Retro ride
Ducati's new Scrambler revisits a forgotten era with subtle modern design touches
Step into Ducati's showroom in Kaki Bukit and four colourful variants of Ducati's latest addition, the Scrambler, immediately grabs your attention.
They're tame-looking, compared to the other menacing red Ducati sportsbikes. But do colours alone tell the full story?
LOOKS & DESIGN
The four stylish Scrambler bikes - Icon, Urban Enduro, Classic and Full Throttle - break away from Ducati's performance- and power-dominated racing heritage.
The Scrambler revisits a forgotten era where greasy cables, choke levers and analogue clocks were the norm. You'd feel nostalgic eyeing the two-tone fuel tank, air-cooled twin-cylinder engine, ribbed leather seats and round headlights.
There are also custom Ducati parts to enhance your Scrambler's uniqueness.
With subtle modern design touches, the "fender-less" tail section accentuates the fat, semi-knobbly tyres on the Icon.
ERGONOMICS
It feels like straddling a dirtbike minus the tip-toeing, thanks to the low seat. The relaxed riding posture is due to the short reach and the wide handlebar. The Scrambler has a narrow girth and a seat that's thankfully wide by modern standards.
POWER & HANDLING
Even with a "mild" 75hp, the six-speed, touring-capable Scrambler is no sedate, "lifestyle" motorbike.
Twist the throttle past 4,000rpm, and the 800cc bike's digital rev counter rushes in an arc towards 9,000rpm where its power tapers off.
The torque hit is smaller than in the bigger Ducatis but the fuel-injected Scrambler accelerates with equal urgency.
As a result, powerslides in gravel are easily managed without fear of losing control. The fun increases when you disarm the powerful and precise Brembo anti-lock brakes (ABS).
But its non-adjustable front fork lacks damping on bumpier off-road terrain.
What was surprising was that the semi-knobbly tyres tracked well when the bike was leaned into dry road bends like a sportsbike.
The stumpy exhaust pipe continues to bark that familiar Ducati growl. Aside from a few false neutrals and the heat between your legs - a small price to pay when you replicate that retro, air-cooled engine look - the Scrambler retains the Ducati DNA.
TECHNOLOGY
Its concept is simplicity. Aside from the ABS, a voltmeter and few traditional gauge displays, the Scrambler hides a USB socket under the seat.
VERDICT
If you want a pedigree, retro-looking bike without spending loads of cash on customising it, then get the Scrambler. It looks the part and it's deceivingly fast for its category.
FAST FACTS
Make & model
Ducati Scrambler Icon
Capacity
803cc
Engine
Fuel-injected, air-cooled twin cylinder
Power and torque
75hp and 68Nm
Machine price
$20,500
For more information, call Ducati Singapore at 6631-8166.
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