What Sarah says...
As well as me riding the Ducatis, I also had my friend Sarah Drury literally on board, too. Sarah is an experienced rider, who’s done a bit of racing, but is a self-confessed sports bike fan, though in recent years she hasn’t ridden as much. Together we covered quite a few miles on the Bologna-built V-twins. This is what she thought…
Ducati Scrambler 1100
“Before riding it, I stood back and took in the looks of this bike. I was straightaway taken by the styling, with its retro cues and casual style.
“My first impression after climbing on board was that it has a fairly wide, squareshaped seat, which for me (at 5’5”) takes up some valuable leg length. Combine that with hefty foot pegs that stick out exactly where my legs need to be at any junction or stops, it meant that I came away with both calves peppered in bruises.
“The handlebars are quite high and wide, which gives quite an upright sitting position, and I found the clutch lever too wide for my hand span, but there was enough adjustment to make the brake lever comfortable and usable.
“The Scrambler was very easy going and progressive to use. Nothing about the ride is aggressive or urges you to push beyond its limits, yet it does have sharp brakes and enough grunt for a chilled ride, without wanting to rev its nuts off and be buzzing up and down the gearbox constantly.”
Ducati Monster 1200S
“Jumping on this after a day riding around on the Scrambler was a different experience completely.
“Immediately, it felt more comfortable for my size. The bars, foot pegs, gear lever and seat all seemed more accommodating for me and despite its physical size, it wasn’t intimidating.
“Clicking it into gear and going through the box is smooth with a positive gear change, and the power from the 1200’s motor soon fires you past traffic with ease, even in fluffy kitten (Urban) mode!
“Finding neutral, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit elusive. You could appear quite amateurish sitting there flicking between first and second trying find neutral for what felt like 10 minutes!
“Handling-wise, the Monster drops into turns far faster than the Scrambler, and seems solid through the turn as well. The longer I rode this, the more comfortable I felt and the more fun I was having.
“This is a big bike that I felt at home on straight away and I could see myself easily being happy with one of these parked in my garage, waiting for the next ride to put a smile on my face! It was a real struggle to hand the keys back!”