![]() Made starting from the base of the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, the Fasthouse model is distinguished by its special livery, which replicates the graphics used by the bikes that took part in the Mint 400. The model will be available in dealerships from the end of March in a limited and numbered series of 800 units. ![]() The new Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled Fasthouse was presented by Jason Chinnock (CEO Ducati North America) and Kenny Alexander (founder and president of Fasthouse) in a video shot inside the Fasthouse headquarters in California ( link to the video here). It looks absolutely fantastic, rides well and… Finally a scrambler with real off-road ability.Ī full review of the Desert Sled will appear in the next issue of ABR.Scrambler Ducati presents the limited and numbered edition Desert Sled Fasthouse model: a motorcycle created to celebrate the collaboration between Ducati Scrambler and the American clothing brand Fasthouse, which in 2020 took the rider Jordan Graham to victory in the Hooligan class of the Mint 400, the oldest and most prestigious off-road race in America. In our view, the Desert Sled is only going to increase that number and Ducati’s share of the retro market. ![]() To emphasise just how important the Scrambler range has become, in 2015 Ducati sold 54,800 motorcycles of which over 16,000 were scramblers. Quite an achievement for the Italian company. Since the launch in 2014 the Ducati Scrambler has entered the top 10 list of the world’s bestselling motorcycles. In fact, I’d say it would be a lot more user friendly in the Atlas mountains than many of the larger and heavier adventure machines. Judging by the performance on the launch, this bike would be the perfect tool for heading down through Europe, crossing over into Africa and then blasting along the pistes and rocky trails of Morocco. Long-distance touring on a naked bike is never going to be as comfortable as on an adventure bike with better protection and load carrying capacity, but there is absolutely no reason why you could not set off on a round the world trip on a Ducati Desert Sled. Mind you, that could all change after a few 300-plus mile days in poor weather. The more time I spend on stripped-back naked bikes, the more I appreciate the simplicity and in-the-wind feel of the ride. Throw on a set of soft panniers and strap a waterproof bag to the pillion and the world’s your playground. Rear Single 245mm disc, Brembo single piston calliper. Rear side mounted adjustable for compression and re-bound damping.īRAKES: Front Single 330mm disc, Brembo four-piston calliper. SUSPENSION: Front Kayaba 46mm, upside down, fully adjustable. Good looks, great performance Old school adventure touring… SPECS AT A GLANCE What you get with the Sled is a machine that performs and hustles like a supermoto on twisty roads, is just about perfect for urban riding and comfortable enough for 70mph motorway trawls. Added to which the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres are a great compromise for grip in the dirt and traction on tarmac. The fully adjustable suspension is competent straight out of the crate, and with 200mm of travel is comfy on bumpy roads and surprisingly capable on fast-paced hairpins as well as off-road trails. The 803cc is smooth and easy to ride at lower revs and with a maximum of 75bhp on tap is never going to scare the bejesus out of the rider. The Triumph Scrambler (tested in this issue) has serious low down torque, whereas the Ducati waits until the revs are above 5000rpm to hit the sweet spot. This bike doesn’t just look the part it is the part. Rutted desert piste with stretches of deep sand, gnarly mountain trails with large and unexpected washouts, fast-paced gravel tracks the Desert Sled coped with all admirably. The setting was the badlands of the Tabernas Desert in the province of Almeria, Spain – the location for the Clint Eastwood film, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. This bike has genuine off-road ability, and to force home that point Ducati offered up 50 miles of desert and mountain trails to test out that claim. However, all is not how it appears, and quite a few of this new breed would be out of their depth on anything more gnarly than a gravel car park. The ‘scrambler’ style is the current flavour of the month with just about every manufacturer launching a stripped-back retro with off-road looks. Hitting the trails I like a bit of off-road… Quite simply this is a fantastic looking bike and one I could never tire of swooning over. At least three of the professional journalists on the launch placed orders for a Sled, that’s a first in my book. What’s more, I’ve attended enough new motorcycle launches over the past seven years to know a winner when I see one, and Ducati undoubtedly has one on their hands here.
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