Review: 2016 Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

There is a Ducati Scrambler for everyone now and this cool cat is the Flat Track Pro, based on the Full Throttle and made in limited numbers. If you can get one of these, hang onto it. Not only will it be a collectable it is also a damn fun bike and completely awesome! 

The Flat Track Pro is based on the Full Throttle version of the Ducati Scrambler and features extras such as low tapered alloy ‘bars, gel grips, pin striped wheels, Racing Yellow paint, side numberplates, cut-down front guard and stubby top fairing and lots of highlighted machined billet alloy.

The Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro screams fun. Just have a look at it and tell me that it isn’t one of the best looking little machines around. I’m stoked that Ducati have built a scrambler that suits people like me that are into racing and performance stuff.

The FTP version styling is inspired by the bikes raced by Troy Bayliss and Johnny Lewis in the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and is built from the Full Throttle version.

The FTP features a special two tone tank, painted side panels and logo, low height tapered alloy handlebars, and the same twin Termi slip-ons as the Full Throttle. The seat has been redesigned and is a solo unit with yellow highlight stitching and the bike features a side numberplate racing style cover.

The front fairing and front guard are chopped down as well. It also has pin striped wheels, special grips and the footpegs, sprocket cover, mirrors and front brake reservoir cap come from the Ducati accessories catalogue.

The Flat Track Pro weighs in at just 170kg. It has great geometry and although the suspension is basic, the FTP is a fantastic little cornering bike that is really rewarding to ride. The Pirelli MT60RS tyres are good on the tarmac despite their off road appearance.

Riding the Scrambler Flat track Pro is a ball. The bike is, like the other Scramblers, super slim between the knees. The seat height is low and the ‘bars are too, giving a really nice relaxed shoulder position and a controlled feel.

The ‘pegs are large and there is plenty of leg room even for my 187cm frame. The basic yet gorgeous centrally located old school modernised dash is easy to see and generally everything falls to hand nicely. My only gripe is that the mirrors are too small. They do look cool though and they are useable.

At 170kg the FTP is a lightweight and with a low center of gravity thrown into the mix the bike is extremely easy to move around and ride at low speed, making it ideal in traffic.

Ground clearance is not bad. No MotoGP lean angles but plenty for the tyres and loads of fun. The note from the street legal ADR approved Termignoni slip-ons is really quiet so I would be doing something about that straight away!

The Desmo engine is a gem and originally for the Monster 796, though slightly re-tuned for the Scrambler with revised valve angle, camshaft profile and timing. The 803cc L-twin is a two-valve air-cooled unit and makes smooth, tractable power yet still has a purposeful top-end hit that with a bit of clutch action can have the front 18in alloy wheel pawing for the sky!

With 68Nm of torque on hand at 5750rpm the little engine has plenty of go for a fun ride without sending you to the lock up. Acceleration is thrilling enough and the donk is so silky smooth, combined with the slick gearbox and clutch action, that it really is a pleasure to experience and it just loves to rev as well so brings the hoon out that is for sure.

Fuelling is quite good but could do with some fine-tuning, however, throttle application is smooth so that is the main thing and performance is strong. The shift lights/rev limit lights will be flashing before you know it once you get into it and shifting through the box chasing the tacho is a blast.

I had a blast on the Flat Track Pro on the smooth loose dirt. It loves doing big drifts and really is top fun having so much power and torque on hand in the dirt!

The chassis is a little ripper. A proper Ducati steel trellis frame with great geometry really makes the Scrambler a weapon in the twisties. It is one of those bikes you can have a blast on, grinning from ear to ear, without needing 200-horsepower.

The wide ‘bars, low COG and narrow tyres along with the light weight means the FTP is a great old school style cornering bike that loves long classic lines and lots of lean angle, scraping the footpegs just at the limit, which, like the bikes of the 1990s and 1980s, lets you know where you are. It really is a communicative chassis.

Suspension is basic, sure, but in most situations I found it fine. Only on the harder charging, bumpier roads did I want for more, namely heavier springs and some better damping control but really that is an easy fix that could be done for those serious enough.

The Brembo brake package is great for a single disc set-up but I would like another front rotor to really pull the bike up with less lever effort. Good feel, feedback and modulation there though and the rear brake is fine for cornering and stability.

The Pirelli MT60RS tyres look like full on off road or beach tyres but they actually are excellent on the tarmac and never moved once for me and I spent 99 per cent of my time on the bike scraping my boots!

Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

Off road on smooth dirt surfaces the FTP is a blast. I spent quite a lot of time on dirt roads and also in an old quarry enjoying drifting and practicing my flat track skills. I tried to get on my local dirt track but we were unable to make it happen in time. Now that would have been fun!

