MCN Scrambler Group Test | Review | Motorcyclenews.com 

Awesome, you read the comments and slowed your speech. Huge difference compared to the first reviews and I can actually understand every word you spoke! Keep up the good work

Excellent review, your a brilliant reviewer you talk with a lot of passion, very thorough. We defiantly need to see more of you. Keep up the good work!

Impressed with the review .... a little while since it was posted ..... but relevant to me; thanks.

Although you know we have come a long way when it comes to specialised sector bikes you must remember back in the day Triumph T120 TT,/R , TR6Cs, BSA Hornets were all raced off road quite successfully so all these bikes are capable, it's just there are fully dedicated dual sports that can do better.

Great review

Most of the people that diss the Scramblers are the same that buy a 1200GS and ride it 99% on freeways. The ones that have MX bikes, I won't say nothing about them, because style is definitely not important for them (not that is something bad). The irony is that the Street Scrambler looks more like a classic desert sled than the Ducati Desert Sled. Either way, all 3 are beautiful bikes. To each his own.

this is a fantastic review.

I love this review.

Thanks for the review. As a side comment I will just say that in many reviews that I have watched involving BMW's parallel twin I have never ever seen a reviewer (or a bike magazine) stating a very particular feature of BMW's engine: an amazing safety feature on a T-shunt and the only reason why I still have a right leg on my body...and this raises another matter: almost no reviews if any at all do focus any content on safety and that can go from lights (lumens/distance of front lights for example) to how their brake / ABS (non-ABS) systems perform...or anything else involving safety.

Only one for me. The desert sled.

they're just lovely

Desert sled 🔥

Good to see the "newbie" improving!

Not sure the desert sled scrambler is fair comparison to the other two bikes. This model Ducati was design to address complaints of the stock scrambler not being off road enough.

Reviews should always list the price of each bike.

Hey up! Mumbles is back. I'm warming to him actually. haha

The price difference between these bike in Australia is HUGE. You could buy the triumph and a z650 for the price of the BMW, and the ducati is in the middle.

his getting better this guy, i changed my mind don't sack him LOL

I own a ducati scrambler, have done for 2 years and still love it, puts a grin on my face everytime, I've had the suspension reworked by maxton and it really has made a massive difference, just enough power to excite and handling to match. mega bike.

Does the Ducati feel under powered compared to the much bigger engines BMW?

would you recommend the Ducati for a Roadtrip around Europe? No highway, only national road and of course some offroad riding. I would ride around 300km per day.

The presenter's speech got much clearer. Well done! There are still a few spots where his words got mashed up together due to higher speech "cadence", but it's a step in the right direction. Maybe some speech coach could help. After all, it's a skill like any other and it can be learned/trained.

Love my Desert Sled! Though I hardly take it off-road. Mostly city riding, and every so often a day trip into the mountains. It actually works quite well as a supermoto.

Nice review - well done! Would love to see a comparison - on and off road - of the Ducati with the new Honda CRF250 Rally. The Duc is twice the price, is it twice the bike?

3 bikes only?

This ducati is an amazing bike. My problem is I'm only 5 7" so bit too big for me

LOL! A Desert Sled 'is a proper off-road bike' only if you don't compare it to any proper off road bikes. At 203kgs and 200mm wheel travel it's up there with the new Africa Twin or a KTM Adventure in terms of suspension but lighter in weight - more like a Hypermotard. However, real dirt bikes like the WR250R or the KTM 500 EXC (which are also road legal) have 275mm-330mm wheel travel and weigh 130kgs or less. As soon as you venture beyond flatish gravel & dry grass, you'll appreciate the difference immediately.

If we're going to make distinctions between scramblers and ADV bikes, isn't there a need to distinguish between "off road" - I.E. gravel/fire roads and "off pavement" - I.E. one trackers?

Desert Sled Owner here and it's a Really Good Bike

DS for me!!!

I picked the Sled

You heard it here, from an englishman no less. Ducati = Real Scrambler / off-roader. BMW = Best on street. Triumph = Hipster bike

R90 😍😍

I'm surprised he's surprised that "ducauti" is competent off road

I think if you're talking a Scrambler bike which suggests it should be able to handle on road as well as off road then really there's only one real option from your comments and that is the Desert Sled.BMW for some stupid reason persist with 1200 cc where what is required if they want a flat twin Scrambler that is able to go on / off road then they need to shed some weight. They need to go down to at least 600-800 cc. I think for agility overall you're really looking at 400-500 cc. If you can't pick it up then you have a problem-it needs to feel comfortable and manageable off road.

Vapid. Buy them all. They’re all lovely. Now please pay me.

first,,, beautiful review guys.

If you wanted the perfect blend of on-road / off-road capability why bother with a "scrambler"? BMW F800GS or Triumph Tiger Xc? Or are we all waiting for the KTM 800 which is bound to be awesome.

The triumph is a city bike only? it's not.

I'd love to see the Desert Sled compared to supermotos.

