Ducati Scrambler Launch

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2-Stroke

Race Dog
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Here's a bit of sharing:
Yesterday I returned from the World Launch of the Ducati Scrambler in Palm Springs, California. With Jet lag still a dominant factor in my life, kindly forgive me if this post tends towards the dimwitted.
The bike is called a "Scrambler" which to many in the offloading fraternity is a blasphemy spoken by infidels that should be smitten, but I fear these people have missed something quite fundamental while stewing in their ignorance. The bike is called a Scrambler based on a previous model of Ducati, also called a Scrambler, that was produced from 1962 until 1975 and discontinued when Ducati decided to focus solely on sports bikes.
In '62, Scramblers were what we see here – road bikes that have been modified for offroad ability, albeit limited. In fact, the first every scramblers were what we now call Dualpurpose motorcycles, and is exactly what this Scrambler is. Proper offroad/motocross bikes, with tall suspension and plastic mudguards only made their debut in the early 70s.
It is built for "light offroading" such as gravel roads and, as they envisioned with its lifestyle, trips like short excursions onto the beach to hang with friends who are possibly also on Scramblers. It isn't bereft of offroading credentials, though. The suspension has 150mm of travel, which isn't bad considering that the bike only weighs 189kg will a full tank of fuel and oil. It has 18-inch wheels, with special knobbly-type tyres developed for the bike by Pirelli, and the Classic and Urban Enduro versions have spoked wheels and run tubes, which can also replace the mag wheels on the Icon and Full Throttle if required. What makes it more fun is that it is tiny – the seat height is just 790mm, making it small and very agile, and this, combined with its light weight, mean getting into deep trouble in dirt or not being able to pick it up seems unlikely.
The motor is an 803cc air-cooled V-twin unit from the previous 796 Monster and Hypermotard, and is a tried and tested motor with thousands of bikes running for thousands of kilometres without a glitch. It isn't overly fast (although seeing 200km/h at a push is possible) but it is very torquey and easy to ride.
The whole idea behind the Scrambler is to complement a lifestyle that is social, care-free and fun-loving, which is exactly what this bike does. It would make a fantastic commuter, a great weekend toy and it could, too, do the odd long-haul trip, with a bit of dirt thrown in for good measure. The new way in which Ducati manufacturers their bikes – with more aid from their owners, Audi – means it will quite likely handle all without the need for on-route repair, as is the way with Ducatis from the past.
The Icon should be available from April for R119,000 (Zuma allowing) and the other versions should be arriving in May for (Zuma again allowing) R139,000.
 

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