Deeper Into France We Ride, Thunderstorms, Ancient Villages, Wine And Road Construction
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has just been published. We ride deeper into France and find thunderstorms, Ancient Villages, lots of wine and road construction. Each had their fun elements… If you’d like to come along, click HERE. Or, you can cut and paste this link into your web browser:
We hope you enjoy the ride with us!
We Attend Class At The Historic Le Mans Circuit Lesarth (24 Hours Of Le Mans) And Hang Out With Chickens
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has just been posted. This time, we head out to the historic and famous Le Mans Circuit and check out the museum there. Some amazing history with great exhibits from racing over the years. If you like racing (and even if you don’t) you won’t want to miss this episode. To see what we saw, click HERE.
If this link doesn’t work, cut and paste the below in to your web browser:
We hope you enjoy!!!
Eastward Through France, We Visit the Mont.
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble takes us further east across France with a visit to the famous Mont Saint Michel. An amazing Middle Ages Fortress and Monastery, it was attacked many times in history, but never taken. We walk through and find “interesting” things inside.
If you’d like to visit, click HERE.
If the link doesn’t work, cut and paste the below link into your web browser:
We hope you enjoy!
An Emotional Day In Normandy
The latest entry of our Planet Ramble has just been posted. For us it was an emotional day on the beaches of Normandy, France. You can read and see what happened by clicking HERE: or cut and paste the below link into your browser.
Taking the Chunnel, We Arrive in France
The latest episode has us arriving in France via the famous English Channel Tunnel (Chunnel). This is a short episode prior to us commencing our wandering all over Europe. You can find the latest by clicking HERE or by cutting and pasting the below link into your browser:
We hope you enjoy!
Riding to Montreal, Shipping The Bikes and Landing In London
The next segment of our Planet Ramble has just been published. This time, we ride to Montreal Canada to drop off the bikes for shipment to Europe. We eventually get there and pick up the bikes. You can catch up by clicking HERE or by copying and pasting the below link into your browser.
We hope you enjoy. There’s much, much to come soon.
Ride2ADV Starts Phase 2 Of Our World Ramble
We are ready to start Phase 2 of our Planet Ramble. We’re off and riding Saturday June 3 for a few months. This trip will mostly be on pavement, so were doing a bit of an experiment and will be riding two modified Ducati Scramblers. Kim will be on a Scrambler Icon and Mike will be on a Scrambler Desert Sled. We’ve had to make some modifications to make the bikes suitable for our intended riding. The bikes now have aluminum panniers and top boxes. Kim’s bike has both upper and lower “case guards”, while Mike’s Desert Sled has only uppers. There is now weather protection for our hands, heated grips, oil cooler protection and some very bright led lighting. The last significant change is the addition of some larger and more sure footed footpegs.
There are some additional minor changes like a headlight guard on the Desert Sled and oversize sidestand feet. When we return, we’ll be looking at adding a bash plate (when we can find a quality one), or fabricate one ourselves if need be. Since this trip is to be mostly on road, this really shouldn’t be an issue. We are also running on OEM tires and will likely change to Continental TKC-80s for our trip to Morocco next Spring.
So what do they look like now? Here are a few pics.
If you’d like to see a brief video on the changes made to the Desert Sled, click the below video or on the link below the video.
Ride2ADV Nearly Ready for Phase 2 of Our Planet Ramble
We’re getting excited to start Phase 2 of our Planet Ramble. Last year we rode across North America from Vermont, USA to Alaska, USA. For Phase 2 will we be shipping our bikes (both Ducati Scramblers) to London to start a large clockwise circular route. Although subject to change depending what we find and see along the way, we should be traveling through England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and France. We’ll return to England and fly back to the USA.
We will be storing the bikes in England until March, 2018 when we’ll return to London and complete counter-clockwise journey through Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Once leaving southern Morocco, we will head north and once back into Europe, head east, ultimately spending some time in Italy, before returning ourselves and bikes to London for return to the US. This part of the journey is exciting and we’ll be posting about what we’ve seen and done as we travel.
Once again, we will have a satellite tracking capability so you can see us in real time as we travel. We’ll post link and additional info soon.
Until later!!!
