ZigWheels Exclusive: Ducati Scrambler India launch in 2015

ZigWheels has learnt that the new Ducati Scrambler motorcycle will be launched in our country by first half of 2015. In an exclusive chat with Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, revealed that the Scrambler will be manufactured at its production facility in Thailand and it will be available in the Indian two-wheeler market by Spring 2015. This means that the Ducati Scrambler would follow the same path that the Ducati Monster 795 was supposed to take. Although Ducati hasn’t divulged details about the Scrambler’s pricing we expect it to retail for around Rs 6 to 7 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Icon version. 

It is also expected that Ducati will also make an official entry into the Indian two-wheeler market with the Scrambler. Ducati was earlier available in our market through a private distributor. But deliveries of motorcycles had been an issue and brand dealerships seem to keep sprouting up and disappearing with equal alacrity. But all that will change as after being acquired by Audi last year, the manufacturer had announced that it will re-enter officially which should bring back respite to existing owners and confidence in future customers. 

The Ducati Scrambler made its world debut at the 2014 INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany. What makes the Scrambler stand out in the Ducati portfolio is its simple and bare basic design. The front sports round headlamp with a ring of LED marker lights around it that sit nicely between the beefy upside down forks. While the stubby mudguard and black alloy wheels give the Ducati Scrambler an aggressive stance. The long seat, slightly rear biased footpegs and wide handlebar should result in a comfy and upright offers seating posture. The Scrambler will be made available in four versions – Icon, Urban Enduro, Full Throttle and Classic - each offering its own style and performance-related interpretation of the Scrambler spirit.

Mounted on a characteristic Ducati steel-tube trellis frame all the versions of the Scrambler will be powered by the same V-twin motor from the Monster 796 but displacement has been hiked to 803cc. The new mill churns out 76PS of peak power and 66Nm of peak torque. The powerplant is mated to a 6-speed transmission. Also Ducati claims the 88 mm bore and 66 mm stroke has been optimised to deliver smooth acceleration throughout the rev range. Braking is done by disc brakes at front and rear while ABS is standard on all the four models. Suspension duties are handled by USD forks at front and a mono-shock setup at the rear. The bike tips the scale at 168 (dry weight) and it features a USB charger in a compartment under the seat.

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The Ducati Scrambler will be made available in the international market starting form the end of January 2015 and the first of the four versions to become available will be the Icon. It isn’t clear though which of the four models will be available in the Indian market or whether all the four variants will be put on sale. The Ducati Scrambler will compete against the likes of the Kawasaki Z800 and Triumph Street Triple in our market and though it might not have the outright numbers to match their performance, what the Scrambler has the iconic Italian logo on its fuel tank. Watch this space for more updates.