11 Best Scrambler Motorcycles 2019

Last week I ran a poll on Instagram to find out your favourite scramblers of this year. So here's the list in order of number of votes and at the end I'll throw in a few extra that I think you guys missed. Despite the fact that someone voted for the CCM scrambler, you can't actually buy one anymore. They made a limited run of 250 in 2017 and they've now sold out. But there's a whole bunch of different models built on the same single cylinder 600cc platform Possibly the closest option to the scrambler is the flat tracker and it should still have a bit of off-road capability with its wide bars and Maxxis DTR1 tyres. But my personal pick of the current range would be the Spitfire 6 which offers a whole bunch of paint and anodisation options as well as spoke wheels and a single seat. All the models put out a reasonable 55hp and 58Nm of peak torque but when you consider that most of them are about 140kg dry, this should be a hoot to ride. Again with only a single vote in my Instagram poll, scraping in at the beginning of the list is Moto Guzzi's V7 3. That's not a scrambler I hear you say, well there are a couple of options here. The V7 Rough is a very mild attempt at a scrambler, taking the standard bike and adding spoke wheels and slightly knobbly tyres as well as a couple of visual changes like a tuck and roll style seat and polished aluminium mudguards. If however you want a more serious V7 scrambler, then you might still be able to find a dealer with Guzzi's scrambler package available for sale. This would not only give the bike knobbly tyres and long mudguards but also a high level exhaust, handlebar brace and off-road footpegs too. Filling those options, there are plenty of custom parts available for the V7. Back Motorcycles for example put together this rather nice build. I couldn't quite decide whether these are separate bikes or the same, but they got about 10% of the votes each so I decided to combine them. The base model scrambler icon has had quite a few upgrades for 2019 with new features, cosmetic tweaks, updated suspension, a hydraulic clutch and quartering ABS. I've said in previous videos and I'll say it again, if I had to trade my street twin for another bike to get around London, the scrambler would probably be it. But it's the desert sled that seems to have caught people's eye. Not only is it a more butch looking machine than the icon, but there are a whole host of changes that give it more off-road credentials too. From the knobbly tyres on spoke rims with a larger 19-inch front wheel, to the longer travel suspension, bash guard, high mudguards and headlight mesh. The equipment ought to make for a capable bike and in fact earlier this year I posted a video about Henry Crew who completed a round the world trip on the desert sled. There's a link in the description if you'd like to see that video. Another bike updated for 2019 is Triumph's street scrambler which seems to have done enough to earn this bike 2nd place in my poll with about a quarter of the votes. Triumph gave both the street scrambler and the street twin an extra 10hp at the top of the rev range for 2019 as well as better 4 internals and much needed improved brakes in the form of a Brembo 4-pot caliper at the front. I've documented my thoughts about the street twin quite extensively on my channel so feel free to check out some of those videos in the description. But essentially it's the same bike with a slightly taller stance, spoke wheels and knobblies with a 19-inch front and a high level exhaust. But one of my favourite features is the interchangeable pillion seat and rack depending on whether you want to carry a human or some cargo. Ok so no real surprises with the top of the list here, with almost half of the votes it's the 1200 scrambler from Triumph. Brand new for 2019 it's like a jacked up, more powerful, better equipped, high tech, high power version of the street scrambler. I say it's no surprise because there's been so much hype around this bike this year and it's easy to see why. It's a handsome machine and the ride reports are generally positive about its capabilities both on and off road, especially the higher specced XE model on the trails. There's also a massive skew towards Triumph fans on my Instagram account so don't see this as a scientific research piece about the state of the motorcycle industry. It's just a bit of fun and anyway, you guys missed a whole bunch of great bikes so here's my pick. So the Urban GS isn't new for 2019 but it's still on the market and for me it's just such a good looking take on the scrambler that I had to include it. And at 110 horsepower it's got a good deal more power from its 1200cc boxer twin than many of the other bikes on this list. In my humble opinion, all BMW models should be available in at least one version of the M Sport colours, it looks that good. This iteration of the R9T platform really embraces it with a bright red saddle and the high level front mudguard and retro fly screen really set it apart from others in the range. For an extra £600 you can get a chrome exhaust, spoke wheels, off-road tyres, heated grips and LED indicators which seems like a good deal. Or if this is all too garish for you, there's the more muted and potentially classier R9T scrambler. Not strictly on sale yet, the Norton Atlas is supposed to hit the assembly line this summer with the first run of bikes being delivered to UK customers at the end of the year. But international customers will have to wait till 2020 if they're interested in this distinctive British made scrambler. The 650cc parallel twin is essentially half of Norton's V4 superbike motor so the peak power of 84hp comes in at rather revvy 11,000rpm. It should make for an entertaining ride when it hits the road. The recently released Indian FTR 1200 is quite hard to pin down. It's kind of a sports bike, kind of a tracker, it can off-road a little bit and you could do a little bit of light touring on it I guess. But if you truly want a scrambler but like the look of the Indian, how about the Rally Kit? You can probably guess what it comprises of by now. Spoke wheels, wider bars, different mudguards, grippy footpegs and a high level exhaust to name but a few. But if you include every single option in the Rally Kit, it's an extra $5,500 on top of an already premium priced bike. So don't expect to see too many in your local parking bay. Can you really scramble without a high level exhaust? Or even without any exhaust at all? I tested the Zero DSR recently and was super impressed with this off-road bias model from the best known electric motorcycle manufacturer. Larger wheels, knobbly tyres, longer travel suspension and grippy footpegs are all present and correct. But with buckets of torque on tap at the simple twist of a throttle, this might be tempting for someone looking for a scrambler with a difference. And if you do take it off-road, you can just wipe that flat plastic bodywork clean. I often get asked for a couple of budget options so here are some that have caught my eye. Later this year, Herald are expected to bring two new bikes to the market and to me they look great. Although these models are slightly more premium than the existing Chinese import sold by Herald, the Brat will start from just under £3,000 and the 500cc single Brute, which is perhaps a bit more on the roadster end of the spectrum, is expected to sell for £6,500. But when you consider that this model will be built from the ground up in Britain, the pricing looks decent when set against other similar builds like the CCM. And last but not least, the Caballero. Who even is that you ask? It's not a company I've heard much about either but at the monthly car and bike night at Greenwich Market, local dealer Crazy Horse have had one on display regularly and it really caught my eye. It's got all the styling cues you'd expect from a scrambler but the red tank, yellow number board and gold anodised upside down forks all really make it pop. For just under £5,000 you can get a 125, there's a 252 but for a smidge over £6,000 there's this 450cc single which puts out about 40hp and 40Nm of torque and weighs in at 145kg dry. The same motors are available in a tracker style model too. So there we go, that's my attempt at a comprehensive list of scramblers on the market this year but I'm sure that there must be some I've missed. If there are any clangers, let me know in the comments below and if you're new here and you want to see more videos like this, hit subscribe and I'll see you next time.