What the hell is Ducati doing with the Scrambler?
Other than hyping it up, I mean. Everyone knows how much publicity the “hipster motorcycle” has been given. And with words like "youthful" and "self-expression" dripping from every press release, that reputation is hardly serendipitous.
Ducati’s standard display is overshadowed by distressed wood and Scramblers (Montreal Motorcycle Show, Charlotte Kluftinger Photography).
But our jury's verdict is far from unanimous. From the numbers I've seen around Montreal, the Scrambler is indeed popular. But other motorcycle veterans – who have been riding retro bikes since before beards were cool – regard the new Ducati with plenty of resentment.
Perhaps being force-fed “free-spirited” ideals by a commercial giant is too much to stomach. Or maybe the lineup of Scrambler bracelets, belts and carabiners is distracting to Ducati purists. Either way, the lifestyle-oriented marketing ploy made enemies as well as friends.
If you don't know what I mean, dig your head out of the sand and watch Ducati’s “Land of Joy” promo video . It shows how the Scrambler enables riders to back flip off rocks and skateboard with models. Or maybe it's just nauseating.
But never mind whether the Ducati Scrambler is a free spirit’s outlet or a lemming’s cliff. Let’s strip away the hype and talk about what this bike really is.
Preconceptions aside, I see a good motorcycle.
At $9299, the basic Scrambler is chump change compared to the other Italian Stallions. With the air-cooled 803cc engine from yesteryear’s Monster 796, the Scrambler will undoubtedly be pleasant (and manageable) to ride. I don’t think Ducati put much thought into the Scrambler’s off-road “scramblyness.” But that said, prospective buyers will consider it even less.
So our Scrambler is a decent bike beneath the hype. It has more neo-vintage barn charm than the average motorcycle, but is otherwise quite middling.
This Full Throttle edition Scrambler costs $9995. A very standard price, for a very standard motorcycle (Montreal Motorcycle Show, Charlotte Kluftinger Photography).
And again I wonder, what the hell is Ducati doing with the Scrambler?
Here’s a manufacturer known for elite performance, exoticism and affluence. And they're producing a motorcycle that is simply good . It is not exceptionally fast, nor multifunctional, nor expensive. And judging from last winter's relentless barrage of pre-orders, it certainly isn't going to be rare.
Confused, I asked a Ducati rep to help me out. He solved the mystery in one fell swoop:
Ducati wants Scrambler to be a brand, not a model … It’s like Mini. If you go to BMW they have the Mini section. That’s what [Ducati] wants. [So] we have to do a show just for the scrambler in our showroom.
~ Jean-Marc Bergeron, Ducati Rep.
Boom. It’s the Mini of motorcycles.
A retro, affordable, B-list machine - all managed by an elite parent company. You wouldn’t call a Mini a BMW. So why fuss about reconciling Scrambler with Ducati? If everything goes as planned, the two brands will only grow further apart.
Now I think the Scramblermania project is pure genius. Ducati exploits a new niche while keeping their old reputation intact. Check and mate.