When that music plays i expect a fat guy in Eastern Europe chopping up a wrecked BMW lol

The lower Weight and cost clearly go with the Ducati! Why even have that ton of bricks Triumphs and BMW in the contest this is basically marketing. 525lbs Triumph. Ducati comes the closest to a desrt scrambler400lb Ducati. Desert scrambler of the 60's like the gold standard Norton P-11 390 lbs. Norton P-11's were probably the original all around bike to but without a starter. P-11's were raced on the desert, cafe and flat track. My father raced his P-11 in scramblers. He went on trail rides in the Sierras along some nasty canyon trails around what is now the Molakof diggins state Park. he later converted it to street with cafe bars and seat. The Ducati is the only real only you get a warrantee, starter disc brakes less vibration etc etc. DUCATI!

You should've brought the triumph XE

These seem to be purely an aesthetic styling exercise.

Ducati ❤

waiting for the ninja 1000 sx review.

RnineT big??!! I find the Triumph way clunkier and bulkier. You can really flick the BMW around the road. way more nimble.

YAMAHA SCR?

No Yamaha XSR 900!?

Honestly if motorcycle companies truly wanted to make a scrambler get some small (250-650)cc bike such as yamaha's r3 engine, hondas 500cc and others

What a great Ducati ad! Oh wait...

I think the Triumph is more capable than the BMW offroad

Motoguzzi, scratch the B

Just looking at them you know the Duke would be the best off road. Beemer to heavy, low. Triumph is an atheistic scrambler.

Simply the Ducati for genuine off road work and if you have lots of money the BMW. The one that does it all (not serious off road though) is the Street Scrambler. I would say Triumph do take this off road at their training camp; new knobblies and Fox suspension make the Triumph into a real off road beast - so it can go off road. I use my own Triumph Street Scrambler 95% on road and in this environment it excels. I have a centre stand and fender extender fitted; these are nice extras plus the Triumph fly screen keeps some wind off and doesn't detract from the bikes looks. Has to be the Triumph for me it has my vote! But the other 2 are really good looking bikes too. Ducati and BMW have produced good looking and able products so not in any way knocking either of them. The new 2019 onward Sreet Scramblers have 10 hp extra and Brembo brakes so you might want to consider this, but for me horse power is irrelevant; it's all about real world torque and the pre 2019 Street Scrambler and the 2019 onward ones both have the same torque.

knobbly tires

Steve mcqueen rode Triumph scramblers. Good enough for the king of cool. Definitely good enough for me . Triumph all the way. 👍

triumph

1- looks triumph. but too heavy and underpowered and heavy compared to the ducati. the bimmer heavy, ungly terrible looks so for me dutati is the go

I'd be put off the Triumph and Ducati by the tubed tyres. Has the Ducati Scrambler been proved to be reliable?

Save $10,000 and buy a Honda XR650L..

I have been looking at all types of bikes, tourers, sport, adventure and supermotos. These so called Scramblers are just a waste of money unless u have a lot and want a fashion statement. They are not made for nothing apart going around town on hot sunny day n sitting outside a coffee shop next to it and then ridding home.

Ducati is a "proper off road bike" k...

Where is the yamaha? Lol

All Euro bikes.. 2 made in Asia. Not sure the Beemer. None of the are true offroaders. All pretty. But knowing this they might as well of added the Benelli.. Indians off-road that Italian road bike made in China all day...

Believe me ive done some off road in my time and i wouldn't pick any off them. Africa Twin much better all round

The BMW looks like crap

R9T is made for midgets sadly. At 6”1 I couldn’t bare my scrambler anymore.

I hate when u call triumph cheap

Nyan cat.

Cut the crap music, we want engine noise.

Now that ducati has the desert scrambler nobody is gonna buy the "normal" scrambler anymore. it's by far the best choice over the standard model. also: i find so stupid and counterintuitive that among their line they made a "cafe racer" ducati SCRAMBLER...c'mon they are different things. maybe the name scrambler for the base model it's a bit of a bad marketing choice since i see the desert sled as the real scrambler.

well, 690/710 are the real scrambler

I would have bought the Ducati had they not put those idiotic low pipes on them.

You don't need to be an expert to say which one is for offroad and for city. Thanks for nothing

where can I get the old good Yamaha 1972 RT2 360 scrambler these bikes are road bikes scrabble bullshit

So there terrible on long trips on the highway & there not that good off road. I dont see the point of these bikes. Perfect for Middle aged hypsters with too much money

Ehhhhh "modern Scramblers" if you want a Scrambler then make one yourself otherwise it's not a Scrambler it's a half ass "Scrambler look"

Sadly the Triumph badge is just that, a badge. The triumph is poorly finished compared with BMW.

Ducati only , rest old man 👴 bikes junk ….

MCN dude, you are speaking from pre conceived notions based on marketing and clearly have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to the Triumph and the BMW...

the term "city bike" or "great for going around towns" is pretty lame. says nothing other than its not a Ducati 916 og Boss Hoss wich are very bad at going around towns.

Distance on the R9T …. I managed 50 painful miles…. Shocking suspension!