Over 100,000 Scrambler models have been sold in 8 years, the 2023 Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle is the latest of a new trio to join the Scrambler family with plenty of budding fans, keen for a taste of Italian style & flair – which also comes in an A2-compliant version.

Alex continued his day at the Ducati press day held at Silverstone on the newest metal from the ‘Land of Joy’, after riding the Ducati Monster SP – and sights on the Ducati Multistrada V4 S to follow. It was about 2 hours of riding in the Northamptonshire countryside sampling some great roads, enough for first impressions to form, and certainly enough to leave you wanting more.

This latest iteration of Scrambler takes the 803cc Desmodromic fed L-twin and gives it a sprinkle of flat-track heritage dressed in the Rosso ’19 paint, and finishes it off with a helping of modern tech and rider aids. Made lighter in 2023, given a few riding tweaks with steering angle adjustments, ride by wire, and new wheels, plus quickshifter, riding modes & Ducati Traction Control – it looks the part, talks the talk, but can it walk the walk? Or... scramble the egg?

With a price tag of £10,995, the Full Throttle is tied for the most expensive of the new Scrambler trio, matching the Nightshift, and the new Scrambler Icon priced at £9,995. All three are available in Ducati dealerships now, each sporting their own approach to the 800cc Scrambler formula, and each dressed in their own unique colours.

Self-billed as the ‘sportiest proposal in the 2023 range’, the Full Throttle comes only in a Rosso GP ’19 paint, bearing the #62 on the side plates as a nod to the debut year of the first Ducati Scrambler. Elsewhere that tracker style comes in with a skid plate and short front fender, lower wide bars, has the iconic ‘X’ on the front headlight, and topped with a beautiful Termignoni silencer.

Each new bike comes with a 24-month unlimited mileage warranty, and service intervals every 7,500 miles (or 12 months), plus the valve clearance adjustment also due every 7,500 miles.

It’s a stylish bike, and though is one of the pricier options for scrambler fans out there – with rough equivalents in the Triumph Scrambler 900 at £9,795, Yamaha XSR700 Legacy at £8,910, and higher capacity Yamaha XSR900 at £10,610 (and umpteen other varying capacity models all floating under the £10k mark), the Full Throttle is one for those with a bit of cash to spend in terms of bang for your buck.

But it certainly does give you that bang for buck. Let’s look at the engine.

Ducati’s 803cc L-twin is the headliner here, air-cooled with Desmodromic distribution, putting out 73 bhp at 8,250 revs and 65.2 Nm (48.1 lb-ft) of torque at 7,000 rpm with vigour. 2023 updates have modernised the Desmodue motor, shedding 2.5kg of weight, adding a new compact eight-disc wet clutch with softer pull, and ride-by-wire throttle.

With Ducati Traction Control (4 settings) and two rider modes (Road & Wet), power is put to the rear wheel smoothly and with a great deal of responsiveness to your input. Naturally, being a Ducati engine, it feels quick to get up to speed, and sounds superb when at full-throttle clicking up and down the 6-speed box with quickshifter (standard on this model) but does leave me wanting a tad more in the top-end.

Though, it was plentiful with torque, and a simple riding joy. You’ll want to stick it in Sport mode and stay there, mind.

If you’re an A2 rider you’ll also be able to get a hold of a restricted 47 bhp (35 kW) version, and despite the lower power figures, it’s sure to be just as fun to hoon around on. This full-fat unrestricted model sure was eager to hunker down into corners with great ease, the commanding riding position atop the accessible 795mm single seat with wide bars and reconfigured rake at 24 degrees really giving you a good feel through successive corners – particularly important on the dire Northamptonshire roads.

If looking for a scrambler with smooth torquey delivery from the Italian motor, the Scrambler series is sure to be at the top of the list for the engine alone – if you have the money!

This model year is granted updates to the body of the bike, mostly in the name of weight reduction (all in at 4kg weight savings, now 185 kg kerb) and improved rider feel. The tubular steel trellis frame is updated and lightened, there’s a new swingarm combined with a centrally repositioned shock absorber, and for this year the rear frame is separate from the main frame.

 All in all, the result is a confidence-inspiring ride. The 41 mm USD Kayaba fork is paired with a pre-load adjustable Kayaba rear shock, and though soft on this first ride, it was enough to feel planted in corners and absorbs most of the uneven road surfaces. Perhaps a fully adjustable Ohlins setup would be nice for a top-spec model.

Newly designed light alloy wheels feature, 18” at the front and 17” at the rear, and are given Pirelli MT 60 RS boots to wear, with braking power supplied by Brembo discs (330mm at the front with 4-pot radial calliper, 245mm at the rear with 1-pot floating calliper) plus Bosch Cornering ABS.

The brakes are decent, with span adjustable levers, giving a progressive feel – and I noted a decently strong rear brake. All in, particularly with the thought of an A2 rider, the ride is just as you’d expect it – responsive, collected, and stable at low speeds for those pesky U-turns.

Nowadays, all Scramblers (even this Flat Track inspired edition) will spend more time in the city than on the dirt oval. Style over substance perhaps, but the end result here is a seriously comfortable motorcycle to ride around town, pop to the local café and return home on the back road for a bit of fun.

But if you’re after the useful (if not sensible) bits… you’re given a 13.5-litre tank, a USB socket under the seat, full LED lights and indicators, and 4.3” TFT colour display which is very easy to navigate and view in sunlight, plus ready for the optional Ducati Multimedia System.

I can’t comment on consumption and range given the brevity of my ride, but Ducati states it is around 45 mpg / 5.2 litre per 100km.

Naturally, being a scrambler, customisation options are endless. You can go for a high-slung scrambler exhaust for £2,157, top case and soft side panniers (totalling £894), heated grips (£290), raised seat (£260, or lowered £200), spoked rims (£1,278), touring screen (£270), anti-theft (£261)…

The list goes on, but you can easily build a £16,000 bike with the official aftermarket bits stuck on! Though if you’re speccing up your dream bike, especially a Ducati, the budget may not be at the forefront of your mind.

Pros

• Accessible for all riders – tall or short, A2 or full licence.
• Smooth and easy ride.
• Would turn heads in the city – with Termignoni exhaust!

Cons

• Price can balloon if adding aftermarket bits.
• Fully-adjustable suspension would be nice.
• Though a torquey motor, could have a tad more top-end.

Verdict

If after a stylish scrambler with Italian heritage flair, the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle is certainly worth the attention it draws. Packed up with top spec, the Desmo L-twin motor, and plenty of customisation potential, it really is a true weapon for the roads.

Perhaps the Desmo motor lacks a tiny bit of top-end grunt, but it’s certainly exciting enough to ride with good torquey pull. In corners is where it shines, and it certainly has the character to engage you on each and every ride – whether in the city or scratching about the countryside at the weekend.

As a first taste of the Scrambler line-up, the Full Throttle is a great option for A2 riders and up, though it does have the hefty price tag associated with Ducati!

Cheers to Ducati for having us on the press day, find out more about the Full Throttle (and the rest of the lineup) on the Ducati Scrambler website. Naturally, it goes without saying that if you’re after an insurance quote for a Scrambler, get in contact with Lexham. Let them know we sent you!