Iceland, Land of Fire, Water and Ice
We’ve been to Iceland twice and it has been a wonderful experience. We’ve ridden around the Ring Road (Route 1) and also some of the “F” roads (designated for 4X4 vehicles and off-road vehicles only) into Iceland’s amazing interior. If you are thinking about riding in Iceland, you MUST do it. Each minute there is an exciting adventure. For our first ride into Iceland, click HERE. For our second ride click HERE.
If you don’t want to read about Iceland, you can view our compilation video with music in storyboard format, click HERE.
Iceland is a land that should not be missed. Make sure it becomes a priority on your riding bucket list!
A Trip Up And Down The Mountain
We’re in the middle of a Vermont winter and the snow has flown quite liberally this year. Our back yard has a foot or so on the ground now and thus far, we’ve received nearly 5 feet of the cold white stuff. So when a company named Motorcycle House www.motorcyclehouse.com contacted us and asked us if we would test some of their products, I had to explain that it was presently the middle of the winter here in Vermont, and that we’d be happy to test their gear, but that we couldn’t test it on the bike until spring. That didn’t bother Dewayne from Motorcycle House one iota, and he rapidly agreed to send us a couple of Viking Cycle Enforcer jackets to test and provide comments on, whether they were good or bad. Soon the two Viking Cycle Enforcer jackets arrived and upon opening the box, I was quite impressed. So while we are waiting for Spring to come to Vermont, we decided that a winter test was in order. We couldn’t ride with the jackets on the bike, but we could try them out at one of the east coast’s largest ski areas. So we put on our boots, skis, gloves and Viking Cycle Enforcer jackets and headed to the mountain for a few rides. Before we tell you how it performed on the mountain, here’s some info on the features and design of the jackets.
This 3/4 touring design is well thought out and it has several features that are not included in jackets costing hundreds of dollars more. Here are just a few of the thoughtful features you will find on this jacket. The interior has several well arranged pockets. On both interior sides of the jacket are three pockets. Each side has two small pockets which can hold small items as well as a third zippered pocket of good size. The first of the small interior pockets has a tag indicating that they are for a small electronic device. These pockets are suited for an item the size of an ipod. Thoughtfully, there are two wire pass through holes in each of these pockets through which you can feed cables or wires should you want to use wired headphones or the like. A nice touch is that the wire holes are not directly in line, so if any moisture gets into the pocket, it can not directly travel through to the interior pocket where the device is being kept. Smart!. Directly below the device pockets are slightly larger pockets (perhaps 4″ deep) that could hold larger items such as pens etc. There are also nice zippered pockets on both sides of each main zipper. On both sides of the jacket behind the main jacket zipper is a larger zippered pocket one of which is labeled to hold sunglasses, but could equally hold maps etc. as well. There is one more 6″ X 6″ zippered pocket in the interior of the jacket with a covered zipper. So what does the interior of the jacket give you? Seven different size pockets three of which are zippered. All of these pockets are accessible with the jacket liner installed in place. With the jacket liner removed, you lose the 6″ X 6″ pocket, but you gain a 10″ x 7″ zippered pocket with a water resistant zipper. You can also get to this pocket with the jacket liner installed, but you will have to unzip the liner about 5″ to get to it.
Speaking of the liner, it is not very thick but it does insulate well. There is a tag indicating that the liner is polyester, PU coated. This seems to indicate that the liner may act as a rain liner as well, but since we were skiing on the snow, we can’t comment if it is waterproof or not. Many jackets come with liners that insulate you around the body, but the liner does not have sleeves. We were pleased to find that the Enforcer’s liner did have attached sleeves all the way to the sleeve cuff. Removing the liner is quite simple, a single zipper wraps around the interior of the jacket and the sleeves are removed by detaching a single button at the sleeve’s cuff. I can say that the liner insulated fairly well, was not uncomfortable and was easy to get in and out of.
The exterior of the jacket has several zippered pockets as well, one zippered pockets of each side of the chest and one fold over and velcro pocket at each side of the waist. The cuffs of the jacket are are adjustable with velcro as is the waist with the use of two separate side cinch straps. Each sleeve is adjustable for size with the placement of three separate snaps which allow you to adjust the fit of the bicep. I have fairly large biceps and with the liner installed and the button at the loosest, it fit well with no tight feeling.
