Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle and Yamaha XSR 700 in a side-by-side test

The Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle and Yamaha XSR 700 look very similar at first glance: two custom looks ex works in the lower middle class, twice 74 hp, full beard and a lumberjack shirt. In fact, the two motorcycles are fundamentally different. Two manufacturers, two philosophies, one review.

Today let’s take a closer look. Look at the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle and Yamaha XSR 700 very extensively Take your time and let the two retro-modern styled motorcycles work on you without being partial. Do not cheat! Done? Good. What do you see? Which one do you like better? Which of the two would you choose? If you would choose the tidy, air-cooled timeless chic Scrambler Ducati, then you are among the majority.

MOTORRAD is certainly not the fashion police and the author himself has about as much of an idea of design as presumably Heidi Klum has about the operation of a slipper clutch. But in this case, the matter seems clear. If it were about looks alone, we probably wouldn’t need to get into this issue at all. Now that may seem somewhat derogatory and superficial, and beauty is supposed to be in the eye of the beholder. Yes, but why beat around the bush? The Italians have really hit the nail on the head with the neoclassical style of the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle. It is damn hard to try and measure up to it. Even more so for Yamaha’s “faster son”, the fast son Yamaha XSR 700.

Similarity with the Ahnin XS 650?

After all, Yamaha was the first Japanese manufacturer to realise and deliver on the market potential of the reinterpretation of classics ex works But apart from the fact that the marketing babble so famously talks about the legacy of fast sons as well as the alleged resemblance with the Ahnin XS 650 – the Yamaha XSR 700 seems plain and simple. Its base, the MT-07, can do a lot exceptionally well, there’s no question about that. But there’s one thing that it cannot do: delivering a cleaner, tidy basis for a stylish retro naked. The radiator sticks out too prominently, too many covers, cover plates, hoses, cables and pipes – everywhere you look.

Not a big deal in and of itself, but nowadays motorcycles need to be a feast for the eyes too, especially a category of motorcycle, which is defined to a considerable extent by its looks. Then we must remember that the Yamaha XSR 700 with 74 hp, 68 Nm and nearly 190 kg of weight has nearly identical key data as that of the Scrambler. And the price, what was that again? EUR 8,400 for the quite a good-value Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle, that is not that much more than the EUR 7,500 that Yamaha is asking for the XSR. Is the case clear this time even before driving the first couple of metres?

So, one at a time. First let’s talk about the hard facts. And this time even these are unusually clear. Because the XSR 700 licks the Scrambler in virtually every objectively assessable aspect. Starting with the engine. The Twin of the MT places the bar pretty high in this class. It is incredible how playful and at the same time present the dual in-line engine appears with a 270 degree firing interval. The usable speed range reaches from nearly 2,000 rpm up to the five-digit range and the 700-series is up to snuff everywhere. The engaging kick below, the brawny middle and the splendid joy of revving just before the end add up here. Add to this a pleasant pulsating run without a hint of disturbing vibrations.

The throttle response is unexcitedly smooth, the controllability is perfect, smooth coupling, nice gearbox – this engine simply does everything right. And, unlike the Ducati, it does so while complying with the Euro 4 standard that will apply soon. Okay, the Ducati also states 74 hp in the brochure (and 72 in the certificate) and the test bench also certifies their presence. But no, these Cavalli really do not get to the issue at hand with the same spirit as those of Yamaha. In the lower ranges, the L-Twin does not seem to want to get going, and in the higher range the two-valve is lacking the liveliness of the Yamaha. Only the nice powerful middle of the 800’s and a shorter transmission allow the Ducati to keep up with the XSR. And is this artificially brisk throttle response, which more suggests a zest for action, really necessary? Isn’t that a tad vulgar and infantile?

Scrambler goes to the starting line with additional equipment

Only at first glance. And this is not only because you have to not pay EUR 8,400, but rather nearly EUR 10,000 for the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle driven here, with a lower handlebar, Tergmignoni silencer and chic stitched dual colour seat. No, in truth it is somewhat more complicated this time.

If the machines Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle and Yamaha XSR 700 are looked at more closely, in addition to their look, you also have to consider the technology and driving behaviour, what you actually expect from a motorcycle in general and these neo-retro bikes in particular. This in turn then begs the question of who you actually are. But then perhaps that is going a little too far at this point.

