The bike in the link in the OP looks really, really small....unless the test rider is 8ft tall. The riding position also looks uncomfortable with high-ish pegs and high bars. I'm sure it will be massively popular......once they've stopped making them.......
I had an official Ducati UK bac'n e-mail today announcing the return of the Scrambler in 2015. Arguably it's more in keeping with Galluzzi's spirit of the Monster than the new 821 and 1200 Monsters - minimalist and air-cooled. From the spyshots, while it's not as pretty as the original Monsters, looks worthy of investigation ....
One thing's for sure, every ducatista will hate it initially. Of all the forums I've been on and all the riders I've met, I've never come across any marque fans as resistant to change as Ducati fans. And yet Ducati sell more bikes than ever now...
is it all new construction..........or say a monster engine in a hyper frame with a 748 swing arm reincarnation?
I want a Steve McQueen Triumph and as they are not easy to find, this would be a nice alternative as a "lazy" bike for me. I don't want it too small though and that looks tiny, the Triumph is at least a half decent size. If you're looking for that sort of Kevlar Jeans, retro jacket and open face helmet thing for a quick nip then these sort of bikes are becoming popular. I chatted to a guy with the RnineT at the weekend and he had retro'd it up and was happy with it. I can see why these bikes are proving popular as they stop you feeling like you need to go flat out everywhere and instead can just enjoy the ride.
In an increasingly regulated and populous environment, I can see the rational for bikes which are only suitable for short trips and which don't encourage you to go fast - maybe that is why there are so many of them. It's also true that cheap airfares haven't done long-distance biking any favours. Last year it took me about 2 days to get to the UK. Much of that was at high speed on a motorway, getting paranoid about radar traps. The ride over was consequently quite dull. It was also expensive. Much cheaper to go by plane, and I could be in London in the earlyish morning. But then you look at the rise of "adventure" bikes. Perhaps they are similar to 4x4s - people like the idea that they could go somewhere exotic on them, but perhaps few actually do. Biking - it's all "lifestyle" now, isn't it?
Certainly in the UK it is. Motorbikes are toys for occasional pleasure, for the majority. If you want to travel anywhere there are better, more comfortable, quicker, and less expensive alternatives.
