The Best Scrambler Motorcycles of 2025

We love a scrambler. With distinguishing features as semi-knobbly tyres, high mudguards and exhausts, ribbed seats and motocross handlebars, scramblers echo the spirit of biking icon Steve McQueen in the 1960s and an irresistible culture of riding free, easy and, pretty much, anywhere too.

It means several manufacturers have attempted to get in on the fun and - better still - ensure there is something for everyone.

From the dinky Royal Enfield Scram 411, to the Honda CL 500, the Ducati Scrambler and the racy Indian FTR 1200 Rally, there is a Scrambler to suit all budgets and tastes. 

But which is best? Never fear, Visordown is here to give our take on the Top 10 BEST Scrambler motorcycles of 2024. 

10. Husqvarna Svartpilen 801

To ride, there’s very little to dislike about the Svartpilen 801. It’s incredibly easy to get on with straight away, proves accommodating across a broad range of riding speeds and scenarios, and feels pleasingly substantial and well-built. 

It has a more chilled, more considered charisma than the 790 Duke, which in turn makes it feel more versatile, more usable, and less focused on permanently chasing the next adrenaline rush. 

And while we are aware it's not a true scrambler in the most honest sense of the word, it's got about as much off-road or scrambling ability as some of the other bikes on this list, so we're shoe-horning it there!

Visordown Review | Husqvarna Svartpilen 801

9. Fantic Caballero 700

Powered by the same legendary engine as is found in the MT-07, the Fantic offers fans of the scrambler style a more premium option in the sub-1,000cc sector. With Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes and more CNC billet aluminium than a Bimota showroom, the new Caballero 700 stands out as a scambler for the discerning riders on the trail.

It's also one of the few bikes on this list that is genuinely as good off-road as it is on it! 'So why isn't it higher up this list?' I hear you cry, well simply put, it comes down to the price. Yes, the Fantic is beautiful to look at and very high spec, but at a shade under £10k, it's not far off the cost of the Scrambler 1200 that sits at the top spot. And that's a bike built by a global powerhouse with vast resources and a huge dealership network.

It's still a bloomin lovely bike though!

Visordown Review | Fantic Caballero 700

8. BMW RnineT Scrambler

Bavarian marque BMW has been at the forefront of the retro ‘scrambler’ class ever since its BMW RnineT of 2014 burst into view.

Originally created as a heritage-style, limited edition version of its R1200R built to mark BMW’s 90th anniversary - hence the name – the RnineT proved such a hit it not only became a mainstream model but also spawned a whole family of variants.

The BMW RnineT Scrambler version, with larger, 19in wire front wheel, trail style bars and upswept pipes, arrived in 2016 and, like all RnineTs, appeals for its brilliant blend of modern mechanicals and 110bhp performance, cool, retro-inspired styling and enviable badge.

Like the ‘Pure’ variant, it lacks the premium spec of the original RnineT, such as its twin dials and inverted forks, but being a basic scrambler means that doesn’t seem to matter while also offering a decent saving on price. Just bear in mind that a new version based on the R12 NineT might well be arriving soon. 

Visordown Review | BMW RnineT Scrambler [2016]

7. Ducati Scrambler Icon

 

The smaller of the Ducati Scrambler brothers, this year heralds the launch of the second generation take on the Italian firm's fun and funky 'alter ego' retro roadster.

With a generation's tenure under its belt, the Mk.II doesn't alter the recipe too much, the aim instead to freshen up its playful image while at the same time upgrading its spec and quality.

Three editions are available from launch - the flat tracker style Scrambler Full Throttle, the classier, more demure Nightshift and this, the cheekier Ducati Scrambler Icon.

Pitched right up against the Triumph Scrambler 900 - and almost matching it on price at £9,995 - the Scrambler retains its predecessor's unmistakable blend of traditional lines drizzled in Italian personality, especially if you select one of the more lurid shades, while fit and finish are typically high standard.

On the road, the 803cc 72bhp engine isn't the last word in performance but it feels frisky on its feet (well, tyres...), while the light clutch makes it a boon around urban environments. 

If only it felt just a little bit more special...

6. Triumph Scrambler 900

The revived British firm is deservedly the market leader in retro bikes - it defined the scrambler class when it came out with its first Bonneville-based Scrambler in 2008 and it kept ahead of the pack when it brought out its affordable, entry-level Street Scrambler - recently rebranded as the Triumph Scrambler 900 - based on it’s then all-new 900cc Street Twin Bonneville in 2016.

Despite the change in name, the Scrambler 900 is otherwise identical to the Street Scrambler, which means it retains the same signature style, quality, retro authenticity and easy 64bhp with new switchable riding modes, instruments in 2019. There’s even an A2 licence-compliant version available.

If you want an easy going scrambler with bags of classy authentic style and arguably the definitive badge on the tank – this is the one.

Visordown Review | Triumph Scrambler 900

5. Ducati Scrambler 1100 Tribute

The arrival of Ducati’s original 800cc Scrambler family in 2015 proved such a popular success that the Italian firm swiftly followed it up with two extra, larger Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro versions in 2018 designed to appeal to more experienced riders and deliver the extra performance such riders expect.

