The Scrambler Ducati models started out as a bid to capture the budding crop of millennial riders, who eschew from the current crop of va...
The Scrambler has become more for Ducati though, as it has given the Italian brand two things: 1) a pathway to sell more classic and affordable motorcycles, and 2) a pathway from being a pure on-street brand. This makes the Scrambler line very important to Bologna.
Recent spy shots have been circling the internet this week, and they give us our best glimpse of what to expect from Ducati at the upcoming motorcycle trade shows.
I’m talking about the “Scrambler 1100 Enduro” – as the press is calling it – which will slot in above the Ducati Scrambler “800” bike, and offer more off-road prowess to the Scrambler name.
From the spy photos, we can see that the new Scrambler model has upside-down forks, which appear to have a longer length of travel than on the other models. The front wire-spoked wheel also looks bigger too – certainly a 19″ hoop, but possibly a 21″ wheel – for true off-roadability (we’re making that a word).
We have had a number of hints from Ducati that the company would use its 1,078cc air-cooled v-twin engine in a model, which would make sense for this higher-spec machine, and help differentiate it from the 803cc models. This would also give a logical progression to the Scrambler Ducati line, in terms of engine displacement.
Judging from the longer suspension, and more robust looking chassis package, we can expect Ducati to position this new model as a more off-road capable model – another point our sources have suggested from Ducati – and help ease Ducati into a lineup that features on-road and dual-sport models.
The Italian brand has made good in-roads to the dual-sport market with its Scrambler line and last year’s debut of the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. With the latter commanding a $21,000+ price tag though, a more affordable model is needed for the Italian brand.
As such, the budget-conscious Scrambler line fits the bill quite well, and could continue Ducati’s path of producing affordable, low-tech, and fun motorcycles for the riding masses.
It’s always hard to judge a bike by its spy shots, but the Ducati Scrambler 1100 Enduro will likely be an important model for Ducati. So, it will be interesting to se what the finished machine looks like – we would expect it to debut at INTERMOT or EICMA later this fall.
