Ducati Scrambler: Not Just Another Retro Bike

One of the most intriguing motorcycles
released in 2014 was the Ducati Scrambler, which is a retro-style
bike that absolutely doesn't want you to call it a retro bike. In
the past decade, retro motorcycles such as the 1970s Honda CBs,
Yamaha XS650 and the
BMW R75/7 have turned into hot commodities on the used motorcycle
market.
A lot of people in the industry blame it on the
young generation of hipster riders that suddenly want
café-racer-style motorcycles. The attention toward these retro
bikes has grown significantly, and the demand has turned old, cheap
1970s Honda parts into a gold
mine.
So with the amount of young and bearded riders growing, motorcycle
manufacturers are trying to do what they can to tap into the
market. According to Cycle World, Ducati is now trying to attract
its younger audience with the new Scrambler, which comes in four
models: the Icon, the Urban Enduro, the Classic and the Full
Throttle.
Ducati's Price A Concern?

Something that a lot of motorcycle
manufacturers are realizing is that younger riders don't want to
pay a ton for new motorcycles when they can spend that same money
on a rebuilt and customized old café racer. According to Cycle
World, the Ducati Scrambler comes
in at $8,500, which is still an uncertain price for younger riders,
but sales will tell the truth within the next year.
According to Auto Evolution, Ducati is trying its best to bring
back the feeling and aesthetic of classic motorcycles that once
dominated the roads nearly half a century ago. Much like how the
automobile crowd continues to move toward retro-build muscle cars
from the 1960s and 1970s, motorcycle manufacturers know younger
riders want these bikes as well.
Branding Around A Lifestyle

Another way motorcycle companies are
attracting younger riders is through "lifestyle branding," and the
Ducati Scrambler could be the most lifestyle-centric motorcycle to
ever come from the company, Asphalt and Rubber reported.
Lifestyle branding isn't very popular among older riders, but
Ducati's mission is to sell specific clothes, gear and other
accessories that create a certain persona for those who ride a
Ducati Scrambler.
According to the source, the company doesn't want to use the word
"hipster" at all in its marketing, as that is a taboo word in the
subculture, but the Italian motorcycle manufacturer is doing
everything it can to attract the "h-word" market.
The specs of the ride and details about torque, horsepower or rpms
are not nearly as important as the aesthetic, emotion and lifestyle
approach to the motorcycle, Asphalt and Rubber reported. To add to
that idea, the Scrambler is not a motorcycle built to blow riders
away but instead create a ride that looks the part of the
rider.
The Ducati Scrambler has an 803 cc, 75 hp,
air-cooled, V-twin engine that has enough torque to get the rider
going but nothing that makes the bike egregiously fast. The
Scrambler keeps its retro style with a short seat height of only 31
inches and maintains a very narrow saddle that resembles most café
racers.
The ABS brakes can be turned on or off only while you're riding,
and the bike's footpegs seems to be a little too aggressive for
some riders, the source reported.
According to Cycle World, the cultural shift is changing in the
motorcycle world, but it's nothing older riders should view as the
Armageddon of motorcycle riding as we know it. Instead, models like
the Ducati Scrambler provide riders looking for a certain aesthetic
with a bike that fits their lifestyles.
As far as trends in motorcycles go, everything could be completely
different in 10 years.