[nashvegasbiker]

I haven't been on a bike in about 15 years. My last ride was a Laverda 750s and that was an amazing ride with amazing presence but the sporting posture made it very uncomfortable.

So now I'm looking at bikes with a more upright seating position. I'm 5' 11" and in good shape. I would use this bike mainly around town as a commuter bike on roads with speed limits of 55mph or less. I do NEED the bike to handle well in the tight twisties so I could take it up to the mountains two times a year. I don't care about going really fast on the highway so I've arrived at bikes like the Scrambler, Monster 821, KTM Duke 690, and Moto Guzzi V7. The 821 looks amazing but to be honest I find the 100+ HP too much. I'd rather hang onto a gear a bit longer and hear the exhaust sing.

I love the Ducati sound and the Scrambler is striking in appearance but is it too pretty / trendy? Is this bike a hair dresser's bike or will people consider it as such? Will other riders take Scrambler riders seriously or will we be treated like pretty boys and girls on a piece of two wheel fashion jewelry. Also, will suspension upgrades be available as I hear it's a bit soft. Lastly, the clips I've heard indicate this is an excellent sounding bike but can you get a similar sound to a Monster 796 with it's truly duel exhaust pipes?

I know this is a bit long for a first post and I apologize. I'm not trolling but I want to make sure that I'm making the right decision for my re-entry back into motoring.

 

[TC3]

I will only tackle one of your questions and say screw others and what they think. If you like it you like it...

 

[nashvegasbiker]

LOL, I normally fall into that category but 9-10k is quite a lot of money. I really dont care a LOT about what others thing, I've owned 5 Miatas so I'm used to ridicule, but it would be nice to NOT have to hear a bunch of smack about it.

 

[fallen celt]

Nashvega I will let you in on a little secret the world of bikers is full of poseurs, lego men on GSs that never see a dirt road, pirates on Harleys who spend more time cleaning their bikes than riding them, Rockers on Cafe Racers who only ride to the coffee shop and Powers Rangers on race bikes who are obsessed with power and weight and buy bikes that are well beyond their abilities. Its all part of the fun of bikes, I never owned a bike that was slagged off by another biker and I have owned some crap bikes as well as good ones. I have ordered a Full Throttle for commuting and I have test ridden the 821 as well and its a great bike. My advise is test the bike out, and dont worry its certainly not a hair dressers bike and judging by the age profile on this web site I dont think there are too many pretty boys / girls interested in it either, no offence people. As for the suspension it an easy fix if you want.

 

[nashvegasbiker]

Fair point fallen celt. BTW, I just realized the Monster I was thinking of didn't have true duel exhaust so please scratch that question out of my list. It sounds like an excellent commuter bike. It sounds like the suspension will be an easy fix at some point as well. The only bummer is that I'm going to miss spring riding season if I wait on one of these so I might end up with two bikes for a bit.

 

[Jerry Winder]

All great advice and particularly from Tony concerning what other people think. If they have a problem with your bike it's their problem not yours. As to the rest of your concerns.


Nothing wrong with a pretty bike: Ducati 916,996, MV Agusta F4, 2005 Honda CBR1000RR, MV Agusta F3 800 Ago. Hardly fell out of the ugly tree did they?


Suspension is easily sorted and there will be no shortage of aftermarket stuff available from cheap and cheerful right up to Ohlins. I'm actually thinking about this for my own Scrambler but I'm going to wait and see what the OEM springs are like, I suspect they'll be fine unless you're ragging it.


My understanding is that the standard exhaust note is muted but I've had the Termi race can put on mine, the dealer posted this on YouTube after they'd fitted it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBrBlhkAUso Make up your own mind but I reckon it sounds the mutts nuts.


As for Celts assertion that the age profile means that we're not pretty boys and girls. Speak for yourself I'm 52 and bloody gorgeous :x


Jerry

 

[nashvegasbiker]

I agree that video with the Termi sounds pretty freaking awesome. I'd like a little more deep burble. My old Laverda 750, with its twin, had Termis on it and the sound was intoxicating. It had this very deep chop to it yet it sounded sexy when you revved it up.

 

[Jerry Winder]

I might end up with two bikes for a bit.

