BMW Unveils Ducati Fighting R nineT Scrambler

Ducati has taken over the motorcycling world and dominated the press due to its new Scrambler. And honestly, Ducati should be. The company is offering an awesome motorcycle with a Ducati badge that can literally go anywhere the rider wants, for under $10,000. That, in the motorcycle world, is unheard of. It seems though, that imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery since BMW just unveiled its own R nineT Scrambler.

Using the already brilliant R nineT as the basis of BMW’s latest motorcycle, the R nineT Scrambler is meant to offer riders a deeper sense of adventure, one that harks back to the late ‘50s to ‘70s. It’s a throwback to the early adventure motorcycles where riders would modify their motorcycles to ensure adequate travel in tight situations.

 

While Ducati kept the Scrambler accessible to almost every rider with its 803cc engine, the R nineT Scrambler uses the same monstrous 1,170cc air-cooled flat-twin boxer engine from the regular R nineT. That means it makes a potent 110 horsepower and 86lb-ft of torque.

Original Scramblers had raised exhausts and increased front wheel sizes, and BMW hasn’t strayed too far from that path. The exhaust has been arranged higher up on the motorcycle, exiting near where normally your passenger would go. Additionally, the R nineT Scrambler ditched the R nineT’s 17-inch front wheel for a larger 19-inch wheel that raises the front rake considerably.

 

Like the already in production R nineT, BMW states that this motorcycle was built to be customized to each rider’s specific tastes. It will offer a host of special equipment riders can select to make their motorcycle their own, including a Solo Seat, protective grill for the headlamp, an engine guard, a Scrambler style windshield, and other items.

The R nineT Scrambler will become available later next year and will likely cost less than the R nineT’s $15,000 starting price. The question then becomes, which would you rather have, a BMW Scrambler or a Ducati Scrambler?