2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon Review – First Ride

I’ve owned class-leading motorcycles with plenty of tech and performance for many years, but my time at Motorcycle.com has taught me how much fun middleweight bikes can be. Like every other member of the staff here, I too get all hot under my leathers waiting for the latest technology to trickle down from MotoGP into production sportbikes or monstrous 1200-plus cc naked bikes that have enough torque to dislocate your arms. But sometimes riding a bike that’s not so extreme can be relieving and an absolute blast to scoot around on.

2018 Ducati Scrambler 1100 First Ride Review

The 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon and the Land of Joy harken back to a place in time where motorcycles were just fun, rules were more like guidelines, and nobody worked, they just surfed, had beach parties all day, and listened to music while using their bikes to connect the roads of their lifestyle.

At least that’s the message Ducati’s Land of Joy portrays. It’s easy to brush off the Land of Joy marketing campaign as hipster fluff when seeing the displays and events in the States, but when listening to the idea behind the Scrambler described passionately and thoroughly by Ducati staffers from Bologna, the message is conveyed clearly and genuinely. For Ducati, the Scrambler stands for free-spirited attitude, positivity, and nonconformity while being open to other styles and cultures.

The Bologna-based manufacturer has made subtle aesthetic tweaks that elevate the look and feel of the 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon while adding other crucial elements to make the Icon easier and safer to ride. Follow me into the Land of Joy to see what changes were made to the 2019 Scrambler Icon. #Joyvolution

The 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon has received some choice upgrades in the looks department. Starting from front to back, the ’19 model year Icon receives a new DRL (Daytime Running Light) which can be switched off at the press of a dedicated button on the right side switchgear. The headlight has also been stylized with the black X which has become a Scrambler branding signature of sorts. The edges of the “X” are carried over into the headlight trim to further accentuate the accent.

New wheels are quite similar to the outgoing model’s, however the 2019 Scrambler Icon’s have a two inch strip of machined surface on both the 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels’ spokes. The exhaust headers have also undergone a new surface treatment. Whereas the previous Scrambler’s exhaust pipes were raw metal, the 2019 model has a more uniform look with a sandblasted finish.

Coatings on the engine are perhaps one of the most noticeable styling changes, next to the DRL. The engine cases now have a gloss black finish while the cylinder jugs themselves are matte black with machined fins. The goal here was to have a darker and more uniform look throughout this area of the motorcycle. The frame has also undergone an ever-so-slight change from the black hue it was before to better tie in all of the dark stylistic accents. Other small touches such as the thick black line around the aluminum side panels on the tank, as well as the gray trim on the seat and new exhaust heat shields, all come together to create a motorcycle with a true premium look for $9,395, only $200 more than the outgoing model.

Looks are great and a large part of choosing a motorcycle for some, but the 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon receives a few crucial upgrades that make the bike easier and safer to ride as a whole.

The LCD display has not changed visually, however the software used offers much more information than before. The dash now displays gear position and fuel level, two important and welcomed additions for most riders. Do you need those? No. Is it nice to have? I sure think so. The switchgear, both left and right, have also been revised to be more ergonomic and easier to use, though it took me a bit to get everything figured out. But wait, there’s more!

Ducati has also managed to pack into the Scrambler’s small display the Ducati Multimedia system which allows riders to connect their phone via Bluetooth, though you’ll need to purchase the Bluetooth receiver unit which is installed under the seat. With the Ducati Multimedia System users can view incoming calls, switch between songs, and see incoming messages. The Bluetooth system is able to connect up to five systems: rider phone, rider headset, passenger phone, passenger headset, and GPS (though the display is unable to show directions from the GPS).

A new six-axis IMU is being used to control the Bosch-developed cornering ABS which is now included on the 2019 Scrambler models. The system is the same technology that is in all of Ducati’s lineup, including the Panigale V4. The inclusion of cornering ABS on a sub-$10,000 motorcycle is a welcome touch and adds a safety net for its rider. Unfortunately, the ABS system can not be easily disabled, a bummer when you consider the Scrambler moniker and that it usually carries with it grand visions of fire road blasts or riding desert trails into the sunset on any Sunday. I would liked to have seen the dedicated on/off button of the DRL being used for turning the ABS on/off.

The 2019 Scrambler Icon also sports new levers both top and bottom. The hand levers are now both adjustable whereas before only the front brake could be adjusted, and the clutch actuation is now hydraulic. The shift lever has been brought up and elongated slightly for easier use while standing or sitting and the rear brake lever has been brought closer to the footpeg for easier use while standing. I will say, if you plan to be standing much on the Scrambler, new footpegs and a new muffler may be in order, as the footpegs are slim street-style components and the muffler crowds the boot heel quite noticeably.

Suspension has been revised both front and rear on the 2019 Ducati Scrambler, with progressive springs to help provide smoother touring and around-town comfort; better damping and bottoming resistance come into play when riding at a faster clip. The oil level and pistons used in the fork have been changed to help accentuate the same ride characteristics as the new springs. These same changes can be found in the rear shock.

Riding the Scrambler throughout the roads and villages of Tuscany gave us a chance to test the suspension on beat-up roads in the towns we passed through and while hustling through twisty bits of pavement in the countryside. My initial thought was the suspension was a bit soft, but after the full day of riding, considering the $9,395 price point and goal of engineering a one-fits-all suspension set up (preload on the rear is the only adjustment), I think Ducati did a fantastic job of finding a nice goldilocks setting for the Scrambler’s suspenders.

The oil-cooled 803cc L-Twin engine remains unchanged from the previous model. We predict the same performance numbers from the last time we put the Scrambler on the dyno which showed the Desmo engine producing 69.6 horsepower at 8500 rpm and 46.5 lb-ft of torque at 7000 rpm. For what the Scrambler is, a well-priced middleweight motorcycle, I was never underwhelmed with the power and was actually quite happy with the linear performance of the motor.

Aside from new levers and cornering ABS, the actual braking hardware remains the same as well, with a single 330mm disc and four-piston Brembo caliper up front and 245mm disc and single-piston caliper in the rear.

Tires are still the flat track-esque Pirelli MT 60s that hook up surprisingly well on and off-road.

The 2019 Ducati Scrambler Icon is a fantastic all-around motorcycle. For 2019, the discernible enhancements to the bike’s aesthetics are subtle, but create an overall premium finish when parked next to the outgoing model. Of course, it’s what’s inside that counts, right? Cornering ABS, reworked suspension, a hydraulic clutch and more information via the display all work together to make a safer and easier to ride motorcycle.