Luddite rides new Italian EFI bike

[jacksonracingcomau]

I'm seen as Luddite on here cos I'm a points and carbs man on my BB Guzzi ,but I was playing with EFI tuning on race bikes successfully many years ago, not a doubter at all just fixes a problem I never had in 38 years with my Guzzi !!

Yesterday I took a Ducati Scrambler for a test ride, ticks most of my boxes, light , simple, good economy (but pathetic range)

Pleased to report the EFI ran perfectly go to whoa, no glitches, flat spots , hunting, popping, just like carbs in fact.
Odd cos I was expecting much worse, journos said "snatchy", not in my hands

Sadly, the engine is let down by the suspension, pillion accommodation ( as if high pegs aren't bad enough, it burns her right foot to boot ) and that stupid bar hopping tank.
ABS a bit of a mystery too, touch the back brake, it pulsates. Doesn't lock but doesn't do anything else either, very limited value being there at all IMHO.
Less power, no ABS would be perfect for me

All fixable with $ but getting back on my ol dunger made me smile, as good as the bike I bought 38 years ago was, the one I have now is worlds above.

Thanks Guzzi

[Bill Hagan]

Understand.

Nothing quite as comfortable as getting into an old pair of shoes just fixed up by a good cobbler.  Much prefer that to new.

I like the Duc Scrambler (and many other new m/c) "on paper" and in pix, but almost nothing calls to me as do the Guzzis in my present, pleasant, comfortable harem.

Bill

[guzzista]

My Ducati GT1000 is the best running EFI bike I have ever owned,( notwithstanding some of the Triumph EFI bikes I owned.T955 Speed Triple and Sprint) . With the offroad ECU , no coughing popping, startup bugs, flat spots on accell,  overrun surges etc . Still, my favorite is my Tonti 850 with some head work, a B10 cam and 36 Dellos Why? ergos, fuel range and the simplicity of it all.

[Guzzistajohn]

I just love the way my two old LeMans' run. Nothing even come close.

[Kev m]

Yesterday I took a Ducati Scrambler for a test ride, ticks most of my boxes, light , simple, good economy (but pathetic range)

Funny you should mention range. I think it's the same 3.6 gallon capacity as our Monster.

Monday we were getting back from a ride when our helmet communicators died so Jenn pulled up next to me saying her low fuel light was on. We were close enough we just went home, her trip meter read 185 miles.

[Cam3512]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a good 2-up bike.  Just 'cause there are passenger pegs doesn't mean it was designed for a pillion.  BTW the "original" Duc scrambler had a similarly small tank and a CARB.  Just not a touring bike.

[jacksonracingcomau]

Monday we were getting back from a ride when our helmet communicators died so Jenn pulled up next to me saying her low fuel light was on. We were close enough we just went home, her trip meter read 185 miles.

First part, exactly why I'm a Luddite, glad old fashioned comms still work !!
Second, props to Ducati/Marelli and of course Jenn's riding style, but that is exceptional, around 130-150 safe miles from users, here that mileage puts you in make or push territory, I need 200 for certain, cut and shut on tank not impossible but why do they think people want to keep stopping for fuel even where it is available ?
You couldn't sell a car with even twice that range. Extra 2 of your gallons would hardly make it ugly .

I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a good 2-up bike.  Just 'cause there are passenger pegs doesn't mean it was designed for a pillion.  BTW the "original" Duc scrambler had a similarly small tank and a CARB.  Just not a touring bike.

1/ What are the pillion pegs there for then, artistic merit ?
Aiming the exhaust at passengers foot beggars belief
2/ I know, I has the Spanish made version called a Sebring in UK (Ducati making cheaply off shore nothing new)
However modern use of old names has little to do with similarities in bikes beyond a brand connection & vague aesthetic maybe
Compare 62 original Bonnie to current
67 original V7
69 original Rocket 3
Norton Commando
Ducati 72 Sport

Ad infintum


Not a touring bike ? Would suit me down to ground with more fuel, decent suspension & pillion comfort sorting, I can ride that where the monster bikes have big difficulty. Light is good to me.


Talking about it last night, wife said it felt like front wheel as going up all the time, it wasn't at all, even going back to shop on my own I never pulled a slight wheelie.
Could be years of shaft drive back raising under accel have made the squat of chain drive bike with soggy shock feel scary ?

I'm sure it could pull wheelies at will but not unintentionally

[Arizona Wayne]

Very few new bikes of any kind have centerstands any more.  Where's the logic in that?   ~;  I guess you're not supposed to ride them very far.  Maybe that's why so many have small gas tanks.  :D

[Vasco DG]

Wayne, the logic is that with a tubeless tyre you an plug it and ride on to somewhere where it can be repaired properly. No need for a centrestand! If it's so badly gashed it can't be plugged? Well, you'd be in the same truck-calling situation with a tube tyre machine so a centrestand wouldn't help there.

