IS DUCATI’S DESERT SLED SET TO RETURN?

Ducati’s long-legged Scrambler model, the Desert Sled, was a beauty to behold. And in the right rider or fabricator’s hands, it was a potent mini ADV off-roader. All of which left us puzzled when Ducati dropped it from its Scrambler range this year. Thankfully, it seems the Sled may be making a comeback – if the concepts at the 2024 London Bike Shed MotoShow is anything to go by, anyway.

Yes, Centro Stile Ducati unveiled a concept Desert Sled based on the second-generation Scrambler, which they cryptically named the RR24I. With a pile of brushed aluminium on show, and both the tank and passenger seat area covered in framework for bag attachments, the long-travel-equipped Sled cut a fine profile alongside a decidedly more road-focused Cafe concept. Add a sinewy Termignoni exhaust, Pirelli Scorpion 18- and 17-inch rims, and its off-road credentials were on full show.

Will the concept Sled make its way into Ducati’s production-bike range? Will they bestow it with a 21-inch front hoop? Only time will tell. We’d wager they may even venture back to Baja with the Fasthouse crew to build the hype all over again…