News 6 May 2016

Review: 2016 Ducati Scrambler Sixty2

CycleOnline.com.au tests the 2016 Ducati Scrambler Sixty2.

Words: Matthew Shields

If you haven’t heard of Ducati’s new Scrambler, you’ve probably stumbled on this page in the search of an Italian egg whisker. As a quick recap, the Scrambler is Ducati’s modern retro sensation that has seen a new cult following jump on the Italian brand. The Scrambler’s routes go back to the 60s when Scrambles – off-road races with low jumps and natural obstacles; like a precursor to modern-day Enduro racing – were all the rage. Ducati made their original Scrambler for the US market and the last of them rolled off the production line in the mid-70s.

Since the late 90s Ducati has played with the modern retro with varying success. Their was the internet-order only MH900e, and GT, Sport and Paul Smart Replica SportClassic 1000s. Ending in 2009, they were small production runs and did evoke styling cues of earlier Ducati machines, but none of them made modern the style, or got quite the response from the public, that the new Scrambler has. Taking over from the iconic Monster as Ducati Australia’s only learner-legal machine, the new Sixty2 brings the Scrambler style now to anyone that wants it.

What’s more, is it brings it in a very ‘Ducati’ package – a torquey, useable V-twin with a very inimitable style. The engine in the Sixty2 is based on the 803cc, two-valve per-cylinder, Desmodue V-twin engine that powered the Monster 796 – the same engine that is in the full-sized Scramblers. This engine at 399cc is the baby in the Ducati range of engines. With a 72mm bore and a 49mm stroke, the two-valve per cylinder V-twin doesn’t look much different to the 803cc Desmodue aside from a few small styling differences.

Image: Tim Munro.

In fact, both big and baby Scramblers are most noticeably different in the front suspension and brake caliper. There is a little less detailing on some engine covers and a painted, steel tank without the panel inserts, but aside from that the key aspect in the details are the same. Things like the period headlight glass, tank filler cap and even the old-school looking Pirelli MT-60s on the less-expensive, smaller-capacity machine will take you back to key details on the original machine.

The handling is one aspect that is different in the Sixty2 to the big bike though, and as it is learner-legal so it should be. The suspension is softer and more forgiving through its stroke while the front brake leaver gives a more progressive actuation ensuring learner riders are at ease with all aspects of the handling dynamic of the Sixty2, and made even easier again with a very neutral, upright seating position.

The same goes for the seat height. At 790mm, the Scrambler is short in anyone’s book and it comes available in a 770mm low seat and for taller riders a 810mm seat. Up front an uncluttered dash and simple controls give a fuss-free view of the road ahead. The Sixty2 has an excellent LCD single unit with speed and clock centre with tacho winding around the outside like the taco used to on the old Veglia dial. Its only shortfall is it doesn’t have a fuel gauge – something when you do get out on the open road you will need.

And on the open road, the Sixty2 has the performance needed to sit at highway speed and easily overtake quickly and safely. Not many sub-400cc learner machines, that I’ve ridden, can match the Ducati’s performance in this respect and it gives grounds for the Sixty2 to be the kind of bike riders will hang on to long after they have got their full licence.

With 31kW of power on tap, the Ducati’s biggest asset is the 34Nm of torque that it throws out. In the sub-400cc class it is a number that is hard to beat, though the Scrambler does weigh in a little bit heavier. Nonetheless, the 399cc V-twin punches away from a standstill quickly and the fast spinning engine will have you getting through the six-speed gearbox rapidly to a top speed over 130km/h.

Image: Tim Munro.

Catch yourself in the low rpm band coming out of a corner say, and you will need to drop a gear to get the revs up for the Sixty2 to start moving quickly. The 6000rpm mark is where it starts making ground quickly – around where it will be sitting on the freeway – perfect for high-speed overtaking. It’s not at all vibey with those revs on board with the rubber-mounting on the handlebar isolates it well.

Despite their knobby appearance, the retro-style Pirelli MT-60RS is nothing like a knobby on the road and has exceptional grip in the wet and dry. The tyre size – 110/80-18 front and 160/60-17 rear – makes the Scrambler both light and flickable at slow-speed and very stable at high-speed. On the open road the Scrambler will suck down more fuel than around town, of course, but you expect that from a machine that is designed for predominately city use. With 12,000km service intervals and mostly city usage, there shouldn’t be too many Sixty2s that’ll see the service bench that often.

Being a city bike though is what the Sixty2 is mostly about, but it will easily take you further if you want – and do so easily and enjoyably. With effortless handling, easy to control engine, unintimidating size and riding position all wrapped in an undeniable style all of its own, it’s a pretty cool choice for a rider entering into motorcycling. There are a lot of us out there that wish we had a bike like this to choose from as our first!

Priced among the 650cc class of LAMS motorcycles, but with 400cc in capacity, it’s easy to overlook the Sixty2 on price. But in terms of satisfying the needs of more riders than only learners, the Sixty2 has equally as much to offer. It has everything a learner rider needs from a motorcycle to make riding easy, and that translates to the kind of performance that will keep them content long after they have ditched the L or P plates off the rear mudguard.

Specifications

Capacity: 399cc
Power: 31kW @ 8750rpm
Torque: 33Nm @ 7750rpm
Wet weight: 183kg
Seat height: 790mm
Price: $11,990 plus ORC
Detailed specs: www.ducati.com.au

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