If you want a ride to work bike that will make you arrive happy and ready for a hard day and reward you at the end of the day with a fun ride home, then this is the bike for you!

Get out to your nearest Ducati dealer and if you can find one, jump on a demo and see for yourself. If not, at least try the Full Throttle or Icon, as both will give you a similar experience.

Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

SCRAMBLER RANGE
The Scrambler comes in eight different models and can be viewed here, the Sixty2, Flat Track Pro as tested, the Urban Enduro, the Icon, the Classic, the Full Throttle and the new 2017 Cafe Racer and Desert Sled. All feature a 13.5L tear-drop tank with side panels, dual sport tyres and a 18in front wheel ad 17in rear wheel.

The Icon comes in ’63 Yellow and Ducati Red and features 10-spoke light-alloy wheels, a black Ducati branded seat, with aluminium fuel tank covers.

The Urban Enduro is available in Wild Green, has a ribbed seat, different aluminium fuel tank covers, fork protectors, a higher front mudguard, off-road ‘bars, headlight grill, skid plate and spoked wheels.

The Classic also has spoked wheels, is available in Orange Sunshine and comes with a ‘Vintage seat’, aluminium guards and a rear guard mounted licence plate holder.

The Full Throttle, which the FTP is based on, comes in Deep Black with black tank panels, an even shorter front mudguard, race inspired seat and Termignoni muffler, plus flat track style bars and sporty tail.

The Desert Sled is a cool looking retro style off roader withknobby tyres and long travel suspension while the Cafe Racr is sleek and set up to carve corners with clip-ons and 17in wheels.

The Scrambler Icon is $13,290 in red and $13,490 in yellow + ORC, the Full Throttle, Urban Enduro and Classic are $15,490 + ORC with the FTP $16,990 + ORC. The 2017 Cafe Racer is $16,990 + ORC and the Desert Sled is $16,990 in red and $17,290 in white.

Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

TECH STUFF
The Ducati Scrambler comes with ABS as standard and weighs just 170kg dry. It produces 75hp and 50ft-lbs of torque from it’s 803cc air-cooled L-twin Desmodromic, two-valves per cylinder engine. The engine is derived from the Monster 796 engine but with 11 degree valve angle, and redesigned cams for linear power. The exhaust on the FTP is a twin Termignoni muffler set up. Service intervals are 12,000km.

The frame is a tubular steel trellis type, with die-cast aluminium two-sided swingarm, USD Kayaba 41mm forks, a Kayaba rear shock with preload adjustability and 10-spoke light alloy wheels – 17in rear, 18in front, sporting Pirelli MT 60 RS tyres.

The single front brake is a Brembo four-piston caliper with 330mm rotor, the rear a single-piston floating caliper also from Brembo with 245mm rotor.

Seat height is just 790mm with a 770mm lowered seat available as an accessory. The fuel tank holds 13.5L. Instruments are LCD with interchangeable covers, a USB socket is available under the seat and the rear light is LED.

Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

SPECIFICATIONS: Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro

ducati.com.au

PRICE: $16,990 + ORC
WARRANTY: Two-year, unlimited kilometre

COLOURS: Racing Yellow
CLAIMED POWER: 55.2kW[75hp]@8250rpm
CLAIMED TORQUE: 68Nm[50.2ft-lbs]@5750rpm
DRY WEIGHT: 170kg
FUEL CAPACITY: 13.5L

ENGINE: Air-cooled, L-twin cylinder, two-valves per cylinder, Desmodromic, 803cc, 88 x 66mm bore x stroke, 11:1 compression, EFI, 50mm throttle-body, stainless steel exhaust system
GEARBOX: Six speed
CLUTCH: APTC wet multi-plate, with mechanical control

CHASSIS: Tubular steel Trellis frame, die-cast aluminium swingarm, Rake: 24, Trail: 112mm

SUSPENSION: USD Kayaba 41mm forks, non-adjustable, Kayaba rear shock, preload adjustable

BRAKES: Dual-channel ABS, single 330mm front rotor, Brembo four-piston caliper, 245mm rear rotor, Brembo single-piston caliper

WHEELS& TYRES: 10-spoke light alloy, 3.00 x 18in, 5.50 x 17in, 110/80 – 18, 180/55 – 17, Pirelli MT 60 RS

DIMENSIONS:
WHEELBASE: 1445mm
SEAT HEIGHT: 790mm
MAX HEIGHT: 1150mm
MAX LENGTH: 2100-2165mm
INSTRUMENTS: LCD display

2016 Ducati Scrambler Flat Track Pro