[pacman]

I have heard from a member of another Ducati forum that, after throwing a leg over the motorbike, he was shocked at how small it felt. I've looked at the specs, and while it definitely doesn't seem like a big bike... on paper, at least, it doesn't look too small. It is, after all, carrying an 800 twin...

I know that the iconic scramblers of the 60's and 70's were little things, but I'd love to hear others impressions regarding the size of the bike. Unless the bike is too small, I am planning on buying an urban enduro.

 

[moxox]

I think many people have got used to bikes getting larger and larger; I visited Sammy Millers motorcycle museum in SW England last week and all those iconic bikes, Vincent's, Broughs, as well as Triumphs and Nortons are all dwarfed by the size of even middleweights nowadays...compare a sixties Bonnie with a current one - or a r90/s with a 1200g/s...
I for one hope the Scrambler will be better for being smaller, lighter, more responsive and sharper than the alternatives...( but I must confess I haven't even sat on one yet!)

 

[pacman]

I for one hope the Scrambler will be better for being smaller, lighter, more responsive and sharper than the alternatives...( but I must confess I haven't even sat on one yet!)

Agreed.
And a lot of today's bikes are definitely piggy -my kawasaki klr650, for instance, is a lot bigger than it needs to be.

Has anyone else seen one in person or been able to sit on one?

 

[Anarchy Dawn]

This is great for me, I am only 5.3 ft and I am sick of the bikes being tall, why do they make them so tall ???

 

[Sterndog]

This bike is narrower than a lot of other offerings out there, the extra leg room is what made it feel "smaller" to me compared to my 796 monster. I would not consider the bike being too small though.

 

[w2darren]

This is great for me, I am only 5.3 ft and I am sick of the bikes being tall, why do they make them so tall ???

I'll second that, as i am only 5.5 and i find a lot of bikes i like to tall for me to feel comfortably and incontrol

 

[pacman]

This thread at ducati.ms has a lot of info on the size of the bike:

Expectations Met? - Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum

Basically, if it's bigger than a bicycle, I'll be content. For me, the motorbike is for fun day rides, running around, and warm-weather commuting, so it doesn't need to be big.

 

[project]

I like that its a narrower bike, makes transitions much easier and smoother. I too am a smaller guy, 5 ft 8.

 

[w2darren]

This is great for me, I am only 5.3 ft and I am sick of the bikes being tall, why do they make them so tall ???

I'll second that, as i am only 5.5

 

[Enduro]

The bike is definitely small. I was shocked when I first saw it, how it looked much smaller than expected. A friend compared it to a pocketbike but cool. Seating position felt OK even if I'm 6.2.

 

[moxox]

The bike is definitely small. I was shocked when I first saw it, how it looked much smaller than expected. A friend compared it to a pocketbike but cool. Seating position felt OK even if I'm 6.2.

Hi Enduro,
Hmm, maybe the bike in your garage gives a clue as to what you might consider 'small'!

 

[pacman]

Allright- I pulled the specs from the website, and compared the scrambler to the Triumph Thruxton, the Monster 796 Corse Stripe, and the Monster 1200. Many seem to think that Triumph's Bonneville or Scrambler are better comparisons than the Thruxton, but I thought it was a little smaller, so...

It might look confusing, but just read left to right. What you think of those comparisons? (I didn't include power figures for the 1200 )

I'm not arguing with people who have sat on the bike and say it feels small, but I am wondering why it feels small given these close comparisons...

I only looked at the Scrambler/Thruxton for many things, like wheels & tires. I think the scrambler blows all of the "classic" competitors away in terms of having modern, road-handling tire specs.

Lastly, if you really look at the technical specs, you'll realize that this bike is going to be a blast to ride.

Specs Scrambler Thruxton M 796 CS M 1200
Wheelbase 56.9” 58.6” 57.1 59.5
Dr/Wet Wt 388/423 471/507 373/414 401/461
Seat Ht 31.1” 32.3” 31.5 31.9”
Max Ht 45.3” 43.1” 42.5 40.9
Max Wdt 33.3” 32.6 30.9 32.7
OAL 85.2 84.6 83.3 86.6
Tank 3.57 gal 4.2 3.6 4.6
Eng. Cap 803cc 865cc 803cc 1200cc
HP 75 HP 70HP 87HP
Torque 50 lb-ft 51 lb-ft 58lb-ft
Susp Trav 150mm f/r 120/106 120/148
F. T/Wh 110/80 18 3” 110/90 18 2.5”
R. T/W 180/55 17 5.5” 130/80 17 3.5”
Rake 24dg 27dg 24dg 24.3dg

 

[moxox]

I think the size is really going to suit a very wide range of riders and pillions - just back from NEC show and am confident that it's pretty much spot on - Here are my views -

 

[DenverDuc]

Allright- I pulled the specs from the website, and compared the scrambler to the Triumph Thruxton, the Monster 796 Corse Stripe, and the Monster 1200. Many seem to think that Triumph's Bonneville or Scrambler are better comparisons than the Thruxton, but I thought it was a little smaller, so...

It might look confusing, but just read left to right. What you think of those comparisons? (I didn't include power figures for the 1200 )

I'm not arguing with people who have sat on the bike and say it feels small, but I am wondering why it feels small given these close comparisons...

I only looked at the Scrambler/Thruxton for many things, like wheels & tires. I think the scrambler blows all of the "classic" competitors away in terms of having modern, road-handling tire specs.

Lastly, if you really look at the technical specs, you'll realize that this bike is going to be a blast to ride.

Specs Scrambler Thruxton M 796 CS M 1200
Wheelbase 56.9” 58.6” 57.1 59.5
Dr/Wet Wt 388/423 471/507 373/414 401/461
Seat Ht 31.1” 32.3” 31.5 31.9”
Max Ht 45.3” 43.1” 42.5 40.9
Max Wdt 33.3” 32.6 30.9 32.7
OAL 85.2 84.6 83.3 86.6
Tank 3.57 gal 4.2 3.6 4.6
Eng. Cap 803cc 865cc 803cc 1200cc
HP 75 HP 70HP 87HP
Torque 50 lb-ft 51 lb-ft 58lb-ft
Susp Trav 150mm f/r 120/106 120/148
F. T/Wh 110/80 18 3” 110/90 18 2.5”
R. T/W 180/55 17 5.5” 130/80 17 3.5”
Rake 24dg 27dg 24dg 24.3dg

My personal guess as to why many think it feels smaller is because it's much narrower than expected. Oftentimes dirt bikes don't feel very large because they're so slim between the legs whereas most street bikes these days feel very wide at the seat. I imagine the seating position is very relaxed and neutral which makes it feel more comfortable/smaller compared with being stretched out over a gas tank or having to bend to reach the bars or have a long reach from the seat to the bars. Just conjecture till we each get to actually throw a leg over it ourselves though! Even with well established/ubiquitous models people can't agree on simple things, so with a model like this it's probably best to just wait and try it out ourselves.