You say that like it's a bad thing >


Jerry

 

[Boost]

Nash - If you're coming back to biking after a 15-year absence, I can't think of a better bike to welcome you back than the Scrambler. It's very easy to ride, confidence inspiring, plenty of low-down grunt without being daunting and I think it looks ace. As others have said, I wouldn't worry too much about what others may or may not think - genuine bikers will appreciate the bike for what it is - a stylish, homage to a ground-breaking 60's bike with a sprinkling of modernity thrown in. Mine's been attracting a lot of attention everywhere I've been on it.

Plus, if you're a fan of the Miata, you'll totally understand the Colin Chapman ethos of performance through light weight - in fact, I think the Scrambler is somewhat analogous to the Lotus Elise, being a pared-back, achingly good-looking, no frills, agile little machine, and, like the critics of the Miata, the majority of those who turn their nose up at the Scrambler will be those who haven't ridden one.

 

[Mixup]

Nashvega I will let you in on a little secret the world of bikers is full of poseurs, lego men on GSs that never see a dirt road, pirates on Harleys who spend more time cleaning their bikes than riding them, Rockers on Cafe Racers who only ride to the coffee shop and Powers Rangers on race bikes who are obsessed with power and weight and buy bikes that are well beyond their abilities. Its all part of the fun of bikes, I never owned a bike that was slagged off by another biker and I have owned some crap bikes as well as good ones. I have ordered a Full Throttle for commuting and I have test ridden the 821 as well and its a great bike. My advise is test the bike out, and dont worry its certainly not a hair dressers bike and judging by the age profile on this web site I dont think there are too many pretty boys / girls interested in it either, no offence people. As for the suspension it an easy fix if you want.

No offence taken fallen celt as I possibly fall into most of the categories commented upon, I really do wish to look good on my Sunday ride to get a coffee, however after my last bike (MV Brutale) I see this as an every day bike and look to use it in my working day.

 

[fallen celt]

No offence taken fallen celt as I possibly fall into most of the categories commented upon, I really do wish to look good on my Sunday ride to get a coffee, however after my last bike (MV Brutale) I see this as an every day bike and look to use it in my working day.

It ok I fall in the lego men on GSs and power rangers on sports bike category myself.

 

[migu]

Is this bike a hair dresser's bike or will people consider it as such?

i am a Hairdresser and i have ordered one....

 

[nashvegasbiker]

@migu, nothing against hairdressers my friend.
@Boost, I appreciate the input. I looked at Monsters today and they just felt a smidgen too aggresive for an everyday bike. I also looked at a Moto Guzzi V7 Stone and just fell in love. I'm having a REALLY hard time NOT pulling the trigger on it. I know the Scrambler is a superior machine in terms of performance but gawd that V7 is just setup perfect for me in terms of ergonomics. How is the Scrambler compared to the V7 in terms of overall size?

 

[kirkemon]

From your description I would think the Guzzi V7 would be high on your list.
Never owned one, but there's quite a following and they can sound really good with the right pipes. Also, shaft, drive, and a huge gas tank.

 

[nashvegasbiker]

If the Scrambler is similar in size, length, etc then I'll just go for the Scrambler. Nobody has put a deposit on one in Nashville yet.

 

[nashvegasbiker]

Bump, I can't seem to find a comparison of the Scrambler vs the V7 in terms of physical size, length, height, etc. Can anyone help out?

 

[Jerry Winder]

Google is your friend


Scrambler Classic 803 CC - Scrambler Ducati


Moto Guzzi V7 Stone


Jerry

 

[TC3]

This will show you ergonomics

Motorcycle Ergonomics

 

[littleowl]

I think you need to give the bikes on your list a test ride, then you will have more of an idea what's for you! I have the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone which I love, think it's a fab looking bike in satin black and it is definitely worth looking at. But I am a short female with short inseam and can't ride the bike without my stacked boots and that's on tiptoe even with it being fully lowered lol.

I also find that I am looking for extra HP a lot of the time, it only has 48bhp which may or may not be an issue for you - it's a perfectly capable bike, easy to ride, loads of torque, but I've hit the rev limiter a few times and decided I wanted to look for a few more horses.

I was about to put a deposit down on an MT07 but didn't really like it's looks, then my friend said have you seen the Scrambler? I went along to look and fell in love with it, it's the first bike I've ever been able to test ride as it's so light and I could even touch the floor with balls of feet! I will miss the Guzzi but it has been part exchanged now

 

[littleowl]

Meant to add the V7 feels a much bigger bike, I'll add a pic of mine