The soft tuning of the XSR 700 fits with the concept

The hoses and pumps on the engine of the Yamaha might not look as chic as the cooling fins and cam belt cover made of metal, but the inner values of the Yamaha XSR 700 are able to make you forget that. The same goes for the chassis. The Yamaha is indeed marginally softly tuned, but this somehow fits with the concept. The fork approaches the slightest ripples very well and offers a great deal of comfort. At least as long as the throttle hand is not digitally set to one, then it is too rough. The newly issued Pirelli Phantom have amazing grip and they harmonise excellently with the chassis. A neutral, balanced, light-footed flying carper, that’s how wonderfully the Yamaha drives behind its gun barrel headlights. Incidentally, the four kilogrammes of extra weight of the XSR compared to the MT-07 are best noticed in a direct comparison with the same.

The Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle? Stiffly suspended, it rumbles over everything, especially the rear. Response? Rather moderate. This can be glorified as earthy and honest, but does not have to be. Its 18-inch front wheel turns into corners unwillingly, stubbornly and less neutral. The seat position of the Yamaha XSR 700 is roughly equivalent to that of a compact naked bike with a wide handlebar stretched to the rear, while the scrambler Scrambler, with its combination of a very low seat, not so low rests and excessively wide handlebars, does look very cool. But it only knows about the feeling for the front wheel by hearsay. What objectively can the Ducati do better than the Yamaha? ABS. With finer control intervals and later, more comprehensible intervention, its anti-wheel-lock braking system is superior to that of the Yamaha. That’s it. Expressed in terms of top test points, it would look like this: 590 for the Scrambler icon, compared to 647 points for the MT-07. A huge lead. It is logical that this duel of sisters seems quite similar.

Is the worse motorcycle the better neo-retro naked?

Colleague Schmieder got to the heart of the matter this way: “The Yamaha XSR 700 drives by itself”. You can’t give it more praise. And the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle? “Does not”. The XSR goes better straight on, better around the corner, brakes better, you sit on it better and it costs less. It is the more modern, more appropriate motorcycle in virtually all respects. In short, it drives as smoothly as the Scrambler looks. Only this: This is neither a top or comparison test. And why do test and photo drivers always jump on the Scrambler when they have a free choice of bike? Why do the colleagues all ask for the Ducati keys in the evenings when it’s near finishing time?

Is the worse motorcycle perhaps the better neo-retro naked? This might be somewhat subjective, but when it comes to the experiential value, to the mind’s eye, when it’s about “smiles per hour”, then the Ducati really trumps all. A great thinker once answered the question of what was so great about motorcycling as follows: “It’s simple. Explosions are continuously taking place between your legs”. Strictly speaking of course this is not the case, but you understand what is meant. The Scrambler very skilfully celebrates this perceived truth in any case. This inimitable, hard Desmo blow, the uneven slightly unround run, there is something very special about it. This engine simply lives, you can feel its long characterful tradition as a monster propellant with each turn of the crankshaft. Then there’s the sound. What comes out of the Termignoni silencer of the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle at sound pressure is at least as dirty as one of Berlusconi’s bunga-bunga parties. You can also find this completely, and rightly, vulgar or even embarrassing, but it cannot be ignored.

So why not be infantile and vulgar?

In a direct comparison, the Twin gives in to the Yamaha XSR 700, itself a nice sounding engine, acoustically also as dutiful and correct as the CEO of Sony when he presents the quarterly figures. Which you in turn can find genuine and adult or boring. The chassis weaknesses of the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle, its shirt-sleeved L-Twin, the awkward sitting position – all of this can be forgiven with the right goggles, because all of this somehow also makes up the majority of the fun. Yes, even the artificially brisk throttle response can even be looked over, simply because it’s fun.

So why not be infantile and vulgar? You can impress women better on this bike. Am I really so simply knit? Of course man, yells the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle in response and drives directly into your heart. But only until you sit on the Yamaha XSR 700 again, drive one-handed circles around the Ducati and look at the Scrambler drivers as they have to resort themselves after each bump.

