Scrambler Care Racer
Hey Y'all
Seeing as how there has been a lack of traffic I have a thread I would like
to start. I have sold my Paul Smart LE because at my advanced age it is no
longer possible to ride it all day and still be able to walk upright. I
now have a hole in my garage and a serious amount of cash that is trying
its best to burn a hole in my pocket. I have been considering several
bikes and the Ducati on my list is the Scramble Cafe Racer. I like the
idea of the cast wheels and the color combination of the first two years.
The next version has the lean angle sensor which I think is neat but I do
not like tires with tubes and the color is my second choice.
My basic question is anyone out there riding one and how is the comfort
level compared to the PSLE and a new SS/S? I can ride the latter all day
and the former for about an hour.
Other bike I have considered are a Thruxton R (a little heavy) and a RC8R
but the latter does not have ABS which is kind of a deal breaker for me.
Jim
Jim Calandro
il Capo
US DESMO
www.usdesmo.com
704-843-0429
I’ll be following this the spoke wheels are a dislike for me as well. I also have triumph speed twin on my list. - Gene
"I Know a Few Roads"
Patriot Guard Rider
AMA Charter Life Member #598925
Charter Member #166 of the Victory Motorcycle Club
DUCATI.net Member
USDESMO Member #1263
EX-MSF Instructor
EX-President Mid Atlantic Ducati Owners Club
Victory's - 01' V92SC, 04' Kingpin, 16' XC Tour
Ducati's - 02' M900, 13' Diavel
HD - 09' XR1200
From: Ducati ducati-bounces@list.ducati.net on behalf of James Calandro capod2t@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2019 2:41:54 PM
To: Big List Ducati@ducati.net
Subject: [Ducati] Scrambler Care Racer
Hey Y'all
Seeing as how there has been a lack of traffic I have a thread I would like
to start. I have sold my Paul Smart LE because at my advanced age it is no
longer possible to ride it all day and still be able to walk upright. I
now have a hole in my garage and a serious amount of cash that is trying
its best to burn a hole in my pocket. I have been considering several
bikes and the Ducati on my list is the Scramble Cafe Racer. I like the
idea of the cast wheels and the color combination of the first two years.
The next version has the lean angle sensor which I think is neat but I do
not like tires with tubes and the color is my second choice.
My basic question is anyone out there riding one and how is the comfort
level compared to the PSLE and a new SS/S? I can ride the latter all day
and the former for about an hour.
Other bike I have considered are a Thruxton R (a little heavy) and a RC8R
but the latter does not have ABS which is kind of a deal breaker for me.
Jim
Jim Calandro
il Capo
US DESMO
www.usdesmo.comhttp://www.usdesmo.com
704-843-0429
To get the links and updates on all today's Ducati news:
http://www.ductalk.com/
and
https://www.facebook.com/ducnet
Ducati mailing list
Ducati@list.ducati.net
http://list.ducati.net/mailman/listinfo/ducati_list.ducati.net
Mailto: twolanefun@outlook.com
Hey Jim,
I hang out at the Ducati shop here in town a lot and I have a lot of showroom seat time on the Café Racer (CR). I also owned an Urban Enduro (UE) and then traded that for the Desert Sled.
The reason I bought the UE is because as I got (getting) older, assuming the sportbike position, even something as reasonable as my '96 SS, was becoming more and more painful for my back. I've been riding nothing but sportbikes since I started riding in 1982 so the first time I rode the UE, it was a revelation! I could sit upright, look around, and see the world around me! The UE was so easy to ride I let my new-rider friend with less than 1,000 miles under his belt, ride it and he had no problems. It weighed round 400lbs wet so it was easy to push around the garage and handle on the road. That was actually a big reason why I bought it...its light weight. The clutch pull is light and easy, the engine is peppy enough, and the handling was intuitive enough, like I said, that my beginner friend could easily handle it in the easy twisties we were on. The only thing I didn't like about it was the single front brake disc. I never changed the pads or lines so maybe it could've been improved but I just don't think a single disc is enough for hard stopping. It was sufficient. The UE came with a little windscreen which contributed to making it just a tad more comfortable at freeway speeds. The seat was comfortable and I was doing 4-5 hour rides with no problems.
