Motorcycles

2019's Ducati Scrambler updates are part of a "Joyvolution"

2019's Ducati Scrambler updates are part of a "Joyvolution"
2019 Ducati Scrambler: join the "Joyvolution"
2019 Ducati Scrambler: join the "Joyvolution"
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-ed out headlight is a call back to 70s-era racing
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-ed out headlight is a call back to 70s-era racing
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": Bosch Cornering ABS is now standard
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": Bosch Cornering ABS is now standard
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": slightly beefier aluminum side panels might make the tank a little easier to get a grip on
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": slightly beefier aluminum side panels might make the tank a little easier to get a grip on
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": engine is unchanged
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": engine is unchanged
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-out headlight with daytime running lights
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-out headlight with daytime running lights
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": LED indicators
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": LED indicators
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": still looks spunky in yellow
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": still looks spunky in yellow
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": simple, retro, approachable
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": simple, retro, approachable
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": easy riding for a wide range of people
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": easy riding for a wide range of people
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": low seat height makes this a great bike for a wide range of riders
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": low seat height makes this a great bike for a wide range of riders
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": looks are largely unchanged for 2019
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": looks are largely unchanged for 2019
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": slim and low
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": slim and low
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": narrow tank and wide bars
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": narrow tank and wide bars
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": seat has been flattened out
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": seat has been flattened out
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": braking system is now Bosch's excellent Cornering ABS
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": braking system is now Bosch's excellent Cornering ABS
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": 803cc L-twin engine
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": 803cc L-twin engine
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": stock silencer will be binned for Termignoni gear in a majority of cases.
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": stock silencer will be binned for Termignoni gear in a majority of cases.
2019 Ducati Scrambler: join the "Joyvolution"
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2019 Ducati Scrambler: join the "Joyvolution"
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": Icon model is available in red and orange
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": Icon model is available in red and orange
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": upgraded dash with fuel gauge and gear position indicator
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2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": upgraded dash with fuel gauge and gear position indicator
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Ducati has updated its popular Scrambler bike with some new goodies like daytime running lights, an upgraded dash, Bluetooth multimedia and Bosch's excellent Cornering ABS braking system. It has called this upgrade a "Joyvolution." Ducati, we need to talk.

The upgrades leave the Scrambler's iconic look almost unchanged. Side on, you'd struggle to spot anything new at all. But the handlebars are slightly higher and wider, the aluminum side panels on the tank a little "beefier," the seat a touch flatter and the suspension has been rejiggered in an attempt to make the riding position more comfy.

Bosch's Cornering ABS system is a worthy upgrade for any bike, allowing a much wider range of ham-fisted lever grabbing mid-corner without letting you lose the front or stand the bike up.

2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-out headlight with daytime running lights
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": X-out headlight with daytime running lights

The hydraulic clutch now has a "softer" feel, and the lever is adjustable. The dash is also upgraded, with better switchgear, a gear position indicator and a fuel gauge – and since there's already an IMU in the bike now to inform the ABS system, the indicators are now self-canceling, as the bike now knows exactly what's happening in terms of lean angle, so it knows when you've left a corner.

The headlight is perhaps the most visible upgrade, since it's now got a big black X running through it (a nod, of course, to 70s-era race tape) and an angel eye-style LED daytime running light.

The multimedia system is a nice touch for connected riders, offering smartphone integration for media, phone call and intercom information and control. You can even read text messages on your dash. Mind you, the Bluetooth module is an optional extra.

2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": upgraded dash with fuel gauge and gear position indicator
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": upgraded dash with fuel gauge and gear position indicator

Beyond that, it's seems the 803cc desmodromic V-twin engine is unchanged, making the same 73 hp (54 kW) it used to, although hopefully with a calmer delivery than the first Scramblers, which had a bit too much bite in first and second gear for our liking.

Together with this mild and sensible update, Ducati has doubled down on its hipster-focused marketing strategy with some exceptionally cringeworthy copy. Brace yourself.

"It's fair to say that it's no mere motorcycle, it's a veritable lifestyle. Free-spirited, go-getting and non-conformist, open to other cultures and styles, Ducati Scrambler has created a world – the 'Land of Joy' – where aficionados can share their experiences and ideals. A world in which the protagonists are not bikes or performance but people and their passions: music, cinema, art, photography, street food."

2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": easy riding for a wide range of people
2019 Ducati Scrambler "Joyvolution": easy riding for a wide range of people

There's a hashtag – #joyvolution – where riders are supposed to start sharing pictures of their favorite fishbowl helmets, deconstructed lattes and pulled pork slaws. And a 24/7 stream of music custom curated for scrambling to, on the Scrambler Land of Joy website.

Now, it's fair to say the original ad campaign was even worse, and that the Scrambler's runaway success in 2015 was a gigantic boon for Ducati that nobody really saw coming. But boy, does this cheese and ham feel tired in 2018. And you can bet your bottom dollar anyone who owns one of these things is about to get texts from their riding buddies saying "how's the Joyvolution going, buddy? Joyvolving along nicely?"

Source: Ducati

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5 comments
5 comments
ChairmanLMAO
There is a spot in my heart for Joy from My Name Is Earl. Maybe thats what this is about?
MerlinGuy
Ah, to be back in the 1970's when these weren't called "Scramblers" just Hondas and Yamahas.
chidrbmt
Have passionately ridden dirt & street daily (weather permitting) everyday for over 50 years with many different brands. The reasonable priced Ducati Scrambler,with it's light weight,short wheelbase and great sound, is one of my favorite of all time. It never fails to bring big "Malcom Smith" grins on every ride.
schmoe90
The hydraulic clutch is new on the 800s, too.
ljaques
And only 104 pounds more than the old Honda 305, at 456 pounds wet. Who wants to take something like that offroad? I don't get it. The new lens cover is fake and ugly. These things are selling, at $9k-11k?