Hondo Grattan

Ducati Scrambler

Hey look at this, people are building customs before bikes are even released these days. Scrambler Ducati looks to have given out a few of the new models to a short list of shops. On the ballot were Mr. Martini, Officine Mermaid, and Deus Italy - all Italian based custom outfits. I'll be honest, when I saw that Mr. Martini was on the list I got pretty excited. His past builds have been some of my favorite for their hair-brained originality. However I was a bit let down by their offering this time around. A few off the shelf parts, a custom exhaust and some black paint? Come on! Where are the 8-ball inspired engine fairings, caution tape yellow headlight shrouds, wacky frame colors and oxblood leather seats kicked up at aggressive angles? You can see the trio here on the Scrambler Ducati Facebook page.

The most stand out example from the three seemed to be Deus' take. The custom aluminum body work is clearly the jewel here, using some atypical geometric surfacing to create a very interesting overall aesthetic. Unfortunately I can't find anything on Deus' reasoning behind the colorway but it screams 90's Bilstein touring car to me and I'm all for that. Deus' Italian HQ has been proving themselves to be the most impressive and original location from a design stand point of all their other outfits. Here's a bit more about the project from Filippo Bassoli, MD of Deus Italy:

"[After revealing a fantastic frame] the result of free and innovative ideas where the main focus is on the aluminium bodywork, with a single-piece tail, number-plate support and a headlight inspired by speedway bikes. An asymmetric mudguard completes the project, together with lots of little details such as the positioning of the conic filter within the frame, the disc brake and, of course, the dedicated exhaust. The name however comes from Carby, creative director of Deus Australia, who was in Milan at the time; he saw the project when it was almost complete and fell in love with it, naming it Hondo Grattan, after the horse that won everything on the Harold Park race-track. Who knows, in the not-too-distant future, perhaps our bike will end up on that track too."

Yes, that's an asymmetrical front fender! Officine Mermaid did a great job as well, cranking up that capability dial to 11 with a suspension upgrade, knobby tires and a side mounted fog light. Check it out at the link above.