The 1100 Sport I was given wears the beefiest forks in the entire Scrambler range.

The wheelbase has also increased in size by almost 3 inches due to a completely revised chassis. Starting with the fuel tank it has a more muscular shape and holds 1.5L more than the 800. Fortunately, once I had it outside closer inspection proved my initial impression wrong.Īlthough you may not sit much higher on the 1100 vs the 800 (12 mm to be exact), everything else about the bike feels bigger. It was also hard to appreciate the changes in the bike’s appearance while it sat amongst so many similar-looking machines. With a seat height of 810 mm it was almost the same height as the Scrambler 800 and it looked decidedly shorter than the 860 mm Desert Sled. The bike sat amongst a mix of different Scrambler models and it didn’t seem much bigger. Upon being presented with the Scrambler 1100 Sport at my local Ducati dealership I was, at first, a little disappointed. This makes the cheapest 1100 about $3,500 more than the cheapest Scrambler 800. Pricing stands at $12,995 USD for the standard 1100, $14,295 USD for the Special and $14,995 USD for the Sport. The 1100 Sport is the performance model and comes with higher spec Öhlins suspension front and rear. The Special comes in a ‘Custom Grey’ finish and features a range of premium parts such as an alloy front guard and spoked wheels. The 11 Special feature a Marzocchi/Kayaba suspension setup. These are the 1100, 1100 Special and 1100 Sport. After the announcement, the big question on everyone’s lips was “Will the Scrambler 1100 have the cajones to compete?”ĭucati has introduced 3 different 1100 models to choose from.

Presumably, this was to steal sales away from larger, more performance-oriented modern classics like the BMW R nine T, Triumph Thruxton R or Kawasaki Z900RS. Strangely it wasn’t until 2018 that they announced the release of the higher capacity Scrambler 1100. That’s no mean feat in the current motorcycle market. The Italians have reported that sales are close to 50,000 units. The hugely successful Ducati Scrambler has been around since 2015. However, after a recent brush with the Triumph Scrambler 1200, I figured it was the perfect time to give this one a go. I thought I’d experienced all the joy Scrambler land had to offer. From the entry-level Sixty2 to the tantalisingly styled Scrambler Cafe Racer and purposeful Desert Sled. I’d already ridden a wide range of Scrambler models. Yes, it had a bigger engine, but how much was that really going to change things? How much difference can 300cc make? I made the mistake of thinking the Ducati Scrambler 1100 wasn’t much more than a hopped-up styling exercise in the ever-expanding Scrambler range.

Scrambler ride