The jacket’s main zipper is of the storm flap design (double flap) with each side of the jacket’s zipper being covered by material to seal out wind and moisture. Each of these flaps button together over the main zipper. As we stated earlier, we did not use the jacket in the rain so we can’t comment on its water resistance, but can vouch for the design idea. Lastly, the collar of the jacket is covered with a neoprene like material. Smooth, it was comfortable, sealed out the wind well, and did not chafe or catch my beard. A nice touch, nicely done.
Lastly, the jacket is armored, with foam armor in the shoulders, elbows and back. We could not tell whether the armor was ECE approved, but based on the foam material, we don’t think it was. If it is, we will let you know.
So with all these features, how did the jacket perform? Overall, very well! When we arrived at the top of the mountain it was about 30 degrees F (-1 C) and the wind was blowing quite strongly. I was wearing a poly undergarment and a wool sweater. The liner in the jacket was in place and I can report that I was nice and warm. During two runs, no air seeped into the jacket and the blowing snow did not penetrate it. It was comfortable and the longer tail of the jacket kept any air from penetrating from underneath. We’ll report again on the jacket once Spring has arrived and can try it out on the bike.
As of this writing, the jacket is priced at $99.99 and represents an amazing bargain for the price. It would be well worth it for double the price. We don’t know how long it will be at this price, but based on this test, I would even buy it for a ski jacket, never mind having it do double duty as a motorcycle jacket.
I Stole Your Stuff, You Should Thank Me!
Imagine you have always wanted to build a personal adventure bike. A bike that does all the things that you think are important very, very well. It is perfect for both the pavement and gravel. It’s powerful but also lightweight and extremely agile. You gather your thoughts and set to the task of building this machine. Using all of your knowledge and capability, hard earned over years of on and off road experiences all over the world, you build the bike of your dreams and put it out in front of your house with some close up pictures to show people what you’ve created and what others can do if they try.
Free image courtesy of Pixabay.com
Then without permission or warning, a person takes your bike, puts it in the back of a pickup truck and drives all over the world charging people $1 to see it. He also posts it online and sells magazine subscriptions using your handcrafted personally created bike to support his publication. Then, one day you see your bike in the back of the pickup and give chase. Finally, the driver stops. You get out of your car and knock on the window of the pickup and tell the driver you want your bike back immediately! If he does not return it, you will contact the authorities.
The driver of the pickup looks you in the eye and with a degree of indignation says, “You selfish rotten person. I always tell the people who pay to see the bike, that you built it and that you took the pictures of it. I even put it online and give you credit for both the bike and the pictures. No matter what, I always give you credit for the awesome machine that you built. People deserve to see this awesome machine, so I am publishing it to the world and under the Constitution and right of Free Press, I have a right to do what I am doing. Oh and by the way, go ahead and call the authorities, all you will do is ensure that we will receive more subscriptions to see what and how we are going to handle this situation.”
Does all of this seem far fetched? I wish it were, but the above analogy is taken from a situation experienced by a friend of mine, Lisa Morris and her fiance’ Jason Spafford. A few years ago, Lisa and Jason decided to chuck the 9 – 5 grind, sold almost everything they owned and departed on a wandering world wide riding adventure. To them, the adventure is more important than living a rooted, established life. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t working. No, in fact they are working very hard. On a daily basis, the deal with the ups and downs of overlanding far from home (the UK) in many different foreign countries, using the only the money they earned from the articles and pictures they create for various magazines and their website; Twowheelednomad.com. This is how they make their living.
So it came as a shock to me when Lisa reported that she had been told that one of her articles had been published by an online publication that did not pay her for the use of her article or pay for the use of Jason’s pictures. She looked online and found that the online publication had indeed published her article. The publication did not even have the decency to contact her to ask her if they could use it. Annoyed, Lisa contacted the “publisher” and asked that the article be removed. Even more surprisingly, Lisa received a scathing and indignant email in return. The “publisher” proceeded to make a number of bewildering “points” that he had the right to use her work and she should be thankful for it! Portions of the email indicated:
- …we did you a favor by allowing other readers to enjoy your article…
- …how many other Independent Magazine Companies have done the same thing that we did? Are you going after everyone who read your article and talked about (it) they met through simple conversation?
