STANDARD: Ducati Scrambler

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Priced at just under $8,500 for the least-expensive variant, the Scrambler is a Ducati for the masses. It is intended to introduce the brand to a broader and younger audience, but it should not disappoint longtime Ducati loyalists. 

The new bike is modeled after the Scramblers that the brand produced from 1962 to 1974. Those bikes were designed to be ridden on dirt trails as well as paved roads. Ducati may be marketing the new Scrambler to hip, young city dwellers, but with an 18-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel, the bike has a stance that suggests playful times off the pavement, and its sport tires encourage such pursuits. 

The Scrambler is a naked bike with a wide handlebar, a slender tank, and a narrow saddle that puts the rider in an upright, alert position. The 803 cc air-cooled V-twin engine produces 75 hp, a respectable output considering the bike’s dry weight of 375 pounds. The engine is not as loud as Ducati’s larger power plants, but it emits a pleasing guttural sound under open throttle and pop-pops avidly on overrun. 

The Scrambler is not equipped with an abundance of features, but it has the right ones: antilock brakes, excellent LCD instrumentation, and an LED front running light and taillight. It also includes a USB port under the saddle, where you can recharge your phone in the storage area. 

Ducati offers three upgrades to the base model, which is dubbed the Icon and is available in yellow or red. Each of the three variants is priced at just under $10,000 and has its own color scheme and logo. The Classic has an orange tank with a single black stripe and conveys a 1970s vibe with aluminum fenders and spoked aluminum wheels. The Urban Enduro dis­plays an off-road look that includes a cross-braced handlebar and a high-mounted front fender. And the Full Throttle may be the most irresistible Scrambler: Styled after a flat-track racer, it features a stubby dual-outlet exhaust and a racing-style saddle.

Ducati, scramblerducati.com