Some styles never seem to fully fade away, do they? With that in mind, Ducati brought two fresh spins on its retro-inspired, second-generation Scrambler model to the Bike Shed MotoShow in London last week. The 1960s desert-sled look of the Scrambler certainly served as the inspiration for these two in-house customs, but they have their own personalities. We like the direction this pair is pointing towards.
The two concepts, named CR24I and RR24I, put a fresh spin on the Scrambler, which has been a surprising staple of Ducati’s lineup since its introduction in 2015. The notes from Ducati don’t specify the powerplants on these concepts, but our eyes tell us it’s the same 1079cc V-twin engine that has powered the Scrambler since 2018. Both bikes were designed and built by Centro Stile Ducati, which means these two reflect the style and direction of the company, not some independent builder.
Let’s look at the CR24I first. Inspired by the cafe racers of 1960s Britain, this bike leans heavily on the street performance side with 17-inch wheels like the factory Scrambler Cafe model has, but the tank-mounted fairing and absence of the detachable rear seat give the bike significantly more of a business-only vibe. The shape is borrowed from the Pantah and the 750 SS models of the past, but with an eye on the future.
The RR24I draws inspiration from modern and even post-modern sources. A bare-bones, function-first look is simple to achieve, but it makes having a finished appearance challenging. To tie up loose ends and add flair with fewer parts, the aluminum pieces of the chassis are left raw to give a slight pop of silver without using fully chromed parts. This bike gives up that passenger seat for a small luggage rack that, combined with a tank bag rack, makes for a travel-light-and-fast feel.
With Scrambler sales significant enough that the brand has to take the model seriously, these concepts might be serve as a gauge of customer interest or a direction of what’s to come. If some of the features and feel of these bikes make it to production, Ducati might have a couple of winners on its hands.
Autor: hagerty.com
Photocredits by hagerty.com
