Tanshanomi's Snap Judgments

Ducati 450 Scrambler

Wed, August 10th, 2011

1969–74 Ducati 450 Scrambler
One would naturally think that if Ducati's earlier 250s and 350s were good, a 450 would be even better. But you'd be at least partially wrong. The 450cc non-desmo version of Ducati's aging single-cylinder four-stroke did make more power than its smaller siblings, but it didn't rev as willingly, or as high. The exhaust note was strangely high pitched, like a man with a feminine voice, so it didn't sound as menacing as the throaty bellow of other 500cc thumpers of its day.
The 450 Scrambler had a fairly typical Ducati frame, so it was good on the street (for the time; the suspension is horribly crude by today's standards). But it didn't handle as nicely on the tarmac as a pure Ducati road model, and it wasn't anything special in the dirt. It was on a par with other brands' 'street scramblers,' but by the early 1970s, more dirt-focused trailbikes were the rage and street bikes with trials tires were not very desirable.
The Ducati single is one of the all-time beautiful engines by nearly anybody's measure, and the 450 Scrambler's sculpted engine is as pretty as any other Duc single. But the chassis was rather outdated by the early 1970s, clearly harking back to the mid '60s. In scrambler guise, it is further penalized by its pedigree: when one thinks 'Ducati,' high, wide handlebars and kludgy fenders are not usually part of the attraction.
The Ducati motor's reputation for finickiness may be a bit overstated, but there's a genuine truth behind it. The lack of desmodromic valvetrain may lower the Scrambler's cachet, but it's also one less problem area.
The only practical thing about the 450 Scrambler is that, compared to a desmo single, they are more commonplace, and a bit cheaper to buy.
I've always thought of the Scrambler as something people settle for, when what we all really desire is the mystique of a racy Ducati street single or the much more hardcore off-road performance of the rare 450 Desmo R/T.
The 450 Scrambler may have used the largest displacement available in a Ducati single-cylinder engine, but it's not the most capable off-road thumper of its era, or the most special or collectable Ducati single.