The Ducati Scrambler goes Special at Motor Bike Expo
From 23 to 25 January, Ducati Scrambler will have a surprise in store for the public at the Verona Motor Bike Expo: a world exclusive presentation of the first three Ducati Scrambler specials. These first creations are just a starting point for further joint projects in the future, the aim being to highlight the Ducati Scrambler’s versatility and infinite customisation potential. Right from the day of its unveiling, 30 September 2014 at Intermot in Cologne, the Ducati Scrambler was all over the internet and within just a few hours we’d received numerous customisation proposals from enthusiasts all over the world. The bikes on display at the Motor Bike Expo are the first completed customisations.
Ducati Scrambler is a universe characterised by freedom of expression, sharing and passion. That’s one more reason for entrusting the first three Ducati Scrambler customisations to three Italian excellences in this particular field. Three friends of the Ducati Scrambler team, three craftsmen specialised in hand-crafted work who personalise iconic motorcycles throughout the world.
The three customisers were given a clear brief: each one of them was free to interpret one of the three versions of the Ducati Scrambler according to their own personal style. Deus Ex Machina from Milan put forward their idea for the Full Throttle; Officine Mermaid from Milan interpreted the Urban Enduro in their own special way, while Mr. Martini from Verona created their very own Classic. So, three original bikes, conscientiously prepared down to the very last detail, have been produced, underlining the superlative standards of Italian workmanship in the specials field and the vast potential this bike has for customisation.
Filippo Bassoli – MD of Deus Italy: “We’d been waiting for the Ducati Scrambler for some time: in 2010 we did some drift riding with bikes on the Harold Park horse-race track in Sydney together with our friends from Ducati and back then we promised that a Deus creation would be made by developing one of their models. And today we’ve maintained that promise thanks to the Ducati Scrambler: we finally found a bike made with evident vintage inspiration but with the DNA and technical features of a real motorcycle. These characteristics allowed Emanuele and Peter to follow their instincts, particularly after getting their hands on the bike and dismantling it to reveal a fantastic frame. Our project started from there, the result of free and innovative ideas where the main focus is on the aluminium bodywork, with a single-piece tail, number-plate support and a headlight inspired by speedway bikes. An asymmetric mudguard completes the project, together with lots of little details such as the positioning of the conic filter within the frame, the disc brake and, of course, the dedicated exhaust. The name however comes from Carby, creative director of Deus Australia, who was in Milan at the time; he saw the project when it was almost complete and fell in love with it, naming it Hondo Grattan, after the horse that won everything on the Harold Park race-track. Who knows, in the not-too-distant future, perhaps our bike will end up on that track too.”
Nicola Martini – Customiser at Mr. Martini: “I decided to take part in the project because I was fascinated by the idea of working with this Italian brand and in particular by the opportunity of working with the young, dynamic and easygoing Scrambler team. Thanks to the bike’s versatility, I decided to revolutionise the basic concept, from Ducati Scrambler to Café Racer. The style is reminiscent of American rather than British design, owing partly to the fact that the roots of the original Ducati Scrambler project date from the seventies. Although the style is that of a Café Racer, this bike has a combination of elements that make it unique; In fact, details such as the high exhaust and knobby tyres retain a decidedly Ducati Scrambler flavour. This fusion gave our bike its name: S.C.R. – Scrambler Café Racer. We’ve changed the nose fairing, the tail-piece, the whole of the exhaust, the foot-peg and handlebar mountings and the rear suspension unit and have, of course, given the bike a new colour. The Scrambler Café Racer is in ‘total black’ including the saddle, undertail and timing belt covers.”
Dario Mastroianni – Customiser at Officine Mermaid: “We decided to customise the Ducati Scrambler because we immediately earmarked it as a uniquely convertible Italian bike. We’ve infused it with our unmistakeable Officine Mermaid style, with a kind of rough-and-ready look that’s spartan and basic. We named it using the English word Scratch, to convey the idea of it being scraped or damaged. This can be seen straight away from the fuel tank, which we stripped of paint and treated by hand – a procedure we use only on our most exclusive bikes. The metal mudguards have been left rough (a bit like us) and then hand-brushed at the workshop. We’ve left only what is essential on the bike – anything that wasn’t necessary has been eliminated. Even the exhaust, for example, while derived from the original, has been reduced to a minimum. For the front we’ve chosen a traditional stanchion fork with a wide 21” wheel and an 18” wheel at the back, while the saddle and handlebars are made of vintage green leather with a decidedly Western style. Our Scratch has a main rally-style headlight and a smaller lateral spotlight.”
The world of Ducati Scrambler customisation is accessible to all thanks to a huge range of accessories that can be used to make the bike both original and highly personal. No less than six different versions will be at the Ducati Scrambler stand at the Verona Motor Bike Expo, each with unmistakable Ducati Performance ‘ingredients’: but the potential goes much further. For example chrome-plated fuel tank side-panels are available in black, matt, camouflage and even in carbon fibre. There are various options for the front mudguard and the high number-plate support, tank bags, canvas and waterproof bags, low and high slip-on Termignoni exhausts, headlight rims and mesh covers, dashboard rims, vintage handlebars and mirrors as well as spoked wheels, four versions of saddle and low-slung tapered handlebars.
The Ducati Scrambler Icon, available in yellow and red, is joined by three other versions – Urban Enduro, Full Throttle and Classic – which interpret the spirit of the Ducati Scrambler in different stylistic and functional ways. The Urban Enduro, with its Wild Green colour scheme is aimed at those who love the enduro style and are ready to switch from road to off-road in an instant; the Full Throttle is for the rider who’s fascinated by the flat track racing world and has a penchant for pushing things to the limit while the Classic is for those who love the details and style of the ’70s but don’t want to forgo the riding pleasure and comfort of a contemporary bike.
