Ducati and Harley have traditionally operated worlds apart, but as of right now they're both producing products and selling semiotics that are competing for an identical pool of dollars, ostensibly at least.
Speaking of dollars, lets start at the cost, base Scrambler checks in at $8,495 while the Harley comes in a cool K cheaper at $7,500. While the Scramblers 803cc Desmo Twin kicking out 75 hp/50 ft-lb dwarfs the Harleys 750cc 53 hp and 47 ft-lb the point of this comparison is not so much mechanical but more marketing. Forgive me.
While the Street is cruiser-esque and the Scrambler is, well a Scrambler, the two distinct products are marketing with nearly identical messaging and positioning.
While we can argue until we're blue who will actually be the ones laying down cake one thing is abundantly clear, they want the young, or the young at heart. The positioning is youthful, carefree, not even so much about THE ride but the fact that you're riding. An idealized image in both cases, which is not a bad thing per se, especially when your business is selling motorbikes.
Campaigns leading up to launch both were hip with a heavy focus on lifestyle, not the lifestyle of motorbiking mind you, but the lifestyle of someone who might be interested in either a street or a Scrambler.
Compare those with Ducati
Now none of this will make a lick of difference to those of us dedicated to the Scrambler and the same is true for those in the Harley camp. The point of the respective campaigns is not us the dedicated, its to those who can be influenced that THIS is what they need to complete their look, their image. They're symbols designed to jive with a target demo that will say hey, I look like the type of person who should be riding a Scrambler/Street.
In that sense the Scrambler and the Street are DIRECT rivals.