The CR, being the same frame and engine, would have all the characteristics as my UE. If you really want to sit upright, then the CR is not for you. While not GSXR-750/CBR600RR extreme, it still cants your body forward. If I was looking for a standard, with my back straight as I'm riding, I would not get the CR. I'd go with the Icon model. The other thing which you notice when sitting on it is the extreme rake of the front end. You can't see the front fender. On a naked bike like that, it was disconcerting to me. I can't speak to the handling of that raked-in front end but I imagine it would be quick. The CR also comes with just the single front disc which I know I wouldn't like on that bike since I would imagine I would be doing more spirited riding on the CR than on my UE. I think the CR is even lighter than my UE was...feels like it anyway.
My Desert Sled, while still being easy to ride, is a different beast. It's a big bike. Realistically it's too big for me as I'm 5'3" with a 28" inseam. The stock seat height is 34.9" which is pretty tall so I bought the Low Seat which lowers it an inch. But it was so gorgeous that I just HAD TO HAVE IT. The forks are bigger and adjustable (the UE's were not), the shock is bigger, the swingarm is 2 inches longer, and the frame is beefed up to handle real off-road excursions. All that results in the Sled weighing about 50lbs more than my UE. You can really feel the weight slowing it down compared to the UE and alas, it only has that single front disc. Ugh. They also changed the throttle cam on the Sled compared to the UE in order to tame the snatchiness that some people complained about. I preferred the quick throttle action of the UE over the progressiveness of the Sled's cam. It would only make sense that they would put the quick action cam in the CR. All that being said, the Sled is still a LOT of fun to ride. You just feel like you can ride over anything and it's still quick enough to be fun. And the biggest surprise to me was how hard I could go through the twisties on the stock Pirelli Scorpion knobbies.
I don't know how big you are but that CR is a tiny bike. It feels tiny even to me. It feels 250 tiny. If you're above 5'10", you're gonna dwarf that CR.
You asked about how it compares to the PSLE. Well, I never road the PS but I did TRY to sit on one. I just couldn't fit on that darn thing. The seat was too wide for my short legs and the reach to the bars was CRAZY long. There was no way I could ever safely ride that thing. The CR isn't even close to being that extreme. Compared to the PS, the CR is a straight up standard. So coming from that angle, maybe the CR would be great for you.
I did ride the new SS and that was sweet! Very reasonable riding position...very VFR-ish. I would say the CR and the new SS probably cant your body forward about the same degree. But as you know, those are two very different bikes with a 25+ horsepower disparity.
If you're just looking for a quick little runaround for short Sunday jaunts, the CR would be ok. For longer rides (cross-country) the SS would be the one.
For something in between, maybe you should consider the 1100 Scrambler. It's a bigger, faster bike than the CR and you sit in a neutral, standard, sitting position. If you're a tall guy, then maybe a Desert Sled would work for you.
Well, that's my Scrambler diatribe. Hope it helps at least a little.
V/R, Mario
From: Ducati ducati-bounces@list.ducati.net on behalf of James Calandro capod2t@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2019 1:41 PM
To: Big List Ducati@ducati.net
Subject: [Ducati] Scrambler Care Racer
Hey Y'all
Seeing as how there has been a lack of traffic I have a thread I would like
to start. I have sold my Paul Smart LE because at my advanced age it is no
longer possible to ride it all day and still be able to walk upright. I
now have a hole in my garage and a serious amount of cash that is trying
its best to burn a hole in my pocket. I have been considering several
bikes and the Ducati on my list is the Scramble Cafe Racer. I like the
idea of the cast wheels and the color combination of the first two years.
The next version has the lean angle sensor which I think is neat but I do
not like tires with tubes and the color is my second choice.
My basic question is anyone out there riding one and how is the comfort
level compared to the PSLE and a new SS/S? I can ride the latter all day
and the former for about an hour.
Other bike I have considered are a Thruxton R (a little heavy) and a RC8R
but the latter does not have ABS which is kind of a deal breaker for me.
