Long term update: Scrambled up DNA

How good do these two bikes look parked nose-to-nose? Flipping gorgeous. I couldn’t help but smile when confronted with a pair of Ducati Scramblers – especially two that are separated by 45 years.

My Scrambler was on the Ducati Owners Club stand for MCN’s recent Festival of Motorcycling, alongside this handsome 1970 SCR 450 Scrambler owned by Graham Stoppani.

It’s immediately clear how Ducati has taken cues from the original. For my part, I love the way my Full Throttle’s paintjob is the reverse of Graham’s bike. Check out the mudguard – his is yellow with a black stripe and mine is the precise opposite. Both sport similarly fetching lines and the detailing on the engine covers of the 2015 bike is an echo of the design of the air filter on Graham’s original (I may be reading too much into that one, blame the strong espresso on the owners’ club stand).

There are plenty of differences between the two, of course. My bike is a twin, while Graham’s is a single, and I have modern essentials such as disc brakes, ABS and monoshock rear suspension. But the fun-loving spirit of the older bike definitely lives on.I’d have loved to have ridden the two back-to-back, but sadly the old bike isn’t a runner right now.

So what does Graham, who rode his bike in the 2008 Moto Giro d’Italia rally, think of the new pretender? It’s a thumbs-up, although he does have some reservations. “You can see in places that it’s been built to a price,” he says. “The finish on the fasteners doesn’t look as good as other Ducatis – but you can easily upgrade them. I’d prefer wire wheels too.”

Of course, being built to a price isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it means you can have more fun for less cash – especially if you go with a PCP-type purchase, which will have you on the road for around £95 a month.