a windshield, rear rack, heated handgrips, Barkbusters, a small tank bag and lower crash bars. I am Fkn ready for adventure and for me its Dirt Roads and mostly sealed...So thanks for sharing.....David....Adelaide....Triumph Scrambler 1200X...one bike for all!

My first bike at 10 was a scramblerized cb450 dohc, and nothing else mattered!

What sold me on the Triumph 1200 XE was a video of 2 guys comparing it to the Africa twin, their goal in the video was to go up a mountain, cut down a Christmas tree, and come back. At the end of the video, both guys said they would prefer to take the Triumph over the Africa Twin. Another video was the guy doing the Mexican 100 rally, which I believe you have clips of in this video at 4:12. It seems to all come down to your individual skill. Sure, you might not be able to do a single track, but tearing ass across the desert looks like too much fun!

Solid, I fell in love with the looks of the Ducati you used in the thumbnail. They had one at my local dealership, but they wanted a small fortune for it.

I like your comment about having a bike that you are emotionally connected with. If you love the look, feel, and performance of the bike you will love riding it. I'm looking forward to more reviews of the Triumph Scrambler 400X.

I grew up on a scrambler. Love the comeback.

Had been riding one for years.. did TAT on it, multiple BDRs, will do CDR on it too. ..as for your points scramblers have lower seat too, another pro point

Great video Solid! You have a great way of putting the experience & emotion of riding into words!

Great subject! I wanted an off-road capable bike that wasn't a dirt bike. I had a DRZ 400, and should have just kept it. I tried the Husky Svartpilen and beat the crap out of it - no suspension travel, and not upgradeable. I tried an Indian FTR off-road - not enough clearance, too heavy. I have a Triumph 1200 XE which is supremely capable, but top-heavy and hard to pick up. Still have that one, but it stays mostly on the road, now. Got an Aprilia Tuareg, which is truly a do-everything bike, but still pretty heavy, and now looking for something lighter still......Waiting on the new Triumph dirt bikes coming later in the year.....

I've never gelled with the ADV look & dual sports aren't great for the long road rides I have just to get to the dirt. So scramblers make the most sense to me. Last year I threw some 50/50 tyres onto my Yamaha Scorpio for some cheap off road fun. I also recently took a Lioncino 500 with road tyres down a few gravel roads & it was surprisingly easy to confidently ride at speed, despite the lack of grip. I am now selling my Ninja & a kidney to upgrade to a real factory scrambler after these experiences. And as for luggage, get the Kriega US Drypacks, or the Rhinowalk equivalent if you're on a budget. The 10l is always on whatever bike I'm riding, and it can fit the 30l plus 2 20l bags inside it, giving me 80l of storage if I need to do the weekly shopping on the way home from work.

Looks good to me the 300l is a little tall I’ve dropped it when stepping off at the worst times when people are watching get my boot caught on my rack bag. A scrambler would suit me!

Thank you

I remember when BMW took up the trend in building Urban Jungle bikes. After a street bike had trashed its panels and exhaust, a naked was born. BMW made a Rockster based on the OilHead boxer. I think the Street Triple was a born from trend too.

Off subject, but I am all over the place on this topic. I have the crf300, and I might get something lighter in the future. I agree that these scramblers are appealing if they fit your needs

I pretty much use my Royal Enfield classic 350 as a go anywhere bike. I still have the stock tyres on it too. Works fine. Obviously I'm not hitting 60 foot triples on it. I think we sometimes get too caught up in our heads that this bike can do that, and this bike is for this. Just ride guys! Knees in the breeze!

I been contemplating downsizing from my adv. Bike to the honda scl500, and if I do I will need to change the suspension, raise it up 2 more inches, and relocate the exhaust in order to meet my needs.

Totally,I’ve been saying this since the 1200XE was introduced and I see it so much better than a GS

You read my mind 😂😂 the RE Scram 411 is a case in point (talk is that it will soon inherit the 450 motor as in the Himalayan). Versatility and ease of riding 😎

Compared to a mountainbike a scrambler has some advantages, depending on the purpose you want to use it.

Im a big fan of scramblers. Never had one, just love the idea.

After being disappointed with the looks of the Himalayan but wanting the same performance, I've ended up looking at the triumph scrambler 400x lately. It has that retro look still, strong performance, and while it is an extra $2000 it comes with a lot of upgrades like the bark busters, LED headlight, and skidplate from factory, meaning its only about $1000 extra in the end.

Always like Scrambler. Eyeing on used Desert Sled.

Good bid grew up with scramblers low per centage sales then they caught on. Great gravel road bikes. Of course I'm 100 yrs old

I have a 2009 BMW G650 xcountry, a rather rare scrambler from the German makers. It's such a good all rounder, weighing only 160kg wet, it can go many places with ease. I've personally put 14k km on it and it won't be going anywhere soon.