Jim
Jim Calandro
il Capo
US DESMO
www.usdesmo.comhttp://www.usdesmo.com
704-843-0429
To get the links and updates on all today's Ducati news:
http://www.ductalk.com/
and
https://www.facebook.com/ducnet
Ducati mailing list
Ducati@list.ducati.net
http://list.ducati.net/mailman/listinfo/ducati_list.ducati.net
Mailto: mariobaroz@hotmail.com
Mario
Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I have a 2008 Hyper dressed out for
touring so I have the full up right bike. I have the SS for sporty riding
but not Panigale pain. I wanted something light and nimble that had a cafe
style. I had a KTM 690 Duke with the single disc and it is a new braking
experience for sure. You need to pull on that lever a lot harder. The CR
has a radial brake pump so maybe that will help. I am a little over 6 feet
and around 190 but I have ridden a Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport for an all
weekend ride and did OK so I am not put off by small bikes. It tends to be
the price you pay for light weight. Sold my 899 just could not ride it any
longer. As a matter of fact in the last three years I have sold a 916,
bimota db2, F1B, 899 and the Paul Smart totally changing my stable. I like
the Thruxton R but it is a pretty heavy bike. Heck I am shocked how much
my new SS/S weighs when I push it around in the garage. Not like my old 95
SS
Jim
Jim Calandro
il Capo
US DESMO
www.usdesmo.com
704-843-0429
On Tue, Dec 31, 2019 at 7:19 PM Mario Baroz mariobaroz@hotmail.com wrote:
Hey Jim,
I hang out at the Ducati shop here in town a lot and I have a lot of
showroom seat time on the Café Racer (CR). I also owned an Urban Enduro
(UE) and then traded that for the Desert Sled.
The reason I bought the UE is because as I got (getting) older, assuming
the sportbike position, even something as reasonable as my '96 SS, was
becoming more and more painful for my back. I've been riding nothing but
sportbikes since I started riding in 1982 so the first time I rode the UE,
it was a revelation! I could sit upright, look around, and see the world
around me! The UE was so easy to ride I let my new-rider friend with less
than 1,000 miles under his belt, ride it and he had no problems. It
weighed round 400lbs wet so it was easy to push around the garage and
handle on the road. That was actually a big reason why I bought it...its
light weight. The clutch pull is light and easy, the engine is peppy
enough, and the handling was intuitive enough, like I said, that my
beginner friend could easily handle it in the easy twisties we were on.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the single front brake disc. I
never changed the pads or lines so maybe it could've been improved but I
just don't think a single disc is enough for hard stopping. It was
sufficient. The UE came with a little windscreen which contributed to
making it just a tad more comfortable at freeway speeds. The seat was
comfortable and I was doing 4-5 hour rides with no problems.
The CR, being the same frame and engine, would have all the
characteristics as my UE. If you really want to sit upright, then the CR
is not for you. While not GSXR-750/CBR600RR extreme, it still cants your
body forward. If I was looking for a standard, with my back straight as
I'm riding, I would not get the CR. I'd go with the Icon model. The other
thing which you notice when sitting on it is the extreme rake of the front
end. You can't see the front fender. On a naked bike like that, it was
disconcerting to me. I can't speak to the handling of that raked-in front
end but I imagine it would be quick. The CR also comes with just the
single front disc which I know I wouldn't like on that bike since I would
imagine I would be doing more spirited riding on the CR than on my UE. I
think the CR is even lighter than my UE was...feels like it anyway.
My Desert Sled, while still being easy to ride, is a different beast.
It's a big bike. Realistically it's too big for me as I'm 5'3" with a 28"
inseam. The stock seat height is 34.9" which is pretty tall so I bought
the Low Seat which lowers it an inch. But it was so gorgeous that I just
HAD TO HAVE IT. The forks are bigger and adjustable (the UE's were not),
the shock is bigger, the swingarm is 2 inches longer, and the frame is
beefed up to handle real off-road excursions. All that results in the Sled
weighing about 50lbs more than my UE. You can really feel the weight
slowing it down compared to the UE and alas, it only has that single front
disc. Ugh. They also changed the throttle cam on the Sled compared to the
UE in order to tame the snatchiness that some people complained about. I
preferred the quick throttle action of the UE over the progressiveness of
the Sled's cam. It would only make sense that they would put the quick
action cam in the CR. All that being said, the Sled is still a LOT of fun
to ride. You just feel like you can ride over anything and it's still
quick enough to be fun. And the biggest surprise to me was how hard I
could go through the twisties on the stock Pirelli Scorpion knobbies.
I don't know how big you are but that CR is a tiny bike. It feels tiny
even to me. It feels 250 tiny. If you're above 5'10", you're gonna dwarf
that CR.
