Many will agree that café racers are gorgeously designed regardless which make they are from.
The retro-design captivates every single person that laid their eyes on them.
Small in size and yet packed with so much style and attitude.
The Ducati Scrambler Café Racer is definitely the best-looking bike in the Scrambler family.
What attracted me the most towards the bike is the blue frame complemented by the blue leather saddle and the silver coloured tear drop tank.
The design of the bike is retro yet very relevant now.
The rearview mirrors at the edges of the clip-on handlebars, dual exhaust pipes, fat mudguards, seat cowl and the nose fairing messed up my brain thinking I am in the 1960s.
Meanwhile, the number 54 on the side of the bike is in honour of Bruno Spaggiari, an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer in the late 1950s.
This retro-inspired design comes with an 803cc L-twin engine that churns out 73hp at 8,250rpm and 67Nm of torque at 5,750rpm.
The bike weighs 189kg.
This bike is definitely a boon for those who has challenges in reaching the ground flat-footed without having to tip-toe.
With a seat height of just over 31 inches (79cm), small-frame riders will still be able to easily swing their leg over to mount this sexy machine.
To maintain the old school look, a single round LCD displays all the info a rider needs such as fuel indicator, graph-style tachometer, digital speedo and gear indicator, temperature and trip/odometer.
Even on the sunniest day, I was able to see all the information on the LCD display clearly.
While riding on the highway, the bike delivers generous power with no surprises.
On second gear, there was enough rev from the engine to get me going without any lag in throttle response.
I started enjoying the bike the minute it reached 2,900rpm.
This machine promises nothing but fun and while the Café Racer is fast, do not compare it with a Ducati Panigale.
It has all the characteristics of a sports bike but not the power.
While riding the bike past the legal speed limit, the bike was rock steady without any vibrations.
The engine’s torque delivery is impressive and always available upon my command.
I was able to do a dash from one traffic light to another on Jalan Sultan Ismail without being held by any red lights.
The smooth torque delivery highlighted the ability of Ducati engineers to design the café racer which performs well at low rpm without any hiccups.
The Scrambler Café Racer has a less aggressive, forward-leaning seating position compared to a racing bike.
The ergonomics of this bike is pleasant even though riders do not sit fully upright.
Being a café racer, the handlebars are narrower and lower but complemented well by foot controls and foot pegs which are high enough and placed at
the right spots.
This sort of design offers enough room for my long legs to move around at the foot peg areas.
While on the Karak highway, it was obvious to me that the café racer gear shift is smooth and on point.
Meanwhile, the clutch lever is light and I only needed three fingers to squeeze it.
The foot gear and the hand clutch work well together during upshift and downshifts.
The front braking is handled by a single 330mm disc and complemented at the rear with a 245mm disc.
The front and rear brake calipers are a four-piston radial mounted on a single-piston unit.
The brakes are further enhanced with Bosch cornering ABS.
What is there not to like about the brakes?
These brakes are easily the best-in-class.
This bike does extremely well in any corners and twisties.
The agility and the nimbleness of the bike made it easy for me to flip the bike from right to left and vice versa while riding on the trunk roads of Ulu Yam towards Genting Highland.
The bike feels very planted on all these corners and I did not have to work hard to hold my riding line.
The café racer handles bad roads very well, be they potholes or unevenly patched surfaces.
This is made possible with the adjustable Kayaba front and rear suspensions.
The front is fitted with 41mm upside down fork while the rear suspension is adjustable preload.
Priced at RM67,900, the Scrambler Café Racer comes with the popular Ducati Multimedia System, which allows me to listen to my favorite songs, answer incoming calls and chat with my pillion through an intercom link.
Three words best describes the Scrambler Café Racer – fun, speed and attitude.
SPECIFICATIONS
Ducati Scrambler Café Racer
Engine: 803cc, L-Twin, Desmodromic distribution, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled
Maximum power: 73hp at 8,250rpm
Maximum torque: 67Nm at 5,750rpm
Transmission: Six-speed
Front suspension: Upside down Kayaba 41mm fork, 150mm travel
Rear suspension: Kayaba rear shock, pre-load adjustable, 150mm travel
Front braking system: 330mm disc, radial 4-piston caliper with Bosch Cornering ABS
Rear braking system: 245mm disc, single piston floating caliper with Bosch Cornering ABS
Fuel capacity: 13.5 litres
Wet weight: 196kg
Price: RM67,900 (without registration, road tax and insurance)
Keyword: Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer: Fun in going retro