The 2017 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer and Scrambler Desert Sled
The Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer and Scrambler Desert Sled are two new variations to join the 803cc Ducati Scrambler family.
With 17-inch wheels shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires, raised clip-on handlebars, bar-end mirrors and Termignoni exhaust system, the Scarmbler Cafe Racer also has fully-adjustable, black anodised upside-down forks, a unique seat and cover, along with a cut-down front midguard and small nose fairing. It also gains a radial master cylinder for the radially-mounted four-pot Brembo single caliper brake.
The number ‘54’ on the side boards once belong to Bruno Spaggiari, a highly successful Ducati rider who raced in 1968, on a single-cylinder 350cc machine.
The Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled is named after the South West California machines of the 1960s and ‘70s – road motorcycles of more than 500cc that were stripped of non-essential accessories, then fitted with off-road tires and engine back plates.
The new Ducati Scrambler has spoked wheels with a 19 inch front carrying Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, high-mudguards, a mesh headlight cover and am engine skid plate. The seat is raised to 860mm, and the suspension has extended travel to 200mm, with off-road style footpegs carrying removable rubbers. The pillion pegs are also removable.
The Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled’s frame is reinforced, as is the swingarm, which is longer, making for a 1505mm wheelbase, compared to the other Scramblers 1445mm. The 46mm KYB front forks are fully adjustable, while the rear shock, which has a separate gas cartridge, can be tweaked for preload and rebound damping.
Both Ducatis make 74 horsepower at 8250rpm and 68Nm torque at 5750rpm, though Ducati says that, in meeting Euro-4 regulations, new throttle control and engine calibration makes for smoother power delivery, particularly at low revs.