You asked about how it compares to the PSLE. Well, I never road the PS
but I did TRY to sit on one. I just couldn't fit on that darn thing. The
seat was too wide for my short legs and the reach to the bars was CRAZY
long. There was no way I could ever safely ride that thing. The CR isn't
even close to being that extreme. Compared to the PS, the CR is a straight
up standard. So coming from that angle, maybe the CR would be great for
you.
I did ride the new SS and that was sweet! Very reasonable riding
position...very VFR-ish. I would say the CR and the new SS probably cant
your body forward about the same degree. But as you know, those are two
very different bikes with a 25+ horsepower disparity.
If you're just looking for a quick little runaround for short Sunday
jaunts, the CR would be ok. For longer rides (cross-country) the SS would
be the one.
For something in between, maybe you should consider the 1100 Scrambler.
It's a bigger, faster bike than the CR and you sit in a neutral, standard,
sitting position. If you're a tall guy, then maybe a Desert Sled would
work for you.
Well, that's my Scrambler diatribe. Hope it helps at least a little.
V/R, Mario
Well heck, if you're ridden a Moto Morini 3 1/2, then you'll be fine on that CR. Though at 6', 190, you will dwarf that CR.
yeah, the Thruxton is really heavy but gorgeous. However, the Triumph that really gets me going is the Speed Twin. It's basically a Thruxton in a Bonneville suit. Gorgeous and quick with a reasonable seating position. Matter of fact, that bike and the CR feel similar as far as making you bend forward.
I babysat my friend's Triumph Street Twin (ST) for the year he was deployed and that was a fun, small, light bike. But with only 58hp, it just wasn't very fast. The CR would steal that ST's lunch money every day.
I really enjoyed the new SS but wasn't "wow'd" by it. I wanted it to be more like the mid '90s SS that we all love. I wanted it to be either a) lighter or b) faster. But if I was going to buy a new sport touring bike, I'd probably get an SS. It's a sweet bike for sure.
If you're going to get a CR, get that black and gold one! The blue one....meh. hahahahahaha…...
Mario
From: Ducati ducati-bounces@list.ducati.net on behalf of James Calandro capod2t@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2019 7:02 PM
To: Ducati Owners Group ducati@list.ducati.net
Subject: Re: [Ducati] ] Scrambler Care Racer
Mario
Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I have a 2008 Hyper dressed out for
touring so I have the full up right bike. I have the SS for sporty riding
but not Panigale pain. I wanted something light and nimble that had a cafe
style. I had a KTM 690 Duke with the single disc and it is a new braking
experience for sure. You need to pull on that lever a lot harder. The CR
has a radial brake pump so maybe that will help. I am a little over 6 feet
and around 190 but I have ridden a Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport for an all
weekend ride and did OK so I am not put off by small bikes. It tends to be
the price you pay for light weight. Sold my 899 just could not ride it any
longer. As a matter of fact in the last three years I have sold a 916,
bimota db2, F1B, 899 and the Paul Smart totally changing my stable. I like
the Thruxton R but it is a pretty heavy bike. Heck I am shocked how much
my new SS/S weighs when I push it around in the garage. Not like my old 95
SS
Jim
Jim Calandro
il Capo
US DESMO
www.usdesmo.comhttp://www.usdesmo.com
704-843-0429
On Tue, Dec 31, 2019 at 7:19 PM Mario Baroz mariobaroz@hotmail.com wrote:
Hey Jim,
I hang out at the Ducati shop here in town a lot and I have a lot of
showroom seat time on the Café Racer (CR). I also owned an Urban Enduro
(UE) and then traded that for the Desert Sled.
The reason I bought the UE is because as I got (getting) older, assuming
the sportbike position, even something as reasonable as my '96 SS, was
becoming more and more painful for my back. I've been riding nothing but
sportbikes since I started riding in 1982 so the first time I rode the UE,
it was a revelation! I could sit upright, look around, and see the world
around me! The UE was so easy to ride I let my new-rider friend with less
than 1,000 miles under his belt, ride it and he had no problems. It
weighed round 400lbs wet so it was easy to push around the garage and
handle on the road. That was actually a big reason why I bought it...its
light weight. The clutch pull is light and easy, the engine is peppy
enough, and the handling was intuitive enough, like I said, that my
beginner friend could easily handle it in the easy twisties we were on.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the single front brake disc. I
never changed the pads or lines so maybe it could've been improved but I
just don't think a single disc is enough for hard stopping. It was
sufficient. The UE came with a little windscreen which contributed to
making it just a tad more comfortable at freeway speeds. The seat was
comfortable and I was doing 4-5 hour rides with no problems.