- …you use the internet, which by the way is a FREE enterprise to all.
- …we try to reach out to all readers of the motorcycle community both (sic) men women and future riders without discrimination or riding style we will not apologize for adding your article to our magazine (emphasis added).
- …be aware that under a constitution and the right of FREE PRESS we can use it as long as you are recognized as the author and you took the photos.
- …don’t tell us that what we did for you is wrong or not right. We did you a favor, not an insult.
- I wish to thank you because all you did was draw attention to (the publication) and I am sure we will receive more subscriptions from this…
- Our 20,000 readers of our Magazine don’t need to hear any of this and our Radio and Live stream TV shows of over 50,000 viewers and listeners will never know how selfish you are by not allowing your story to be told.
- He closes his email with the tagline “See you on the road” TM which would seem to indicate that he has a desire to protect his claimed tagline through trademark protection.
Wow, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Could someone who claims to be a “publisher” be so misinformed and spiteful? What could possibly drive someone to conclude that they can take someone’s work product and use it without cost for their own use and perhaps financial gain? So let’s just take a look at what was reportedly in the email and try to figure out why this person thinks this way.
- …we did you a favor by allowing other readers to enjoy your article…
- So ensuring that others can enjoy Lisa’s work overrides Lisa’s right to compensation for her work and she should be happy about it?
- …how many other Independent Magazine Companies have done the same thing that we did?
- So others do wrong things, therefore I have the right to do wrong?
- Are you going after everyone who read your article and talked about (it) they met through simple conversation?
- Isn’t there a difference between people discussing a topic versus publishing someone else’s work work without permission or payment so you can personally benefit?
- …you use the internet, which by the way is a FREE enterprise to all.
- So is he saying if it’s on the internet, anyone can use content without permission from the author and/or any payment?
- …be aware that under a constitution and the right of FREE PRESS we can use it as long as you are recognized as the author and you took the photos.
- What can this mean? We assume he means the United States Constitution but could he be so confused about the right of the free press? Could he actually not understand the difference between freedom of the press and unauthorized publication of copyrighted content? Isn’t an article published after 1989 covered by copyright protection for 95 years after publication?
- I wish to thank you because all you did was draw attention to (the publication) and I am sure we will receive more subscriptions from this…
- So is the “publisher” now actually indicating that he used to content to gain more subscriptions, sell advertising or benefit financially? Was his intent actually to publish Lisa’s article for the benefit of others or just lining his pockets more?
- Our 20,000 readers of our Magazine don’t need to hear any of this and our Radio and Live stream TV shows of over 50,000 viewers and listeners will never know how selfish you are by not allowing your story to be told.
- Can he really be calling Lisa selfish because she worked hard, created something of value and would like to be asked for permission publish and be paid for its use?
- He closes his email with the tagline “See you on the road” TM which would seem to indicate that he has a desire to protect his claimed tagline through trademark protection.
- If the “publisher” feels it important to trademark his tagline and therefore retain control over its use, wouldn’t he want to give the same respect and protection to another fellow publisher? Why doesn’t he feel that he owes her similar protections?
I just don’t understand where this “publisher is coming from. It would seem that he wants protection for his published content, but it doesn’t appear he feels that similar protections are due to others. I can’t explain it, but I do know that I am upset about it and it just doesn’t seem right. What do you think? Leave us a comment and let us know
Rain, Bright Green Buildings, High Speed Cats, Fog & Barns
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has been posted. This time we ride in rain, park in front of bright green buildings, jump a Cat, play in the fog, and stand in front of a barn. You can find it by clicking HERE or by cutting and pasting the link below into your browser.
We hope you enjoy it.
Bulging Trees, More Cable Ferries & Shrimp Factory Ships
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has been posted. This time we find bulging trees, more cable ferries, shrimp factory ships and more rain. You can find it by clicking HERE or by cutting and pasting the link below into your browser. We hope you enjoy it.
