Bloomberg likes the New Scrambler
It’s a 1971 flick that chronicles the burgeoning motorcycle culture in America, notable not simply because it features a lanky/fit/weathered/casual/rugged/cool Steve McQueen riding his dirt bike with his buddies Malcolm and Mert—though that point does add considerably.
It’s basically Endless Summer for motorcycles rather than surfboards.
If you haven’t seen it, you should. Or just ride the new Scrambler from Ducati. Either way you’ll feel about the same.
A New Ducati Family
I rode the 2015 Ducati Scrambler Icon last month in the hills outside Palm Springs, California. Conditions were less than sunny: the riders from Ducati and I faced rain and sleet on roads alternatively steeped in fog and buffeted by wind. I suppose we should have expected this on a December test drive, but the words “Palm Springs” tend to elicit visions of swaying palms and glistening pools regardless of the month; say those magic words once and you kind of stop hearing anything else.
Lesson learned. It was probably just as well—the inclement weather put Scrambler to good use.
It’ll take some work indeed to get this new family from Ducati elevated to the same level as the iconic and best-selling Monster, but I predict this motorcycle will sell well. It’s a happy bike. Look for it to become a staple of the company.
Ducati has made Scrambler a completely separate brand from its other motorcycles—it even has a Web site separate from the Ducati main page. The distinction exists for multiple reasons, one of which is that it separates the Italian-made lines from the Scrambler, which is assembled in Thailand. (Purists tend to turn up their noses at Italian motorcycles made outside Italy.)
But Ducati has also put in real effort toward making Scrambler decidedly less serious in looks and performance than its aggressive cousins: It was created by a special task force of Ducati designers working in an office filled with surfboards and astro turf; at 375 pounds, 75horsepower and with a base price of $8,495, it is the lightest, least powerful and least expensive Ducati on the market today.
American Buyers
In fact, Ducati is using this Scrambler to attract American buyers with something less intimidating—lighter, slower, lower, more practical—and more affordable than other models. That attitude matches the idea behind the initial Scrambler that sold from 1962 to 1975, which was made for the United States and touted as a bike for the young and extroverted.
For more of the article, check it out here: Ducati s New Scrambler Is a Cool and Practical Revival Review - Bloomberg