The CR, being the same frame and engine, would have all the
characteristics as my UE. If you really want to sit upright, then the CR
is not for you. While not GSXR-750/CBR600RR extreme, it still cants your
body forward. If I was looking for a standard, with my back straight as
I'm riding, I would not get the CR. I'd go with the Icon model. The other
thing which you notice when sitting on it is the extreme rake of the front
end. You can't see the front fender. On a naked bike like that, it was
disconcerting to me. I can't speak to the handling of that raked-in front
end but I imagine it would be quick. The CR also comes with just the
single front disc which I know I wouldn't like on that bike since I would
imagine I would be doing more spirited riding on the CR than on my UE. I
think the CR is even lighter than my UE was...feels like it anyway.
My Desert Sled, while still being easy to ride, is a different beast.
It's a big bike. Realistically it's too big for me as I'm 5'3" with a 28"
inseam. The stock seat height is 34.9" which is pretty tall so I bought
the Low Seat which lowers it an inch. But it was so gorgeous that I just
HAD TO HAVE IT. The forks are bigger and adjustable (the UE's were not),
the shock is bigger, the swingarm is 2 inches longer, and the frame is
beefed up to handle real off-road excursions. All that results in the Sled
weighing about 50lbs more than my UE. You can really feel the weight
slowing it down compared to the UE and alas, it only has that single front
disc. Ugh. They also changed the throttle cam on the Sled compared to the
UE in order to tame the snatchiness that some people complained about. I
preferred the quick throttle action of the UE over the progressiveness of
the Sled's cam. It would only make sense that they would put the quick
action cam in the CR. All that being said, the Sled is still a LOT of fun
to ride. You just feel like you can ride over anything and it's still
quick enough to be fun. And the biggest surprise to me was how hard I
could go through the twisties on the stock Pirelli Scorpion knobbies.
I don't know how big you are but that CR is a tiny bike. It feels tiny
even to me. It feels 250 tiny. If you're above 5'10", you're gonna dwarf
that CR.
You asked about how it compares to the PSLE. Well, I never road the PS
but I did TRY to sit on one. I just couldn't fit on that darn thing. The
seat was too wide for my short legs and the reach to the bars was CRAZY
long. There was no way I could ever safely ride that thing. The CR isn't
even close to being that extreme. Compared to the PS, the CR is a straight
up standard. So coming from that angle, maybe the CR would be great for
you.
I did ride the new SS and that was sweet! Very reasonable riding
position...very VFR-ish. I would say the CR and the new SS probably cant
your body forward about the same degree. But as you know, those are two
very different bikes with a 25+ horsepower disparity.
If you're just looking for a quick little runaround for short Sunday
jaunts, the CR would be ok. For longer rides (cross-country) the SS would
be the one.
For something in between, maybe you should consider the 1100 Scrambler.
It's a bigger, faster bike than the CR and you sit in a neutral, standard,
sitting position. If you're a tall guy, then maybe a Desert Sled would
work for you.
Well, that's my Scrambler diatribe. Hope it helps at least a little.
V/R, Mario
To get the links and updates on all today's Ducati news:
http://www.ductalk.com/
and
https://www.facebook.com/ducnet
Ducati mailing list
Ducati@list.ducati.net
http://list.ducati.net/mailman/listinfo/ducati_list.ducati.net
Mailto: mariobaroz@hotmail.com
Jim - Have you looked at the Thruxton R in person? The riding position is
really stretched out. I don't know how it compares to the Sport Classic
though.
I was going back and forth between the original Scrambler Cafe and the
Thruxton R. I was leaning toward the Thruxton because of the suspension.
But, again, the riding position is more extreme than the Scrambler Cafe.
In the end I purchased a leftover 2016 Flat Track Pro. The discounted price
allowed me to upgrade both front and rear to fully adjustable and still be
less expensive than either the Cafe or Thruxton.
Of course the FTP has a more upright position, but it's my only bike so,
even though I really like the cafe styling, I neede a more general purpose
bike.
-Bob