Motorcycle Profile of the Month: Ducati Scrambler
The year 2015 was a long time ago. We hadn’t yet been introduced to a pandemic that would rewrite the rules of social interaction, we weren’t as politically divided, and every winter we trudged off to motorcycle shows for our first glimpse of spring. Nothing brought more joy that season than the bright yellow shipping containers Ducati used to showcase its brand-new motorcycle.
It was called the Scrambler, and it was the first time a manufacturer had channeled the power of social media in its marketing efforts with such success.
More Than a Motorcycle
It wasn’t just a motorcycle that Ducati was selling; it was something else, too. The Land of Joy, as Ducati called it, was a parallel universe in which everyone was young, sun-drenched and free-spirited. And, had yet to make a first mortgage payment.
Promotional photographs portrayed frolicking couples embracing beneath the Arc de Triomphe, good-looking young couples at the beach and, always tucked into the background, a bright, usually yellow, Scrambler. The message was unmistakable: Buy a Scrambler, corral your friends, get your phone and, with the hashtag #thelandofjoy, share your love of Scrambler World with the world at large.
And it worked. The Scrambler has gone on to become a perennial best seller for Ducati, proving that the second time’s the charm. This wasn’t the first time Ducati had attempted to channel its back catalog for a modern consumer.
Learning From the SportClassics
For five years, from 2006 to 2010, Ducati offered the SportClassic range. These were relatively high-performance, air-cooled motorcycles intended to inflame the passions of those who lusted after 1970s originals, but with modern mechanicals. In other words, all the upside of classic looks without the downside of aged, kick-start-only machinery.
Triumph, with its modern retro range, proved that the concept had legs. Yet the SportClassics, despite being launched to much fanfare, led a short and relatively quiet existence. It should be noted, however, that they are coveted today and sell for surprisingly strong prices.
Rewriting the Retro Playbook
Ducati, with the 2015 Scrambler, was determined to rewrite the retro playbook. While today’s Scrambler is named after the model produced from 1962 to 1976, it isn’t an homage to the original. Sure, the design team borrowed a few motifs from the old bike, but what Ducati really wanted was the name: Scrambler, which was suddenly very hip circa 2015.
For the rest of it, the models and the marketing, Ducati turned to a concept as old as the seven deadly sins: envy. Create an aura around the bikes that is virtually irresistible to prospective buyers. And, so far at least, a decade into the model’s run, it’s working. But what about the bikes themselves?
A Family of Familiar Platforms
Despite a dazzling number of model names and finishes, there are, at their core, only two Scrambler iterations. Maybe three. Four, if you really stretch it.
The base Scrambler is powered by an 803 cc air-cooled V-twin. Some of the names you’ll encounter are Classic, Urban Enduro, Icon, Flat Track Pro, and Full Throttle.
More recently, Ducati announced the Night Shift, 10th Anniversary Rizoma Edition, and then the Collezione 100 program to commemorate the company’s 100th anniversary. The collection of numbered special editions included the Scrambler 100.
With a claimed, and likely optimistic, 73 hp on tap, clutch action as feathery as dog fur and an upright riding position that makes the bike easy to control, the Scrambler splits the difference between a beginner bike and a good old standard motorcycle.
The Desert Sled Goes Further
The three slightly rarer Scrambler iterations I mentioned are the larger 1,079 cc models, the 399 cc Sixty2 and the Desert Sled. Of the three, the Desert Sled is the most interesting.
Having been, rightly, it must be said, accused of creating a motorcycle called the Scrambler that couldn’t do much scrambling in the dirt, (the standard Scramblers are road bikes only), Ducati set out to answer its critics.
The Desert Sled used the standard 803 cc twin but added long-travel suspension, beefy tires and, most significantly, a redesigned and very stout frame. It also gained nearly 50 lb in the process. Nothing comes for free.
Find Your Own Land of Joy
Don’t be put off by the overly aggressive marketing campaign. The Scrambler is a fun, uncomplicated machine for riders of all persuasions. Whether they’re stepping down from larger motorcycles or moving up to their first full-size bike.
On Cycle Trader, as of this writing, there are nearly 600 new and used Scramblers for sale. Pick a color and be on your way to your own Land of Joy—whether or not you care to post on Instagram.
Marketplace Inventory
Neil Graham
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