Ducati Hyper Motard or Scrambler

[manchestermike]

Hello All,

I was at the Ducati dealer in Thonglor and they told me the hyper motard has been modified to a lower the seat height due to poor sales in Thailand. They didnt have any in stock and didnt know when they would get one to show.

Has anybody here bought a Hypermotard with the lower seat, he assured me that the seat was the same height as the hyper strada. Which is much more comforatble height for me, I am 6ft tall and I am on my tip toes on teh standard configuration.

The other bike I was interested in buying was the scrambler, any body here bought one and have any comments ?

Thanks in adavnce

[eisfeld]

I bought the Scrambler and test rode the Hyperstrada (not motard).

I strongly disliked the Hyperstrada but I think the bike had been messed with at the dealer in terms of suspension, tire pressure and clutch lever. So take my report with a pinch of salt.

I had no confidence riding it around corners. It does have a bit more punch than the Scrambler but not a world of a difference. The Scrambler due to its light weight feels plenty peppy from idle. For shorter riders, it'll be the most comfy in terms of riding ergos.

Regarding the clutch just google for "hypermotard 821 clutch" and you can find many people complaining about it.

The Scrambler has two big issues: the seat is frickin uncomfortable for rides longer than 1h. But that can be fixed and Ducati themselves offer a comfort seat which gets mixed reviews. I haven't decided what I'll do about this. Maybe a gel insert.

The second problem is the heat from the engine. It can get unfomfortable quikly in stop and go traffic on a warm day. The Hyper might or might not suffer from the same. It is water cooled so I'd expect it to be a bit better in that regard. Didn't feel any problematic heat during the test ride.

Apart from these two (and the suspension being a bit too stiff), the Scrambler is pretty frickin' fantastic. It can be easy going, chilling out at 3k RPM all day. Or you can go crazy and blast around like no tomorrow as it pushes nicely up to 190km/h.

Overall I prefer the Scrambler from a riding ergos, handling and design perspective.

The Hyper would probably be better for longer rides. The Scrambler shines in urban riding.

[Nickymaster]

Why not get a Monster 821? It is positioned somewhere in between those two bikes.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Nickymaster

[manchestermike]

Thanks for the replies.

I already have a Kawasaki 250 d tracker and a Honda CBR 500 X. I really like the CBR 500 X but its a pain to park in most places in town due to the size.

I ride the D Tracker most of the time and I am looking for a simaler size bike with more power. I have test ridden the KTM Dukes but they are a little small except the 690.

I am 6ft tall and I much prefer to be sat up riding position. I am riding mainly in town so I think the monster will be hard on the wrists.

Eisfield - I also noticed the heat when i rode the Scrambler, as i will be riding it mainly in town / traffic I was a little concerned but i do have to say i had big smile on my face when i finished the test ride.

[foodieontour]

Hi.

The Motard iss not only changed in seat height, the whole bike and suspension is modified and lowered. You can't conter that by putting on the higher seat. Bummer.

I tried without success to get a higher version out of production and failed... even after having a contract signed with down payment and all. Two months later the factory said, 'sorry'.

If you are a over 1,80m and do not have short legs I would recommend avoiding the new lowered version... which is a shame, otherwise I consider the Motard the perfect (town) bike. No other bike before gave me so much fun, combined with quality, power and "overall feel".

The Scrambler is a total different beast. I had personal issues with the "hipster" image that comes with the bike but see the benefits. It is significant cheaper (and simpler)... with a few downsides. But it can look cool. My Ducati dealer pimped his private Scrambler quite up and it looks cool that way. I still would prefer not be seen on it... again a personal thing that you might feel different about. What put me off was not that the Scrambler would be a bad bike, the Motard is just so much better - in pretty much every aspect: "The better is the biggest enemy of the good"

I would frase the (personal) decision you face here in my words as:

1 - if the Scrambler fits your budget better - why not going with a great performing package from Honda / Kawa. Actually with the 500X you kinda did already. I went for the CB650F first... just to realize way to soon, great bike, nothing to complain about... just not a Ducati with make you grin like evel every time you pick up the key. I am missing the excitement from those (maybe I should have gotten me a MSX125 instead

2 - if you can live with the lower version the Motard, go for it.... though, I can't come to terms with that at all. And I did not find a suitable used one (for me).

3 - if you can afford it... the Diavel is what made me happy in the end. Yes, it is not a Motard style bike, hardly to compare those two but it can do everything even better and your face runs out of space for the grin you spurt every time riding it.

4 - Heat: (a big issue for me) The HyperMotard has the least amount of uncomfortable heat development, even the Honda 650F produces more. The Scrambler is surprisingly hot for my taste, I was not happy about that. Maybe the air-cooled engine? (btw the Diavel is pretty hot if driven slow - I love to drive it anyway.... it is that good)

not sure if that helps you...

happy choosing!

Edited July 14, 2015 by foodieontour

[B1ade]

I have not tried the scrambler, but I had a D-tracker before like you and upgraded to a hypermotard which I still have, there is a huge difference in size, parking ability, etc. I am 6ft 1, and find the seat to be too high also, especially wheeling it backwards on tip toes. I know the seat is OEM from the strada, so the dealer is right about the lower seat matching the strada. Obviously in traffic the high upright position is great for your view, you can see over most vehicles. I use mione for town riding, and parking is a pain, ive lost count how many times people have parked to close and i cant even stand the thing upright because it leans to far over on the stand

If you can i'd recommend renting one for a few days if there are none available for a test ride - its a bike you need to live with for a few days first. I find the gearbox and clutch on the hyper to be a complete nightmare, and probably had more fun on the D-tracker, I love the hyper but there are a few niggles that I had to get used too.