Ducati Scrambler Urban Motard

Is the Urban Motard still on sale?

Not new. Unveiled on 14 October 2021 for the 2022 model year, the Urban Motard joined the Scrambler 800 range alongside the Icon, Icon Dark, Nightshift and Desert Sled. Listed in the menus of Scrambler Ducati’s French site in June 2022, it had gone by late November, just as Ducati announced the second-generation Scrambler (known as “Next-Gen”), in dealerships in 2023. That generation has only been offered as the Icon, Full Throttle, Nightshift, Icon Dark and an anniversary edition: no Motard version followed, so the Urban Motard has no successor. A 2023 model year was sold in the United States, with no sign of it being marketed in France; this page covers the 2022 model year. The Hypermotard 698 Mono, a single from another family, is now Ducati’s motard offering.

How much did it cost?

Ducati France launched it at €11,590, then listed it at €11,790 from May 2022, in a single City Rebel colour scheme: Star White Silk and Ducati GP '19 Red, with graffiti-inspired graphics. An A2 version restricted to 35 kW was available, as for every Scrambler; its French price was never published. In the United States it cost $11,695 as a 2022 model and $11,895 in 2023.

What sets it apart from the other Scrambler 800s?

Derived from the Motard concept shown at EICMA 2019, it borrows the codes of 1980s supermotos: 17-inch spoked wheels front and rear, Pirelli Diablo Rosso III road tyres, a high red front mudguard, a flat seat, side number plates and a low, tapered aluminium handlebar. It is the only Scrambler 800 on 17-inch spoked wheels: the others have an 18- or 19-inch front wheel, except the Café Racer, on 17-inch cast wheels.

How good is the engine?

The air-cooled 803 cc 90° Desmodue L-twin (88 x 66 mm), with desmodromic valve actuation and two valves per cylinder, makes 73 hp (53.6 kW) at 8,250 rpm and 66.2 Nm at 5,750 rpm according to Ducati France (67 Nm in the owner’s manual). Euro 5 approved, it is fed by fuel injection with a 50 mm throttle body. The hydraulically operated clutch is a slipper and assist unit, and the gearbox has six speeds.

1000PS finds it accessible and lively. InMoto criticises it for snatching below 2,500 rpm, and Carole Nash finds its power respectable but restrained; 1000PS and Motorbox also note its heat in town.

What chassis?

The steel trellis frame carries a non-adjustable 41 mm Kayaba upside-down fork and a preload-adjustable Kayaba shock, with 150 mm of travel at each end. The wheelbase is 1,436 mm and the rake 24° (trail of 109 mm according to the manual, 94 mm according to the French page). Braking combines a 330 mm front disc and a radial Brembo M4.32 caliper with a 245 mm rear disc, with Bosch Cornering ABS as standard.

The press praises the agility brought by the 17-inch front wheel: according to 1000PS, it can be ridden harder than any Scrambler before it. Motorbox, however, finds the fork dives too much, and InMoto regrets the lack of damping adjustment.

What electronics?

Equipment is limited to Cornering ABS: no riding modes, no traction control, no quickshifter. The LCD dash shows the gear engaged and the fuel level. Lighting combines a headlight with LED daytime running light, an LED tail light and LED indicators; a USB socket sits under the seat and the Ducati Multimedia System (Bluetooth) was an option.

Fuel consumption and maintenance

Ducati quotes 5.2 L/100 km, giving a range of about 260 km from the 13.5-litre tank; no review published a measured figure. The manual specifies an oil change every 12,000 km or 12 months, a valve clearance check every 12,000 km and timing belt replacement every 24,000 km or 60 months. The warranty was 24 months with unlimited mileage. No recall was found (RappelConso, Safety Gate, NHTSA).

Who is it for?

With its 805 mm seat (785 or 830 mm as accessories), its A2 version and its easy handling, the Urban Motard targeted young riders and anyone looking for a fun bike in town. It is not a true supermoto: next to a KTM 690 SMC R or the Hypermotard 698 Mono, it is much heavier and has neither their suspension nor their electronics.

Where does it come from?

The Scrambler 800 was born in 2015 and updated in 2019 (Cornering ABS, LED headlight, LCD dash): the Urban Motard is its last derivative. The second generation, with a revised frame and engine, ride-by-wire and traction control, is covered by the Ducati Scrambler Icon Dark page.