We Visit With Friends, Have Dinner and Entertain Mice
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has been posted. Riding the remainder of the Cabot Trail, we stop to visit some old friends and make new ones we hadn’t planned on. You can find it by CLICKING HERE, or by cutting and pasting the link below:
We hope you enjoy the latest.
Gravel Mountain Roads, Tiny People, Lobster Surprise And A Trip To Meat Cove
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has been posted. This time we travel over some mountainous gravel roads, see very tiny people, get a lobster surprise and pay a visit to Meat Cove. Great riding and gorgeous scenery was found. To check it out, click HERE or copy and paste the link below:
Crossing Into Canada We Find Craft Beer, A Very Large Bird, Thoroughbred Race Horses, Wind Turbines And Gravel Roads Along The Ocean
The latest episode of our Planet Ramble has been posted. This time we travel from Maine into Canada and find interesting craft beers, a very large bird, thoroughbred race horses, wind turbines and deserted gravel roads alongside the ocean. You can find it by clicking HERE or by cutting and pasting the link below:
We hope you enjoy the latest!
Riding Into The Heart of Maine, We Find Rain, A Mill and Teddy Roosevelt
The latest episode of Stage 1A to our Planet Ramble has been posted. We ride into the heart of Maine in darkness, but miss hitting any moose. We end up exploring a state park where I walk on water and we hole up in an “old mill”. The following day we ride in rain and very bright sun. Then, in a very small town, we find relics from America’s 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt and Suffolk, England’s red communications technology.
You can find it by clicking HERE or cutting and pasting the link below into your browser.
-
- SENA CAMERA
-
- SENA CAMERA
-
- SENA CAMERA
Stage 1A Of Our Planet Ramble Begins; We Go North!
The latest edition of our Planet Ramble has been posted. Instead of heading south to warmer weather, we do the opposite and head north. We prep two brand new machines for this adventure. Kim rides a Ducati Scrambler and Mike rides a Honda Africa Twin. At the beginning of this portion of our journey, we get lost in Maine, ride in the dark in moose country and head for the Canadian border.
You can find the latest by clicking HERE.
Or you can cut and paste the below link into your browser.
Hope you enjoy our latest!
The Final Days Of Stage 1 Of Our Planet Ramble
The latest edition of our Planet Ramble has been posted. Today we ride from Glennallen, and Eagle River Alaska and end up at the airport for our flight home to Vermont. On the way, we pass some amazing glaciers, take the time to smell the flowers, ride great twisty roads and have a special guest send us off.
You can find the latest by clicking HERE or cutting and pasting the link below:
Destruction Bay, Crossing the Border, A Failing Bike And Kim Gets Sick
The latest edition of our Planet Ramble has been posted. We leave Destruction Bay and ride the final miles back to the US border, where my lack of attention to maintenance rears its ugly head and Kim gets sick.
You can find this update by clicking HERE or cutting and pasting the link below:
Building the ALCAN Highway, The RCMP and Finding Destruction (Bay)
The latest edition of our Planet Ramble has been posted. Today we travel more of the ALCAN, have a quick visit with the RCMP and find Destruction (Bay) along the way. You can see it by clicking HERE or by clicking/cutting and pasting the link below:
We hope you enjoy it!
Mountains, Glaciers, Mirror Like Lakes And A Signpost Forest
Long overdue, here is the latest update to our Planet Ramble. In this post, we travel a lot of miles, riding from Idaho, to the top of British Columbia and ending up in the Canadian Yukon. Along the way, we see some awesome sights along the Icefields Parkway with mountains and glaciers surrounding us. We then continue deeper and further north to Iskut, British Columbia and see the most amazing mirror lake we have ever seen. Ultimately we end up at Watson Lake in the Canadian Yukon and find a Signpost Forest. You don’t want to miss this chapter! Join the ride by clicking HERE or clicking on the link below. Safe travels!!!
Ducati Scrambler Light Adventure Bike Passes First Test
A few weeks ago, we asked whether a Ducati Scrambler could be made into a successful light duty adventure bike. Well the results of our first “test” are in and we can tell you that the Scrambler passed with flying colors. Since we asked that question, we have updated the Scrambler with a few ADV parts like engine guards, heated grips, wind deflectors, oil cooler guard, larger side stand foot, rear rack, ADV Monster flood lights, three drybags and a top box. Soon we will be installing an engine bash plate and will be fabricating mounts for a set of hard panniers.