Can you recommend the best scrambler under 1000cc for long distance touring out of say Royal Enfield, triumph, and the Ducati 800 range? Comfort mostly, followed by fuel range?

Scramblers aren't for me but I can see where some people would like them. Not enough fuel capacity, no luggage rack and often not enough suspension travel or ground clearance for me. What I really want is a big thumper dual sport that's more comfortable on the road, with a generous rear rack and a ridiculously large fuel tank.

I reckon many scramblers are more adv capable than any of the heavyweights, simpler because they are stripped back and lighter - easier to ride on dirt. They're almost, but not quite, pretty, slightly heavier dual sports with a road bias. 😂 I'd be worried about ruining the looks, but no more than I would on any expensive adv bike. I'm sure crash bars, etc will be available. For now, I'm going to stick with my chookie, but only because I currently want a stronger dirt bias. Next time I might have that out of my system. Or not. 🤷

I've been saying for years that the Ducati DS is an amazing adventure bike. Especially after fitting 21/18 wheels. I've bought and sold so many actual "adventure" bikes but kept the DS

1200xc as much first bike. I immediately went off road with 90/10 tires in mud and sand. I'm not a good rider, yet, but the bike seemed to handle that slippery crap quite well. It hammers around terrible roads like they are well paved.

Love it Solid!

So…..good for urban adventures, then, and riding past glass shop windows. Got it.

Fantic Caballero 500 Rally is holy grail. I'm biased because I own one, but you get 40HP, but it weights more like 250cm, not 450. 160kg with full tank or even less with some upgrades. Quality parts: arrow, domino, tomaselli, bybre. Reliable engine (yes it's chinese, similiar engine can be found in kove 450 dakar moto), adjustable suspension, exhaust shots :D, michelin anakee tires, MY24 has many improvements: new engine map, heavier flywheel, led blinkers, new full led front light, new gauge with current gear info, bigger rear mudguard. 200mm suspension travel, super fun when doing offroad, you cannot drop it XD as it is so light you will always prevent that ;). around 6 sec. 0-100kmh, vmax circa 150-160 kmh. full size bike and in the same time super light, scrambler and in the same time lightweight adv Forget about Tenere 700, desert sled etc. here you get real fun that does not weight >200kg, as this kills all fun. It's like a mix of best qulities of crf300 and desert sled. Cheers and have fun, go back to basics and just enjoy it!

I liked the scramblers pretty much but wasn't really interested, until the Ducati Desert Sled 🤩!

The original adventure bike the rlR80 G/S looks more scrambler than adventure bike today. Great bike. Low centre of gravity rugged. A bit more like a WW2 dispatch rider sort sort of riding vs MX

The perfect bike for you is a decision only you and nobody else makes. It all depends on your physical, financial, personal and other considerations as well as what you are going to do with the machine.

Poms/Europeans of a certain age will remember the 1970s 50cc Fantic Caballero which gamed the regulations to be rideable at 16 rather than 17. I never managed to get one but never forgot that first love. Fast forward 40 years and I have the Scrambler in red just like the og. I sold the Tenere 700 and my other bikes mostly gather dust in the shed. To be fair, the Tenere is a better ADV/Tourer, my old Honda NX650 better on really rough tracks. The only gripe I have with the Fantic is the non adjustable forks (more basic than the Rally version) are really harsh. But on the most important measure; grins per km, there is no contest.

Yeah love the look of the scramblers and would look at possibly replacing my 300 Rally for the right one. Hmm… Solid why are you not recording content from your new garage? 🤔

What is your opinion on the CFMOTO CLX700? Is it scrambler?

Very good points made here Solid. I personally owned a Triumph 1200 XE, bought mainly on good looks and high specs. Awesome bike took it on a 3000 miles round trip across part of the US to camp at the Sturgis Rally. Travel light, it will work just fine. But my dreams of supersizing a first gen KLR outfitted with panniers came back to haunt me for my travel needs. The 22 Africa Twin made its way in the stable, the big shinny Triumph went to my mate, where it sits and gets 100 miles per year. Well, it wasn't long before another scrambler came back in the garage, this time a Ducati Desert Sled. I LOVE it. Perfect power for my skills, overall handling, sound from the pipe. I rode it so often last summer I ended up selling my CRF300L. Too slow on road, too porky on trails for my skills. Sherco 125 two stroke was the answer to me. I like to add where I live, northern Michigan, I have plenty of trails for off roading, gravel roads and two tracks where I can blast my Ducati, and we need to take our big bikes on the freeway to get out of state. I always liked the classic motorcycle look, the 70 & 80 UJM, and also the big adventure bikes from the Dakar era I grew up watching every year as a kid.

