Well, I got lucky. I delivered the first Icon Scrambler from Ducati of Austin today. I was able to drive the bike about 65 miles today and wanted to note some findings.
First of all, the Icon Scrambler is very easy to ride and mount. I have short legs (30 inseam), and this bike is very easy to get on and off of. It is very lightweight and maneuverable. The seat is narrow which will allow most riders to have both feet on ground at standstill or at light. However, the lower narrow seat does not give as much support as my Monster 796 seat which is a little wider for your butt. The Monster and Multistrada have more pie shape seats vs. long narrow seats.
The bars are much higher and wider than my Monster 796 and even my older Multistrada. This is a very comfortable riding position but does not give as much confidence when in the twisties as my Monster. The Icon Scrambler is very agile and handles well. The Monster is just more responsive with a more sporty and lower bar setup. You are applying more weight on the bars which turns the bike quicker. Again, just comparing to my other Ducati's. Each bike has a different personality.
The throttle is linear, and the fueling is very smooth. There is not near as much clutter and shaking at low RPMs as my other Ducati bikes. The Icon Scrambler is a quieter bike, but if you let off the throttle around 5000-6000 rpm, the exhaust has a light popping noise. Maybe this is because my other bikes have two exit pipes vs. one. It was not loud or annoying, just a little different sound.
I drove only a few miles in the dark. I have not read the manual yet, but I did not see a high beam switch. I only saw a flicker switch which had to be manually held to keep high beams on. My Monster and Multistrada have flicker switches and traditional high beam manual switches which turn high beams on and off.
Suspension was very good. The Icon Scrambler absorbs bumps better than my Monster. The front end did not bottom out when running over speed bumps in a parking lot. My Monster easily bottomed out- this may also have to do with the lower bars and additional weight on bars. Neither the Scrambler or Monster 796 have adjustable front suspensions.
I did hit some light rain. I noticed much more water was hitting front fender from the larger tire treads. It was not raining hard, just a light mist. So in the rain, your legs may get more wet.
As far as fun factor, the Icon Scrambler is very fun to ride. It is peppy and easy to steer and get around on. It will probably be attractive to more buyers because it is an easier bike to ride. It is difficult to ride the Monster at slow speeds and RPMs without the motor shaking. The Monster just does not like to rev lower than 3,000 rpm. The Icon Scrambler is much happier at lower RPMs. And, the mirrors do not vibrate and you can actually see cars behind you.
I did not notice the throttle abruptness like others have commented. It is peppy, so for a new rider he or she needs to apply throttle smoothly and not abruptly. You only need to use a little throttle to get you going.
Well, tomorrow is another day. Hoping for sunshine. I will make more notes as I drive the biker more.
First of all, the Icon Scrambler is very easy to ride and mount. I have short legs (30 inseam), and this bike is very easy to get on and off of. It is very lightweight and maneuverable. The seat is narrow which will allow most riders to have both feet on ground at standstill or at light. However, the lower narrow seat does not give as much support as my Monster 796 seat which is a little wider for your butt. The Monster and Multistrada have more pie shape seats vs. long narrow seats.
The bars are much higher and wider than my Monster 796 and even my older Multistrada. This is a very comfortable riding position but does not give as much confidence when in the twisties as my Monster. The Icon Scrambler is very agile and handles well. The Monster is just more responsive with a more sporty and lower bar setup. You are applying more weight on the bars which turns the bike quicker. Again, just comparing to my other Ducati's. Each bike has a different personality.
The throttle is linear, and the fueling is very smooth. There is not near as much clutter and shaking at low RPMs as my other Ducati bikes. The Icon Scrambler is a quieter bike, but if you let off the throttle around 5000-6000 rpm, the exhaust has a light popping noise. Maybe this is because my other bikes have two exit pipes vs. one. It was not loud or annoying, just a little different sound.
I drove only a few miles in the dark. I have not read the manual yet, but I did not see a high beam switch. I only saw a flicker switch which had to be manually held to keep high beams on. My Monster and Multistrada have flicker switches and traditional high beam manual switches which turn high beams on and off.
Suspension was very good. The Icon Scrambler absorbs bumps better than my Monster. The front end did not bottom out when running over speed bumps in a parking lot. My Monster easily bottomed out- this may also have to do with the lower bars and additional weight on bars. Neither the Scrambler or Monster 796 have adjustable front suspensions.
I did hit some light rain. I noticed much more water was hitting front fender from the larger tire treads. It was not raining hard, just a light mist. So in the rain, your legs may get more wet.
As far as fun factor, the Icon Scrambler is very fun to ride. It is peppy and easy to steer and get around on. It will probably be attractive to more buyers because it is an easier bike to ride. It is difficult to ride the Monster at slow speeds and RPMs without the motor shaking. The Monster just does not like to rev lower than 3,000 rpm. The Icon Scrambler is much happier at lower RPMs. And, the mirrors do not vibrate and you can actually see cars behind you.
I did not notice the throttle abruptness like others have commented. It is peppy, so for a new rider he or she needs to apply throttle smoothly and not abruptly. You only need to use a little throttle to get you going.
Well, tomorrow is another day. Hoping for sunshine. I will make more notes as I drive the biker more.