To put the Scrambler to its initial light duty test, we took it on a trip from Vermont to New Hampshire, Maine, the northern shore of New Brunswick, Canada, Nova Scotia, Canada and back for a total of approximately 2,400 miles. We rode in mostly great weather, but did deal with a few days of heavy rain and high winds. Surfaces ranged from smooth pavement, poor condition rutted and pot holed pavement and a variety of gravel roads from flat, hard packed and clean, to steep loose and rocky terrain. In summary, the Scrambler handled it all easily. Coming off her Suzuki DR650, Kim remarked that it was becoming a faded memory.
You may recall that we recently finished a 7,500 mile trip from Vermont to Alaska and Kim rode that very same DR the entire trip. Now that she has put about 3,000 miles on her Scrambler, she feels ready to make her first comparisons. For simplicity (both in technology and mechanical) the DR stands out. The technology on the DR is little changed from the 1980s. There are no computers, fuel injection systems or the like to worry about. But this simplicity can come at a cost. It is easily repairable, but some might argue that with today’s technology, there is far less likelihood of a breakdown. So we are going to call this one a draw.
For difficult conditions and significant off road ability, we give a the edge to the DR. The DR has more ground clearance and it weighs less (approx. 50 pounds less). This gives it the edge in tougher terrain. But for the off road riding that most people will do, the Scrambler easily handled maintained dirt/gravel roads and did quite well on unmaintained roads. Only in the more difficult conditions would the Suzuki be the clear winner. For stock fuel capacity, the nod goes to the Scrambler by a 3 tenths of a gallon. Both manage fuel mileage in the 50s so range is quite similar. Of note, there are oversize fuel tanks for the DR and as of this writing there are no larger fuel tanks available for the Scrambler. So range for both bikes is just short of 200 miles.
When it comes to ease of riding in most conditions, the Scrambler shines. With an L-twin engine comes smoothness and much more usable power. As such, the Scrambler performed far more comfortably with less stress, and handled better on almost all surfaces. Kim felt that she now has the power to easily climb steep inclines on dirt and pavement. Worries about downshifting and gassing it to get up these hills or pass other vehicles on pavement are now a thing of the past. Kim also thinks that the Scrambler feels smaller with much lighter handling than the DR could ever provide.
Off road, the Scrambler was agile and easy to ride. During one part of the trip, Kim took the Scrambler up a 20 degree incline complete with small and large loose rocks. The Scrambler was capable of making the incline easily. Kim even stopped once on the incline to chat with a friend and then resumed the climb without issue. One last thing to note, Kim can now stand flat footed on the Scrambler when she was previously on tip toes on the DR, even though we had it lowered.
Tire choices are more limited for the Scrambler than they are for the DR. A number of different brand dual sport tires are available for the DR ranging from light off road to full knobbies. The Scrambler is somewhat limited in tire selection due to Ducati’s decision to use an 18″ front wheel. There are knobby tires are available in the 18″ rim size, but presently, it seems only Shinko and Kenda offer alternatives. For this test we used the standard Pirelli Scorpion tires and they handled all of the terrain admirably. For more difficult terrain, as stated above, the tire choices are presently limited. So once again it seems that the Scrambler can easily handle most surfaces, but for heavy dual sporting, choices are limited and the DR wins.
There is a difference in wheel types between the two machines. The DR with its more off road biased nature is equipped with spoked rims. The Scrambler comes with cast wheels. While spoked wheels may be more appropriate for heavy off road riding, we believe that for light ADV riding, the cast wheels handle the job easily. They also have the advantage of being able to be easily plugged in most cases. No wheel and tire removal is necessary as is the case with tube tires found in most spoked wheels.
