Modern Buddy

MotorcycleUSA posted their "First Ride" review of the new Ducati Scrambler along with some nice photos. The review is good. The pix are great.



I dedicate this thread to the memory of siobhan. Long may she ride.

It's nice to see that report is mostly positive, but I don't think I could fit. It's bigger than, say, the TU250, but not that much.

I've been salivating since this was announced.

I'm too old to be a Hipster, so I think it's just my mid-life crisis talking.

Siobhan seems like she would have loved such a machine.

Ha, I thought you'd ridden one! Already spotted one on the streets around here.

ericalm wrote:Ha, I thought you'd ridden one! Already spotted one on the streets around here.

I wish! If there were a Ducati dealer anywhere near me, I feel pretty sure that this thread would have a pic of my new machine. Sometimes these things are a blessing in disguise... Unfortunately, Scoot Richmond is now a Triumph dealer and a Moto Guzzi dealer. Yikes! It's just a good darned thing that they are not also an Indian dealer or I think I would be an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis, if you catch my drift.

ericalm wrote:Ha, I thought you'd ridden one! Already spotted one on the streets around here.

Oh? Maybe a tester?

They don't officially hit for a few months, but sometimes you coastal people with good weather get them a smidge early!

The Duc Scrambler is a great looking bike. Anybody familiar with the cost of maintenance on the desmo valve (no valve spring) engines?? I realize that that most modern high performance motorcycles adjust valves by shims, but I heard the desmo valve adjustment costs considerably more.

Did some research on the maintenance expenses.
If you plan to commute on your Ducati, you need to budget accordingly:
"Only very recent Ducatis have 12k mile valve services. And even then they are usually in the $1,000-$1,600 price range."
More at this link:
http://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/com ... _a_ducati/

A few friends have told me that it's not too tough to do. It isn't fun, but it isn't hard.

When they're in the wild I will ask the local dealers. I would hate to pay 10% of the cost of the bike every year for maintenance.

True. Many of us can handle the nut adjusters on the Buddy. Because the desmodromic valves have no valve springs, I think you have to adjust the lash at both open and close for each valve.