We spent a few days on the Desert Sled putting over 1,200 miles on it commuting and touring taking in the city, mountains and coastal roads.
The Desert Sled clearly isn't a purely street bike and with any bike fitted with dual-use tyres there's usually a comprise when it comes to road handling and comfort depending on the depth of the tread.
However the Pirelli's don't give as much vibration
as you might expect and are actually pretty well planted on the road giving good feedback to the rider even under heavy braking and in tight twisties.
With the smooth power from the Scrambler engine commuting, touring and generally hooning around is a blast! You can push the bike with the confidence that the power is there when needed and that the tyres and adjustable ABS are going to keep you right-side-up in the process.
There's also a level of comfort that is difficult to match in this category of bikes. Even after a 10-hour day on the bike there weren't so many of the usual aches and pains - and that's good going for us not so young anymore riders with the slight adjustments to the seating and footpeg position adding to the seated comfort. The Sled is a little taller than the standard Scrambler model but there is the option of a lower seat for shorter riders.
We had considered adventure and dual-use bikes in the past for our daily rides but this one may just have won us over and from the look on faces as we passed and when parked it's clear that the Desert Sled has a growing fan base out there.
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