If you not sold on any of the variants in the current range, hang around long enough and Ducati will almost certainly switch things up with a fresh line at some stage. 

Right now, there are three to choose from; the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro, Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro and - our pick here and newest addition - the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Tribute Pro.

Priced at £12,795, the Tribute edition errs more into a vintage vibe than its more contemporary brothers, the romantic throwback details - such as the retro typeface Ducati logo, black spoke wheels, 'Giallo Ocra' yellow livery and special, exposed stitching brown-coloured seat - are effortlessly cool.

While its 84bhp isn’t quite the match of those performance cycle parts it is grunty, brisk and cultured – in short, it's the Scrambler for the more refined.

4. Indian FTR 1200 Rally

Here’s a slightly left-field ‘Scrambler’– but also one so good it has to be included here. In truth, the Indian FTR 1200 isn’t, strictly speaking, a Scrambler at all.

Instead it’s the US version – a flat tracker (hence FTR) - and while it is geared more towards sideways racing rather than clambering over rocks, it shares a similar free and easy ethos.

Recently updated for 2023, the FTR 1200 comes in four distinct flavours; standard FTR 1200, Sport, R Carbon and our pick here, the Indian FTR 1200 Rally.

First launched in 2019 based on a performance, tuned, 118bhp version of the Scout cruiser’s V-twin engine and boasting Brembo radial brakes and Sachs suspension, it was a hoot to ride and quite the departure for a company more used to building big, comfy, fully loaded Tourers and Cruisers.

For 2023, Indian has given it an understated - but effective - cosmetic upgrade to help that distinctive fusion of retro and contemporary pop, while the Rally is identified by its Black Smoke colour way, with brown seat and cream-hued frame and signature ostentatious exhaust.

At £14,995, it's certainly not cheap, but pound-for-pound it is the most fun to ride in this company and it will turn heads... just so long as you're prepared to bypass the rockier routes and stick to the smooth stuff.

Visordown Preview | Indian FTR1200 [2023]

3. Honda CL500

 

And then there were five... Yes, Honda's right-down-the-middle '500' family gains a new member in the Honda CL 500, a compact, trendy Scrambler-style roadster that'll be tempting and teasing you to purchase it rather than its rather more plain CB500F brother.

Handsome and understated in that very particular Honda way, the CL 500 appears as though the Rebel hit puberty, growing a few inches taller, stepping out on larger knobbly tyres and bulging in all the right places, while fit and finish is of a higher standard than its modest price would suggest.

Indeed, with 46bhp on tap from the well proven 471cc engine, it makes light work of the CL 500's very useable 191kg weight, handling with vigour and feeling nimble in the city.

On the flip side, the CL 500 is not designed to 'scramble' per se, with that rugged impression mostly cosmetic, but so long as the trails aren't too demanding, at £5,999, it's a great value, great quality, great fun choice.

2. Royal Enfield Bear 650

The end of 2024 was when we FINALLY got our paws on the Royal Enfield Bear 650, a bike we'd all been clawing for since the 650 parallel twin-cylinder platform arrived. The styling is unmistakably Royal Enfield, but visually there is enough difference between it and its 650 siblings to set the Bear apart.

Sitting more on the street scrambler side of the fence, the Bear is a kind of 'soft-roader' that can hit a dusty fire trail, but in doing so you'll quickly find the limit of the suspension and chassis. Some knobbly tyres would likely help this, although for us the Bear is a bike best kept out of the woods.

But none of that detracts from how good the new Bear is, with its on-road handling, easy-going delivery, and exceptional (for the price-point) build quality all fabulously glossing over its un-scrambly scramblerness.

Visordown Review | Royal Enfield bear 650 (2025)

1. Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE

Most of us thought Triumph had the Scrambler genre pretty well covered by its 900cc Street Scrambler, but then the Hinckley marque went bigger with the more powerful, punchy and genuinely off-road capable Triumph Scrambler 1200 in 2019.

For 2024, Triumph has an updated version of the Scrambler 1200. As before, it's in two specs, but this time they were X and XE. As we found when we rode the bikes extensively on the international launch, more money doesn’t necessarily equal a better package in this case, and the X is actually the one we prefer.

With the X, you still get Marzocchi suspension at both ends, but it’s just unadjustable and has less wheel travel compared to on the XE. As we discovered, that last point is actually a positive, because it means that, on the road, you get more support from the suspension, and the bike doesn’t wallow about so much. You feel more in control as a result, and we definitely like that.

The X also features cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control thanks to the inclusion of a six-axis IMU for the first time on this model. Compared to the previous 1200 Scrambler, the 2024 also features a broader engine, with the peak torque picked up 250rpm lower than on the last version. 

It’s true that, if you want to go off-roading, your choice between the Triumph Scrambler 1200 X and XE should err on the side of the latter, but, otherwise, the X is where you want to be.

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