Getting Hands-On with My Ducati Scrambler Nightshift
Alright, so I’ve had my Ducati Scrambler Nightshift for a bit now. Great bike straight out of the box, really is. But you know how it is, you start looking at it, riding it, and you think, “Yeah, I could tweak this a bit.” Make it more… mine. The stock look is cool, sort of cafe racer mixed with flat track, but I felt it needed a few personal touches to really hit the spot for me.
So, the plan started brewing. Wasn’t anything too wild at first. I mostly wanted to clean up the lines, maybe get a bit more rumble out of it, and adjust the riding feel just slightly. Spent some time just staring at the bike in the garage, figuring out what annoyed me and what I liked. Saw a few pictures online, got some ideas, but mostly it was about what felt right to me.
First thing was sorting out the parts. That took a bit of digging. I knew I wanted a different exhaust, that was top of the list. Found one I liked the look and sound of – wasn’t cheap, mind you, but hey. Then decided on some smaller, cleaner indicators, front and back. The stock ones are okay but a bit chunky. Bar-end mirrors were a must to clean up the handlebar area. And maybe, just maybe, a different seat later on, but I decided to tackle the main bits first.
Down to Business: The Actual Work
Okay, tools out. Decided to start easy. The mirrors. Stock ones came off easy enough. Just unscrew them. Putting the bar-end ones on was simple too. Just needed to remove the stock bar ends and slot the new mirrors in. Tightened them up. Instantly looked cleaner. Felt good, like progress was being made.
Next up, the indicators. This was a bit more fiddly. Took off the stock ones, front first. Had to figure out the wiring. Luckily, the ones I got came with the right connectors, mostly plug-and-play which was a relief. Didn’t fancy cutting into the bike’s wiring loom too much. Did the fronts, then tackled the rears. Removing the rear fender assembly to get at them properly was a bit of a pain, few hidden bolts there. Got them swapped out eventually. Tested them. All working. Nice, much sleeker look.
Now for the big one: the exhaust. This was the part I was both looking forward to and slightly dreading. The stock system is pretty hefty. Started by loosening all the bolts holding the silencer and pipes. Some were easy, others needed a bit more grunt. Had to wiggle the old system quite a bit to get it off. It’s heavier than it looks! Laying the new system out on the floor, comparing it to the old one. The new one was definitely lighter. Fitting it was the reverse, but lining everything up took some patience. Bolted the headers on first, loosely. Then fitted the link pipe and the silencer. Jiggled everything into place, made sure there was clearance everywhere. Then tightened all the bolts up, working front to back. Stood back and had a look. Yeah, that looked much better. More aggressive.
Fired her up after the exhaust swap. Oh yeah. That was the sound I was after. Deeper rumble, not obnoxiously loud, but definitely more character. Let it run for a bit, checked for leaks. All good.
Was it Smooth Sailing? Mostly…
Didn’t run into too many huge problems, thankfully. The trickiest part was probably getting the rear indicators fitted neatly, just took some time and careful routing of the wires. And one of the exhaust header bolts was a bit awkward to get torque on, tight space. But overall, pretty straightforward stuff if you take your time. The main thing is having the right tools and not rushing it. A bit of skinned knuckle here and there, standard stuff.
The Finished (For Now) Bike
So, how does it feel? Honestly, pretty great. The bike looks tighter, cleaner. The bar-end mirrors really change the look from the rider’s perspective too. The exhaust adds that bit of audible spice I was looking for, and maybe it feels a tiny bit peppier, could be placebo though! Riding it feels good, feels more like my bike now. Every little change makes a difference.
- Looks: Cleaner lines, especially around the handlebars and tail. More aggressive stance with the new exhaust.
- Sound: Much better. Deeper tone, more satisfying burble.
- Feel: Largely the same ergonomics for now, but the vibe is just better. Feels more custom.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. It’s satisfying doing the work yourself, even simple stuff. And riding something you’ve personalized is just different. Still thinking about that seat, maybe some different grips too down the line. But for now, I’m just enjoying the ride on my slightly tweaked Nightshift. Job done, time to put some miles on it.
