Everything old is new again. Motorcycles travel through trends where form follows function, then fashion determines form. It has happened over and over again, and will continue to happen as long as motorcycles are lifestyle accessories and not transportation.
Witness the latest trend: Scramblers.
Back in the late 50s/early 60s, scramblers were the dual sports of their day. Stock standards were modified with knobby tires, upswept exhausts and mid-set footpegs. They were then ridden on the streets, on fire roads, on trails and all over the desert by tough riders who wanted to challenge themselves and their motorcycles. Picture Steve McQueen riding with his buddies, covered in dirt and dust. They’re riding scramblers.
Fashions change. Dedicated dirt bikes with long-travel suspension overtook scramblers. Sport bikes overtook standards. Choppers came and went, then came and went again. Dual sports rose. Cafe racers returned.
Now scramblers are having their day again.
The latest is the 2017 Yamaha SCR950. It’s a very good bike. Is it a go-anywhere, rough-and-tumble scrambler in the tradition of the bikes of old?
Read my 2017 Yamaha SCR950 review on Forbes.com to find out.
Frank A. Aukofer
Jason Fogelson
Matthew P. Aukofer
Tod Mesirow
The Review Garage 
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