Ducati have done the obvious - but wise - thing and handed over a trio of Scramblers to customising houses. Love the Scratch with its bashed 1970s Yamaha 600TT look. Oddly it's the yellow Deus ex Machina Hondo Grattan I 'm least smitten by. Maybe that's because the name is Latin for "grotty Honda" (only kidding). The black bike is Scrambler Caffe Racer by Mr Martini , and it looks like The Right One, especially with that exhaust.
Dario Mastroianni – Customiser at Officine Mermaid: “We decided to
customise the Ducati Scrambler because we immediately earmarked it as a uniquely convertible Italian bike. We've infused it with our unmistakeable Officine Mermaid style, with a kind of rough-and-ready look that's spartan and basic. We named it using the English word Scratch, to convey the idea of it being scraped or damaged. This can be seen straight away from the fuel tank, which we stripped of paint and treated by hand – a procedure we use only on our most exclusive bikes. The metal mudguards have been left rough (a bit like us) and
then hand-brushed at the workshop. We've left only what is essential on the bike – anything that wasn't necessary has been eliminated. Even the exhaust, for example, while derived from the original, has been reduced to a minimum. For the front we've chosen a traditional stanchion fork with a wide 21'' wheel and an 18'' wheel at the back, while the saddle and handlebars are made of vintage green leather with a decidedly Western style. Our Scratch has a main rally-style headlight and a smaller lateral spotlight.”
Nice!
