Although it is made by Ducati, it isn't a Ducati, it is a Scrambler, a separate and distinct brand, with it's own marketing, accessories and full merchandizing etc, I wouldn't be surprised if it was separated from the Ducati name altogether soon, like Toyota/Daihatsu, Bmw/Mini and the like.
I don't think it is being made to pander to the hipster/lifestyle crowd. It's being made for the slightly novice, commuting crowd who don't want to see themselves as novices/commuters. They want an unthreatening bike and they'd like some of the Ducati kudos. This is probably a huge market. Ducati are just like any company - trying to make money. They wouldn't get away with positioning it as a commuter bike, so they have gone with a more sexy positioning. Well, that's my take on it.
I am struggling to find a Japanese equivalent to the scrambler. Triumph do theirs, as its part of their heritage , TT Bonnies, tr6sc t100 etc from the 60's and 70's. These were slightly different in that they were marketed as off road bikes desert sleds etc; ducati I sense are tapping into this market. The styling cues are taken from their own singles from the 60's and 70's so legitimately are calling upon their heritage. The target market I guess is city dwellers and this may encompass 'hipsters'. Does it devalue the brand? The same could have been said for the monster when it was launched. It was completely different from what had gone before. As a business it was the greatest success ducati have ever had and ultimately led to the 916, 999, 1098 etc etc; as it created the financial stability they needed that then allowed them to fund the superbikes that they are know known for. I guess the success of the scrambler may have a similar impact. If your perception of the brand is based only on the later superbikes and the kudos that comes with them perhaps you should instead embrace the scrambler as ultimately it will probably allow the continued development of the leading edge sports bikes.
I think the target market is exactly the point here and hope it's a big success. Personally I find the whole 'hipster' thing fake bullshit but it's the huge amount of people that are not bearded hipsters but are attracted to the un-threatening image that will hopefully jump on a Scrambler for work or whatever. The odd thing is that it's a completely normal practical thing across Europe to jump on a bike like this, in the same way as a Scooter, but somehow in the UK you have to be a little bit hardcore to ride a motorbike (presumably due to traffic and the climate?) which is not a good thing. The more 'normal' riding a motorbike becomes for the masses then the better appreciated a howling loud beautiful Ducati Panigale will become to the population.
The Borile version is not bad, better and presumably lighter than Ducati's version. It only makes sense to me if its a lightweight single. I wouldn't buy one if its made in the far east out of personal prejudice. All this nonsense about people jumping on a mythical bandwagon is reverse snobbery bollox of the worst kind. Isn't it curious that the bandwagon only starts after the person saying it is on board ?
This. Ducati even state that they want to create a separate 'Scrambler' brand with the intention of adding new machines to this brand over a period of time.
I don't like the Diavel, never have and probably never will. Yet I've never felt the need to go in to the Diavel corner of this forum and in just about every thread posted tell the folk there that I don't like their bike, or perhaps make rude suggestions about folk who do like, ride or buy one. However with the Scrambler you tend to find the same people popping up time and time again dissing the bike or those that do like/buy one. Fine, but I know now, you (generic) don't have to keep telling me. It's boring, at least from my point of view anyway. As for fragile egos... all the polls I've seen here suggest more folk like the Scrambler than don't. All the reviews I've seen have been very positive. So, if there are any fragile egos about, it seems to be the continual naysayers that have the issues rather than the potential or actual owners.
Whilst I still don't really like the above it looks right as that was the time and era that it was designed...not my cup of tea...the scrambler looks like they tried to style like above but put a new twist on it...which, well, doesn't work, not for me anyway....im going a bit nerdy now but remember the second set of star wars films...at the time they used state of the art rendering to ships that were predating the first 3....and you could see it and it looked shit....same thing going on here... I think the saving grace of the scrambler will be what customizers do with it...might look better then...
Masklin - "All the reviews I've seen have been very positive" I think you'd have to have a stinker of a bike for a review to be bad....I would say these days bike magazines are really no more than a sales avenue for manufacturers....ive read countless numbers of reviews (at the time of the release of a bike) and its the best thing ever....then read a "shootout" type review 18 months later and theyre picking holes in the same bike... From recollection my own bike (RSV4 factory fell foul of that) ive got an old 2009 pre aprc - the last review I read on it was not anywhere near as favourable as the initial one....
imo, i think the scrambler is a great idea and ducati making it it's own brand is right. leave ducati bikes (panigale, monster, multistrada, etc) for ducati. make the scrambler for the newer crowd and people who won't take motorcycles seriously. i think other brands will bring in competition and it will make motorcycles a popular thing and the scrambler will be a style that regular people want. people who are more of an enthusiast, will go for the GS, Panigale, Monster, R6, Bolt, HD, and other brand name and more focused bikes.
Cor Blimey Spanky, where to start..... ? Please check your thread title, you use the word ever which is quite definitive. You repeat ever in in the actual post but then confuse things by throwing in modern times. Which is it - ever or modern times ? How are you defining modern times anyway ? 5 years, 10 years, 20 years ? As recently as this morning Ducati were producing the Monster, Diavel, Multistrada, Hypermotard and the Pannigale. These surely cover a range of classes so why the problem with the Scrambler ? Looks are personal issue but the fact you think it is ugly does not mean Ducati should not make it. Nowhere in my posts have I said I like or dislike the Scrambler. I am ambivalent about it if you are interested, I just think it is odd that you would find it not a problem if it were Japanese but it is a problem being a Ducati. If you are happy to be a brand snob then I am glad you are happy, I just think it a pity to base any purchase on brand name as opposed to all the other factors that are (to me ) more important. Don't get me wrong, I love Ducatis and have been riding them for over 30 years but a good bike is a good bike whatever the brand. Likewise with a bad bike.
Here's a couple of pics of a friend's Scrambler which he has had painted in Porsche Mint Green L22R. (Ducati branding clearly evident I notice)
I've said it before but ... that mudguard. It makes me rage and I'm never going to even buy one of these bikes. That front mudguard is offensive. It's insulting. The person responsible for it needs to have doughnuts and stoppies performed on his face. No real strong feelings about the bike, overall.
people hated when porsche came out with the cayenne. saying it's ugly, it's not porsche, it's pointless to have it in the line up, etc, etc. but now it's the best selling porsche in the lineup and porsche is investing that money into motorsport and the 911 and all the other cars. maybe ducati has something here that will piss off some of you (just like the whole air cooled vs water cooled thing which i still don't get) but it can make every other ducati including the company it's self better. or maybe people will just bitch and moan because that is who they are.
With 35% of a Ducati Forum thinking it is, I guess it must be when you consider the 1000's of bikes that have existed over the years, to get 35% of the vote is nothing short of a massive landslide :Hilarious: but for those who like it, good on you - Honda sold lots of CX500's too so you're not on your own
