22 MCN I For Enthusiasts MCNEWS.COM
TESTERS LOG
I have errant dreams
of owning a real
scrambler, my latent
dirt desires stifled by living
in a concrete jungle. Eyeing
dual-sport bikes with great in-
terest, I’ve yet to find the right
combination of style and per-
formance matched by both
paved and dirt worthiness.
I have a disagreeable relationship with Yamaha’s Bolt
platform. Everything I dislike
could be remedied with a nip
or tuck, yet it does not engage
me, at all, in any wrapping—
regardless of my frugality.
It’s fast, but BMW chopped
a lot of bits to reduce sticker
shock on the newer, heavily
stylized R nine T models. I recommend investing the extra
cash for the original package.
The R nine T Scrambler did
not impress with its focus
on form over function—more
style than substance. Is it
impossible to have both?
The answer may be the
Moto Guzzi Stornello. Nearly
identical to their Scrambler,
the choice mods are well
worth the extra two Benjamins ($2,200 over the base
Stone). Budget for factory
Bitubo shocks and ride out
for under $12,000—if you can
find one. It’s exotic, quirky,
well-equipped, light, nimble,
full of character—closest to
what a scrambler should be,
in my head. Never mind that
it stalled half a dozen times,
it was by far the most
fun to ride and took me
wherever I dared to go.
—David Hilgendorf
engine-gearbox is incorporated into
the three-piece frame, with a remov-
able pillion frame for single rider use.
With street-purposed tires, the scrambler may match anything short of a
sportbike when running the canyons.
Feel is constant, turning precise and
nimble, and we quickly forgot this bike
is nearly 485 pounds.
The Stornello accelerates quite bor-
ingly, but once up to speed, it leans
over with great enthusiasm. We were
surprised how much lean angle was
available, limited more by traction at
the edge of the off-road tires than by
clearance of the pegs. Where other V7
pegs are rubber-topped, the Storenello
has classic, dirt bike-style aluminum
pegs, which angle the toes down, mak-
ing boots the most likely first point of
contact. The chassis flexes a bit when
cranked over, but never made handling
nervous or uncomfortable. Riding
position is perfect for various-sized
pilots and the long, comfortable seat
allows for easy movement in any
direction. This is not a sportbike, but
brings meaning to “fun riding a slow
bike fast.”
The SCR950 riding ergonomics aren’t
bad, the seat, bars and pegs are well
spaced for comfort, both seated and
standing. Unfortunately, the pegs reach
wide to the sides and tend to bang the
shins when the feet are down, plus
knees tend to whack the airbox when
the feet are up—unnecessarily cramped.
The seat is thinly padded and uncom-
fortable, even on the road. Steering lacks
the agility and precision one desires
when venturing off pavement.
INSTRUMENTS & CONTROLS
Like any respectable scrambler, BMW’s
instrumentation is minimal, with one
analog speedometer with LED readout
embedded for odometer and code
readings. Low fuel, check engine, and
ABS icons light up within the speed-
ometer dial. ABS can be disabled with a
thumb switch located in the left cluster.
The Stornello has two large analog
gauges with small, hard-to-read num-
bering. A small digital display resides on
each, with odometer and a single trip
meter displayed on the speedometer
and ambient temperature and a clock
on the tachometer. The two chromed
buttons that cycle between these four
options are small and hard to depress,
and the displays reset to odo and temp
on a power cycle. There are also two
obnoxious retro orange lights next to the
ignition to indicate if the ABS and TC are
working. We were underwhelmed with
the instrumentation—poorly configured
and overkill for the limited functionality.
Yamaha’s Bolt platform uses a mod-
ern LED dashboard and lighting, which
is in direct conflict with the retro-styled
bikes being released. All of the parts are
at least functional, though extremely
Yamaha’s SCR950 is not much of a dirt bike, but
can still get a rider to some remote places.
B
RIAN
J. NE
LSON
