Super-bike manufacturer Ducati is no stranger to the world of making fast, sexy motorcycles. So, we were surprised but delighted to see the Italian brand try its hand at something less fast and less sexy: e-bicycles.
Ducati has partnered with a leading e-bike brand Thok to bring the Scrambler urban e-bike to market under the Ducati flag.
Ducati Motor Holding
Ducati has partnered with e-bike brand Thok before, but their partnership has yielded much different results in the past.
The first collaboration between the two brands created the MIG, a mullet-wheeled, full-suspension trail monster worthy of it’s Russian fighter-jet name correspondence. The new model from Ducati and Thok is the e-Scrambler, an urban bike with the modern city commuter in mind.
Ducati Motor Holding
The e-scrambler sports a Shimano Steps E7000 motor, a down-tuned version of the E8000 in the MIG and the same 504 watt Shimano battery underslung on the down tube. The battery is where the similarities between the MIG and the eScrambler come to an end.
The front fork is a Suntour XCR 34 which is likely plenty of suspension for hopping curbs and hitting potholes. The brakes are also more than sufficient for commuter-duty with SRAM Guide T-4 calipers and 203mm disks. In typical Italian style, the eScrambler rolls around on Pirelli Cycl-e GT 27.5 inches x 2.35 inch slicks.
Ducati Motor Holding
While the eScrambler might not be the typical bike that one would expect slung on the back of an expedition truck, the usefulness of a bike like this with comfortable geometry, unassuming aesthetics, and build quality that comes from names like Ducati and Thok cannot be ignored in the vehicle-based travel space.
Obviously challenges still exist that make an e-bike a complicated supplemental vehicle to long-term travel, especially with a price tag of 3,699€ ($4,375 USD). However, Ducati is on the right track with the new eScrambler, especially if your travels find you locked down in a major city for an extended period of time.
Header Image courtesy of Ducati Motor Holding. Learn more at www.ebike.ducati.com.
