The updated 2019 Ducati Scrambler Café Racer gets a Bosch cornering ABS and a new attractive silver ice matt colour option
Ducati introduced the Scrambler Café racer back in 2017, just a couple of years after the Italian premium bike manufacturer reintroduced the Scrambler family. The Scrambler café racer model received its first major update in 2019. For those of you who are not aware, the Scrambler café racer is powered by the same 803cc, air-cooled, twin-cylinder, fuel-injected engine that powers the rest of the Scrambler bikes.
Here are the 5 things that you need to know about the new 2019 Ducati Scrambler:
1. New Paint and minor cosmetic changes
The 2019 Ducati Scrambler features a cool new “Silver Ice Matt,” paint scheme. The sheet metal and plastics on the motorcycle feature a silver finish to it while the rest of the exposed trellis frame structure has been finished in an attractive blue shade.
The round-shaped full digital instrument cluster now gets an additional gear position indicator. The Scrambler café racer also gets an attractive looking LED daytime running lamp positioned inside the headlamp unit. The motorcycle also sports a brand new graphic inspired by the 125 GP Desmo manufactured during the late 1950’s era.
Besides these minor cosmetic changes, the motorcycle also gets a new aluminium handlebar with bar-end mirrors inspired from the 60’s racing bar-end mirrors. Lastly, it also gets a new dedicated blue seat with a rear passenger cowl which can be removed and installed easily.
2. Stylish yet practical
All of you must be well aware of the fact that the café racers are not exactly comfortable motorcycles for daily use. They have a low mounted clip-on handlebar and a high mounted rear set foot controls (including rear brakes and gear lever). The leaning position of a café racer is not exactly comfortable for long rides or especially when someone is riding within the city traffic.
However, the good news is that Ducati has given all the café racer styling that the bike needed to make it look an authentic café racer but its ergonomics are tweaked slightly to make the motorcycle a more comfortable bike for daily use.
The handlebar of the Scrambler café racer is comparatively narrower than some other Scrambler bikes while the seating position is also fairly upright. The motorcycle is also comfortable for shorter riders because it gets a seat height of just 805 mm.
3. Powered by the same tried and tested engine
One of the biggest plus points of the Ducati Scrambler Café racer model is the fact that it is still powered by the tried and tested 803cc, air-cooled, desmo two-valve twin-cylinder, fuel-injected engine. This is the same motor that powers the other middleweight scramblers as well. This unit paired with a 6-speed gearbox produces about 73 Bhp of peak power at 8,250 rpm 67 Nm of peak torque at 5,750 rpm.
However, one of the major downsides of this engine could be its heating issues. This is a big engine and it does not get any liquid cooling. There is a possibility of it getting heated up real quick if idled for a prolonged period (especially keeping the Indian weather condition in mind).
4. Suspension and brake setup
The motorcycle uses a 41mm upside-down forks from Kayaba at the front and preload-adjustable monoshock setup from Kayaba at the rear. For anchorage, the motorcycle depends on a 330 mm disc brake at the front and a 245 mm disc at the rear. A Bosch two-channel ABS comes as standard with the motorcycle for the safety of the rider. The 2019 model also features a new cornering ABS system.
5. Competition and Pricing
Although this may not be its right competition, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 could definitely give the Scrambler Café racer some tough time. The RE Continental GT 650 is powered by a slightly smaller 648cc, 4-stroke, parallel twin, fuel-injected, SOHC unit.
This unit is capable of producing about 47 Bhp of peak power at 7,100 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The 2019 Ducati Scrambler Café Racer prices start from Rs 9.37 lakh (ex-showroom).