Cologne Show: Ducati Scrambler revealed

• 796cc air-cooled V-twin
• 75bhp / 50.2lbft
• Four versions
• Full LCD dash
• Custom-friendly

After years of rumours, spy pictures, and multiple leaks – Ducati finally revealed the all-new Scrambler at Cologne this week.

The original Scrambler was axed in 1968, but thanks to the changing shape of the market, Ducati have taken the brave move to re-introduce retro bikes to the range, having been previously burned by their Sport Classic range being released too far ahead of rider desires.

The standard bike, which has been dubbed Icon, is supported with a three-bike range of pre-customised models, each with its own logo and distinct style.

The Full Throttle, Classic and Urban Enduro will all be available to buy as complete models, or owners can buy the parts individually to create their own particular vision according to their tastes, or finances.

At the heart of the Scrambler is the 803cc air-cooled motor from the Monster 796, wrapped in a package that has been designed completely from scratch, marrying retro styling with modern running gear and performance.

The bespoke chassis, classically-styled steel fuel tank, unique upside down forks, single shock, new swingarm, new wheels and a modern twist with advanced LED front and rear lights are all specific to the Scrambler, and two-channel ABS has also been included to appeal to new and experienced riders alike.

While the engine is sourced from the Monster 796, it doesn’t go unfettled into the Scrambler. The 88mm x 66mm bore and stroke remain, but the valve overlap has been reduced to 11 degrees, which helps to smooth the power curve to suit the nature of the bike.

In this guise the engine develops 75bhp at 8250rpm, and 50.2lbft of torque at 5750rpm. The engine also gets a single throttle body, which sits inside the airbox with the twin injectors; the only way the traditional teardrop-shaped fuel tank could work with the available space.

The price is yet to be set for the UK market, but Ducati say that the base Scrambler will cost 8000 Euros, which is likely to translate to a sub £7000 price tag in the UK, making the Ducati brand accessible to more people than ever before, and offering a serious alternative to bikes like Yamaha’s MT-09.

Lighting
At a glance the front light appears very traditional, but it’s a perfect example of how Ducati has managed to blend in the latest technology with retro styling.

The round glass headlight is ringed by an LED ‘halo’ all the way around the outside, acting as the sidelight and giving the Scrambler a distinctive look.

At the rear the 18-LED light uses 12 diodes working through a 3D diffuser to give a ‘solid’ U-shaped light, and another six brighter ones are illuminated under braking.

Clock
The round clock of the new Scrambler is reminiscent of the original bike, but is a fully LCD unit. The rev counter sweeps anti-clockwise around the bottom of the dial – just like the original, while the rest of the unit incorporates two trip meters, total mileage, fuel indicator, air temperature, maintenance reminders, clock, fuel reserve and ABS warning lights.

Other information includes engine oil pressure warning light, high beam indicator, neutral indicator, turn signal indicators, immobilizer and over-rev warning light.

Suspension
Keeping the design of the bike as simple and unfussy as possible still meant designing bespoke suspension to suit the bike.

In this case there’s a 41mm inverted fork, and a single side-mounted shock; all manufactured by Kayaba, with both front and rear units being adjustable for preload.

Wheels and tyres
All new aluminium 10-spoke wheels have a nod towards flat-track racing bikes and these are standard on the Scrambler.

The 3x18in front rim and the 5.5x17in rear have been designed to be light with a new enduro-style Pirelli MT60 RS 110/80/18 tyre at the front and a 180/55/17 at the rear; featuring a chunky tread pattern, these tyres are produced exclusively for the Scrambler.

The frame
The Ducati Scrambler features a twin spar steel trellis frame unique to the Scrambler and aimed at being stable for less experienced riders, but also taught and agile enough to keep more experiences rider engaged.

The steering head angle is 24° with a 112mm offset. The wide and high-mounted handlebars are aimed at giving newer riders plenty of control around town, and are a nod to the original bike.

Brakes
The keep-it-simple strategy for the Scrambler extends to the 330mm diameter single front brake disc, gripped by a radially-mounted four-piston Brembo monobloc caliper. A single disc was chosen for light weight, and also because it allows the front wheel to be shown off more (plus, this isn’t the highest performance machine).

At the rear a 245mm disc is gripped by a caliper with a single 32mm piston. Braking capability is backed up by a Bosch 9.1MP AMS two-channel anti-lock braking system.

Customising made easier
Ducati are making no secret of the fact this bike has been designed for owner customisation, so just like BMW did with the R nineT, they have made it as easy as possible.

Electrical connectors separate each part of the loom, the rear parts come off the bike easily, and all of the parts between the three factory customs and the standard bike are interchangeable.

The other three version

Scrambler Urban Enduro
The high front mudguard, headlight grill, handlebar cross-brace, and spoked wheels all add up to a package Ducati say is fit for the urban tussle and country roads alike with a ‘Wild Green’ paintjob, ribbed brown seat cover and fork protectors. It also gets sump guard, and  a different logo on the tank.

Scrambler Full Throttle
The Full Throttle draws its inspiration from the flat-track and racing worlds, say Ducati. The ‘Deep Black’ fuel tank – which a unique logo with a yellow-black background – is also inspired by flat-track style.

The bike gets a Termignoni exhaust, certified for road use, but which is certain to add a little poke, and welcome noise to the package.

Scrambler Classic
This is the bike that’s aimed at recreating the look of the original Scrambler, with metal mudguards, a traditional numberplate mount, spoked wheels and the classic Scrambler logo on the tank.

It also gets lozenge patterned stitching on the brown seat and its own tank design. It’s the most authentic of the four factory versions.

ORIGINAL STORY

This is the first official image to emerge from the Ducati factory of their all-new Scrambler.

While the shot doesn’t reveal huge amounts of detail about the bike, it is clearly a close evolution of the bikes snapped by spy photographers over the past year.

The most striking new detail is the headlamp design, which features a ring of light around its perimeter.

Also notable is the reduced height and width of the bars compared to the prototypes.

This could, however, be down to the version shown in the picture, and MCN believes there could be as many as four different versions available when the bike is released.

The Scrambler is expected to be fully revealed tomorrow at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany.