The Scrambler is just plain fun. I think it looks good, and now that I've got the NH "silencers" on it, the darned thing sounds good too. Actually, I kind of liked the sound of the stock pipes, although they were way too muffled.
Handling is decent. Torque is decent. There is essentially NO high end power. Once I reconciled myself with that, I was fine. Very easy to ride, in town or on the highway. It doesn't seem in it's element at high speeds, but is a delight on a twisty two-lane road or popping about in town. I've done 400+ mile days w/o problem. I've loaded up for backcountry tours with all my camping & fishing gear aboard. I've scraped the pegs in turns out of sheer exuberance. I've wished for another 20 hp... I've been delighted at 45 - 52 mpg on trips, and satisfied with about a 40 mpg average.
On dirt - well it's a LOT heavier than a real dirt bike, but about the same as the other big "adventure" bikes. Compared to most of them, it has little suspension travel, but is reassuringly low to the ground. Nice when paddling through some rough, rutted dirt roads. I've taken it on some fairly demanding single-track trails - and likely shouldn't have done so, but the Scram and I made it out without a major meltdown. Fun, because I can run at 85 mph on the interstate, then slow down for a two lane, then head off onto a dusty Forest Service road - all with the same bike.
The stock tires were adequate, but barely. I didn't realize how much improvement was available until I had the Metzler Tourances mounted.
It's an easy bike to work on. The few modifications I've made to mine have mostly been of a practical nature and were easy to accomplish. Routine maintenance is a snap.
I like mine. The biggest thing you will likely miss coming off a sportbike is the sheer performance edge - that's truly missing from a Scrambler, and it costs big bucks to modify the Scram to even approach the acceleration & handling of a real sport bike. Think of it more as a relaxed hiking buddy, or perhaps a trustworthy pack mule rather than a spirited companion looking for trouble...
Regards, Guy