Very, very few people would bother fixing a tube true flat by the side of the road nowadays. To my mind it's a non issue.

Oh and on fuel range? My G8 will do 200 miles with a bit left over unless I'm pushing on a bit. That's with a 15 litre tank. If 200 mile range is the 'Benchmark' then the G8 meets it. If you want more range? Well, the Stelvio with a 32 litre tank will go twice as far.

I've not run out of fuel on my G8 yet and it goes to lots of out-of-the-way places......

Pete

[Kev m]

On the range, doesn't hurt that Jenn's a good 100# smaller than me lol.

Oh, and my car doesn't have a 300 mile range... 10 gallon tank, AWD, turbo, maybe, maybe, maybe 280 on a good day (& no fun with the turbo).

[jas67]

Funny you should mention range. I think it's the same 3.6 gallon capacity as our Monster.

Monday we were getting back from a ride when our helmet communicators died so Jenn pulled up next to me saying her low fuel light was on. We were close enough we just went home, her trip meter read 185 miles.

It might be the rider's right wrist  ~;, but, my 796 typically only returns 44-46 MPG vs. what 60 or so that Jenn typically gets (or was that just on the Buena Vista trip).    My fuel light (same 3.6 gallon tank) comes on at between 110 and 120 miles.     If I fill it then, it takes 2.6 gallons.    So, that remaining gallon would get me to 150-165 miles max.

[jas67]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a good 2-up bike.  Just 'cause there are passenger pegs doesn't mean it was designed for a pillion.  BTW the "original" Duc scrambler had a similarly small tank and a CARB.  Just not a touring bike.

[Kev m]

It might be the rider's right wrist  ~;, but, my 796 typically only returns 44-46 MPG vs. what 60 or so that Jenn typically gets (or was that just on the Buena Vista trip).    My fuel light (same 3.6 gallon tank) comes on at between 110 and 120 miles.     If I fill it then, it takes 2.6 gallons.    So, that remaining gallon would get me to 150-165 miles max.

I've actually seen as high as 50-54 on the 696, but I don't ride it enough to have a real solid idea of the mileage or range I get. I'm under the impression I'VE seen the light closer to 130 miles, and I'm not certain how much fuel it takes if I pull over right away.

Now that you mention it...maybe it does come on closer to 2.6... if that's the case, she was definitely getting AT LEAST 60 to the gallon and might have made it to 200.

We won't know anytime soon because we went out to the garage yesterday to go for a ride and found the rear tire on the Duc (it was approaching the wear bars) had been punctured near the center of the tread with what looked like a piece of rock or possibly sea shell.  :o

Since we were approaching a Desmo service and were arguably LONG over due on the 4 y/o timing belts (not to mention fork fluid, brake fluid, clutch fluid) I decided to make an appointment* to have the whole thing done. Gonna trailer it over to PA (Coopersburg Eurosports) next week and leave it there for some TLC.


*One of the things we agreed to when I bought her the Duc was that once she was an attending I wasn't going to bust my hump taking care of it, she could pay for it. She said she'd pick up an overnight moonlight shift this month to pay for the service. Sounds fair to me.  ;-T

[jacksonracingcomau]

Wayne, the logic is that with a tubeless tyre you an plug it and ride on to somewhere where it can be repaired properly. No need for a centrestand! If it's so badly gashed it can't be plugged? Well, you'd be in the same truck-calling situation with a tube tyre machine so a centrestand wouldn't help there.

Very, very few people would bother fixing a tube true flat by the side of the road nowadays. To my mind it's a non issue.

Oh and on fuel range? My G8 will do 200 miles with a bit left over unless I'm pushing on a bit. That's with a 15 litre tank. If 200 mile range is the 'Benchmark' then the G8 meets it. If you want more range? Well, the Stelvio with a 32 litre tank will go twice as far.

I've not run out of fuel on my G8 yet and it goes to lots of out-of-the-way places......

Pete

Tyres worth fixing in Australia, no trucks, no phone service away from big centres, Oh, but you know that, waiting can be a long time in out of the way places.

But over 200 miles to 15 litres is commendable. 0ver 60 English mpg, over 50 merkan
Best  I've heard of on Griso 8V, I've seen em pushing at 160miles !!

Even your map man says this

Really. The 8V head design means it will never be able run as economically as a 2V head and still maintain smoothness. I could make one get 60mpg, but it would be a bitch to ride.

My Griso will pull as smooth as silk from 30mph in 5th, but it would not get 50mpg. It's taken me a long time and I'm quite anal about my personal map, but you can't have both with the 8V.

The scrambler was smooth as silk, no lumpy anywhere at all,
But I wouldn't trust that for 200 miles here, nuther 5 litres needed for me to be sure