2024 Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle Review: Heritage Grows Up (And So Does The Price)

The cheapest bike in Ducati's lineup gets a big update for 2024, as the Scrambler enters a new generation simultaneously focusing on improvements to tech and performance. Ducati calls the new Scrambler the "Next-Gen" in marketing materials, but some of the revisions on the new Full Throttle trim make for significant enough changes to perhaps make that terminology accurate.

To an extent, upping the Scrambler ante almost loses the model's entry-level position in the Ducati lineup, now edging closer up under the Monster which now starts at less than a grand more. But the Scrambler offers an entirely different style than the modern trellis-less Monster, which is by now a stalwart in the history of Ducati but still can't even touch the Scrambler's origin story that traces all the way back to 1962.

Ducati revived the Scrambler in its modern form for 2015, however, and the new generation Full Throttle still retains a unique combination of an air-cooled motor, with upgraded tech and minor weight savings to go along with style points that largely justify the price tag. I received this Scrambler Full Throttle the same day I gave Honda back a new SCL500, a "Scrambler-style motorcycle" in legalese that definitely aims to undercut Ducati, so I climbed on for a first ride very curious to learn how the Scrambler market lines up at the upper reaches of affordable commuters.

Climbing aboard, a similar bench seat only two-tenths of an inch higher immediately feels sportier thanks to slanting both downward toward the tank but also at the sides—a bench just this side of a saddle, really. I needed to check the spec sheet to confirm, but also immediately noticed slightly lower handlebars and pegs that felt maybe a bit further forward than the Honda. But then again, I'm always surprised how small differences to geometry make such a big difference when you're riding. And it turns out that the Full Throttle's slightly lowered bars contribute to the sensation of the pegs being further forward, but they're actually slightly further back and up.

The lower bars, Termi exhaust, and more sporting seat all purposefully enhance the racing spirit that Ducati hopes the Scrambler Full Throttle can deliver. That exhaust silencer to the right of the swingarm loses an essential part of the image, though, since it's not routed high like on the Honda! I prefer lower and sportier in just about every scenario anyway, and the prospect of a semi-cafe Scrambler always sounds and looks good to me. But wait, the original Ducati Scrambler never routed the exhaust upward, so we're sticking to tradition in this case, too.

But the revisions may also reveal an acknowledgment that amid an increasing number of competing entrants to the Scrambler world, further differentiate might help Ducati's sales figures—and especially among new riders or conquest customers. Plus, the reality is that 99% of buyers will never take their Scramblers in the dirt, no matter how rugged their technical selvedge denim outfits and beefy boots might look.

In terms of tech, the Full Throttle also gets features and ride modes to go with the stylistic and performance enhancements. A 4.3-inch gauge screen shares crisp design with much of the Ducati lineup, and switching to ride-by-wire made customizable ride modes possible, including the ability to play with throttle power delivery, ABS cornering, traction control, and even an up and down quickshifter. Again, we've come a long way from the Honda's keep-it-simple-silly gauge cluster and utilitarian appeal.

Don't think the Ducati Scrambler entirely loses the classic spirit in favor of fancy exhaust and fluffy tech, though. All the modernization still centers around a relatively upright riding position and that torquey air-cooled engine. I only needed to lightly let off the clutch lever and give a hint of throttle to bring on legitimate, if not spellbinding, acceleration. The suspension rides stiffer than I expected, too, with the rear shock's preload still on the factory settings. This Scrambler avoids much of the nose dive under braking that ADV and other upright bikes inevitably produce. Maybe the front-to-rear stability can be attributed to the inverted Kayaba forks, which produce progressive and predictable damping despite a four-pot Brembo front caliper chomping down on a 330-millimeter front brake rotor.

Nearly twice the power and about the same wet weight means more fun a straight line, but part of that sporty sensation might also come down to the Ducati Scrambler lineup's use of an 18-inch front wheel and tire, rather than going another inch larger over the 17-inch rear. Less pizza dish aero on highways is a plus, since the Ducati can hold 80 miles an hour much more easily. And the Pirelli MT60RS tires deliver both a better aesthetic, with more noticeable knobbiness, and also more confident roll into corners than the Dunlops on the Honda.

To an extent, despite the technological sophistication, the Scrambler's simple soul still shines through and nails the quintessential Ducati experience at that lowest starting price. Compared to my 2006 Monster S2R 1000, for instance, the engine sounds and grunt down low do feel familiar—and undoubtedly more so than the new Monster. The new Monster actually seems like less of a successor to its own predecessors in a way, perhaps because Ducati threw the trellis frame out the window and scooted the seat further forward and bars further back, or perhaps because the Streetfighter largely inhabits a meaner, more monstrous level of snarl.

But in the mix, the Scrambler rides light and friendly, a happy balance of old-school looks, sounds, and smells with all the accoutrements to attract buyers who specifically don't want to live with a classic Ducati. A two-year, 24,000-mile warranty helps, though the air-cooled two-valve motor's 7,500-mile valve clearance check interval sits at the bottom of the Ducati heap currently. If such concerns sound less important than daily life, I can confirm that the Scrambler has my favorite kickstand of any motorcycle I've ever ridden—another little detail that makes a big difference on every ride.