Ducati Malaysia's newest member, called the Scrambler Nightshift, evokes images of late nights and dark, lonely roads to be explored.
Naturally, the Nightshift is the dark side of the Scrambler lexicon and its opposite would be the bright, sunny Scrambler Icon. However, the new Nightshift is actually an amalgam of various Scramblers.
Those with a keen eye will spot parts from the Café Racer, the Sport Pro, the Full Throttle etc. all dressed up in a stealthy paint job.
Mechanically, the Nightshift is identical to the other 803cc models. The 6-speed, air-cooled, two-valve desmodromic L-twin still puts out a claimed 73 hp @ 8,250 rpm and 67 Nm of torque @ 5,750 rpm.
Having ridden most of the Scramblers, it remains the most user-friendly and usable powerplant in all of motorcycling (on and off-road), in my opinion.
The most obvious difference to the other Scramblers is the Aviator Grey hue of the Nightshift. The dark theme is echoed all through the bike.
Low, straight handlebars are allied to the flat dual seat for a leant forward, sporty riding position. Black bar-end mirrors emphasise the looks as do the black spoked wheels (an 18-inch in front and a 17-inch rear) wrapped in those flattrack-inspired Pirelli MT60s. All lighting equipment on the Nightshift is LED.
The trellis frame it shares with its siblings is equipped with a 41mm upside-down Kayaba fork and preload adjustable Kayaba shock. Braking is fulfilled via a single 330mm disc squeezed by a radial caliper up front and a single piston caliper acting upon a 245mm rear disc at the rear.
Bosch Cornering ABS is standard equipment. Seat height is a middle-ground 798mm, fuel capacity is 13.5l and the Nightshift weighs in at 196kg.
"As a brand that is essentially all about bringing passion and joy, and the Ducati Malaysia team has continued to do just that throughout the current EMCO phase," said Ducati Malaysia head Dennis Michael.
"We have maintained our momentum in promoting our bikes, offerings and services across all our digital channels. Merchandise sales has also been excellent among customers and fans.
"It's also worth highlighting that bike bookings have also remained encouraging via our digital outreach efforts and the exciting new Scrambler Nightshift is a prime example of this – we have already sold out the first batch even prior to this official launch announcement.
"With the momentum we're seeing, as challenging as the situation may be, there is a tailwind for us. We're looking ahead at a solid Q3 and Q4 finish as we are preparing to launch both the new Multistrada V4 and Monster ranges."
Available at all Ducati Scrambler dealerships, the Nightshift retails at RM65,900 excluding road tax and insurance.