The Scrambler and DR can also haul substantial loads. The DR has the current advantage with readily available hard panniers that can lock and secure your gear without removing it from the bike. The Scrambler presently has soft and semi rigid panniers available, but does not presently offer the security of lockable hard panniers. We plan to fabricate some pannier mounts in the coming months. However, for now we are using a range of Ducati branded soft dry bag panniers and tank bag, in conjunction with an SW-Motech/Bags Connection round dry bag. For this test, the soft bags performed well in most cases. All kept their contents dry with the exception of the top zippered compartment on of the Ducati Scrambler tank bag. We note that we are very impressed with the capability of the SW-Motech/Bags Connection dry bag. So much so that we will be publishing a more complete test/review of its performance in the future.
We’ll update this “test” as Kim gets more time in the saddle and we mount the remainder of her ADV equipment. We’d love to hear your comments as well so feel free to comment on this page with your thoughts.
Here are the present comparison results…
| Comparison – Suzuki DR650 vs. Ducati Scrambler – Winner Marked With X | ||||||
| Suzuki DR650 | Ducati Scrambler (Icon) | |||||
| Simplicity (Technology) | X | |||||
| Simplicity (Mechanical) | X | |||||
| Ground clearance | X | |||||
| Miles per gallon | Draw | Draw | ||||
| Fuel Capacity | Draw | Draw | ||||
| Comfort | X | |||||
| Smoothness | X | |||||
| Handling | X | |||||
| Low Seat Height | X | |||||
| Power | X | |||||
| Luggage Carrying Capability | TBD | TBD | ||||
Can A Ducati Scrambler Be Made Into a Light Duty Adventure Bike?
Can a Ducati Scrambler be made into a comfortable light duty (i.e. pavement and maintained dirt/gravel roads) adventure bike good for longer trips and gravel roads? I had been asking myself that question for quite some time and have finally decided to investigate for myself. Those of you that follow us know that Kim and me just finished a trip from our home in Vermont to Eagle River, Alaska. We rode mostly on paved roads, although we did travel on some forest fire roads and unimproved roads. Kim’s Suzuki DR-650 performed admirably and carried her to Alaska easily. However, the DR is a fairly low powered thumper and riding it for long distances became somewhat of a tiresome experience for Kim. She said that although the bike did everything she asked and had a relatively lightweight feel, she felt under powered on those 75 MPH stretches of two lane roads common in the western US. Passing was more difficult that she desired, especially since I was traveling on a KTM 990 Adventure twin cylinder machine. She also wished that the bike was not a single because the thump, thump, thump of the single was tiring over time.
So I set about looking for a machine that was relatively small and light that we could turn into a light duty adventure bike. Since Kim is only about 5′ 3″ the bike could not be too high, nor could it be too heavy. She really wanted to get away from a single cylinder machine and frankly I don’t blame her. She never said a word during our over 7,500 mile trip to Alaska, but I had to ask myself, whether I would have enjoyed riding a single for that long a distance. My answer would be no, so I really shouldn’t expect her to feel any different. As I looked around the market, there really wasn’t much out there that fit Kim’s want list. She had already been on a V-Strom and felt it was too big and heavy. She had also ridden the BMW F650GS (twin) and F800GS extensively in Europe and South America, but she didn’t really like them because of their relative size and ride height. If she were to like a new machine, it would have to be about the size of her current Suzuki DR-650.
One of the few alternatives was the Ducati Scrambler. It’s a twin of approximately 800ccs and is actually very small in stature. Scramblers were created for dual sport, so if Ducati at least considered dual sporting, perhaps we could make this new Ducati into a light duty adventure bike. After doing some significant searching I found a number of bolt on parts that could potentially give her the utility of an ADV bike. So maybe, just maybe, we could adapt a Ducati Scrambler for ADV touring.
After a test ride and a bit of deliberation, we have taken the plunge. Kim is now the proud owner of a 2016 Ducati Scrambler Icon. The Icon is the base model of the Scrambler line and that suits us just fine. We’ve seen and tried Ducati’s own ADV parts and they fall far short of what we will need for our purposes. I’ve identified a number of parts that we are going to try and we’ll report on how well the fit our mission. So stay tuned for more updates as we attempt to convert a base Ducati Icon into an ADV machine Kim can love.
Just to entice you, here are a few pics of Kim’s soon to be converted Ducati Scrambler Icon which we will test out on a tour of the Canadian Maritime Provinces in early September.
Ride2ADV 