I went with a DesertX, absolutely love it. 10k miles in under 10 months. I currently have Scorpion Trail II tires on it and been riding it SuperMoto style. 😂

A Detail I know, but the wider/flatter tyres fitted to many NewAge Scramblers when used on actual gravel roads suck big time. As they're simply too flat, and roll along on top of the gravel providing little grip. For newer riders this can be dangerous. Depending on the bike there maybe some more pointed tyre's as an option, but sometime the rims are just too wide, or the tyre selection just isn't there...

I think 🤔 you have mostly nailed it on the head with the Negative aspects to Scramblers , ie Tank range or size , carrying capacity ( one ☝️ thing that you probably were alluding to is with a high pipe on one side ) and comfort I had a Ducati Scrambler and it’s seat was like a motocross seat or plank of 4by 2 😂😂😂, also so another one no wind protection. I think also we have to class off scramblers 1 “ the pretend Scramblers that talks the talk - in looks ! , but doesn’t walk the walk in off road performance, and the “ real Scramblers like 👍 the Triumph 1200 XC , Unfortunately the now not made Ducati Desert sled , the Frantic that you tested , also the new off road version of the Triumph 400. Still all the main negatives to to much a down side for me I sold my Ducati Scrambler only after 1/1/2 years . A few bikes latter and I have a Moto Guzzi V85tt , it’s a new class Retro Enduro “ , large tank range , shaft drive - no chain maintenance, comfortable seat , cruise control and it looks cool 😎. I also have a 300 Rally for my snotty riding .

and yet BMW seems to have gotten ride of their RNineT Scrambler and Urban GS this year. A shame, cause your video presents a good argument for buying a decent scrambler, and I think the Urban GS is better yet again.

Absolutely

Back in the day scramblers or motorcycles turned to scramblers by simply changing the wheels to more offroad oriented use were perfectly suited for adventure riding, they were just standard motorcycle modified to the user needs. Nowadays I think people lost a bit of that sense of adventure, they want fairings , tall screens, heated grips, huge panniers to bring many unnecessary things..yes I know, its nice to be comfortable but In my eye you end up just a shy less in money and comfort in buying a Small offroad capable car and do the trip in it.

I don’t think it’s about can the ADV do what a scrambler or enduro do off road, it’s about the ADV bringing some touring ability ( wind proof / comfort / range) to s scrambler- scramblers are cool for short blasts and look cool but if you want to tour primarily with fire track to off the best places the ADV does it all- think the V85TT has the best cool factor ADV?

Riding a bike is indeed a "visceral and emotional experience..."because in the "western" markets, few of us ride a motorcycle because we have to--and that is a privilege I do not take for granted. My last 3 motorcycle purchases were born out of pure emotion. Two were purchased with a deposit, and never test ridden. Yeah, you forfeit your ability to negotiate on price, but in the end, I'd rather feed my soul than my bank account.

All bikes can be adventure bikes if you want them to be 🙂🤙

after running my T7 over 70 000 klms through out south America what you say here is 80% correct .. im old school MX racer into ADV bike thing never again would I do the ADV bike "thing" even down to the / That jacket bullshit .. my T7 is for sale in Panama if anyone wants it :) old guys with tooo much $$$ my time again very different bike ..I am back there to live permanently Venezuela . im 60 and rode as much off road as possible staying as far as I could from where most ADV riders go . thats how I roll

I Love scramblers

With an 18" by 21" wheel arrangement, a scrambler may go further. Just an idea.

"Pensionary Eclipse" insults seniors who work. "Sudden Fog Bank" is kinder.

So a heavy shiny bike that replaces a heavier shinier adv bike because the 701 and crf300 do not exist, right ?

We used ammo cans before hard luggage

Once again "what's old is new again". 🤣 They worked when they 1st came out (looking at you (73 Honda CL450) and they work now. Yes, they needed improved but they were the early days dual sport / adv.

The GS has been a scrambler since day one. Just saying.

21 inch front wheel feels completely different..

one thing that puts me off is the high pipe.. why cant they put them under the bike????

Love my Desert Sled... a do it all bike for me at the moment, but do hope to have it parked between a dual sport and a true ADV bike at some point.

Hum interesting. To me this video made sense 10 years ago. I actually think the opposite. The scrambler scene has been slowly dying for the last few years and being replaced by adv bikes. Maybe it's just me.

Does anyone know the bike at 3:45

I think scramblers look great. But my beef with them is the same as most adventure bikes and dual sports these days: CRAP SUSPENSION. I am so sick of expensive bikes with pool noodles for forks that you have to spend $2.5k to upgrade just to make it how it should have been from the factory.

a naked standard bike isn't for me.