The Yamaha XSR 700 seems to drive exactly that much better as the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle is more beautiful and livelier – and which is why there is a little identity crisis at the end of this story. Couldn’t we have both?. Couldn’t we have a motorcycle that works like the Yamaha and moves you like the Ducati? It is difficult, because there are reasons why these motorcycles are the way they are The Scrambler has a lot more genetic material of the old two-valve monster, whose technology it inherited. The L-Twin with timing belt and desmodronic valve, the tubular frame, the design elements of the wonderful single-cylinder Scrambler from the 1960s – this motorcycle does not take place in a vacuum. Because it rightly looks back to its ancestors and refers to them, the Scrambler can, yes must be so likably imperfect as it is.

With this backward-looking thinking and design and especially its expression in the language of forms, things are visibly more relaxed in Italy than in Japan. The Yamaha XSR 700 is the best where it is a MT-07: modern, functional, contemporary. In the end, these motorcycles are the expression of each Italian and Japanese style like hardly any two other motorcycles: once as a beautiful daughter, once as the fast son.

 

Technical Data and Measured Values

Leistungsmessung	Power measurement
Yamaha XSR 700 55,0 kW bei 8800/min 68 Nm bei 6400/min	Yamaha XSR 700 55.0 kW at 8,800 rpm 68 Nm at 6,400 rpm
Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle 53,2 kW (72 PS) bei 8000/min 67 Nm bei 6600/min	Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle 53.2 kW (71 hp) at 8,000 rpm 67 Nm at 6,600 rpm
Motorleistung	Engine output
Motordrehzahl in 1/min * 1000	Engine output in rpm x 1000
Drehmoment in Nm	Torque in Nm
Leistung an der Kurbelwelle. Messungen auf dem Dynojet-Rollenprüfstand 250, korrigiert nach 95/1/EG, maximal mögliche Abweichung ± 5 %	Performance at the crankshaft. Measurements on the Dynojet roller dynamometer 250, corrected as per 95/1/EC, maximum possible deviation ± 5 %

So similar on paper, so different on the road – this is true of both bikes in general and in particular of their engines. Although both of them play in the same performance class, the Yamaha XSR 700 is clearly and objectively superior when it comes to the engine, despite the around 100 cubic displacement disadvantage. It hits the throttle sooner and smoother, shifts higher and more freely, gives a noticeably better performance. The Ducati is only better in the lower middle. It also has a shorter transmission. The XSR 700 reaches its top speed in the fifth gear. But: The Desmo Twin of the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle is just brimming with character. Not insignificant in this class.

Technical Data	Ducati Scrambler Icon	Yamaha XSR 700
Model year	2015	2016
Motor
Number of cylinders, design	2, V-motor	2, in-line engine
Bore / stroke	88.0 / 66.0 mm	80.0 / 68.6 mm
Displacement	803 cm³	690 cm³
Valves per cylinder	Four valves per cylinder	Four valves per cylinder
Compression	11.0	11.5
Output	55.0 kW (74.0 hp) at 8,250 rpm	55.0 kW (74.0 hp) at 9000 rpm
Max. torque	68 Nm	68 Nm
Number of gears	Six-speed gearbox	Six-speed gearbox
Rear-wheel drive	O-ring chain	Chain
Chassis, wheels, brakes
Frame	Tubular frame	Bridge frame
Front/rear spring deflection	150 mm / 150 mm	130 mm / 130 mm
Tyres	110/80 R 18, 180/55 R 17	120/70 ZR 17, 180/55 ZR 17
Front/rear brake	330 mm four-piston fixed calliper / 245 mm single-piston floating calliper	282 mm four-piston fixed callipers / 245 mm single-piston floating calliper
ABS	Yes	Yes
Dimensions and weights
Wheel base	1445 mm	1405 mm
Steering head angle	66.0 °	65.5 °
Trail	112 mm	90 mm
Dead weight with a full tank of petrol	n/a	186 kg
Seat height	790 mm	815 mm
Permissible total weight	390 kg	n/a
Maximum speed	195 km/h	200 km/h
Price
New price	EUR 8,490.00	EUR 7,495.00

 

Conclusion

All clichés met? Clearly, worlds are colliding here. Once the Italian extroverted appearance for the eyes and heart – once Japanese, the pursuit of perfection, for the head and for the throttle hand. What is better than retro naked? Take a closer look at the photos in the image gallery again. And then take a look in the mirror.