2015 Ducati Scrambler | FIRST LOOK

You can't pass within a quarter mile of a hipster haunt without seeing a dozen Triumph Bonnevilles or even a brace of Star Bolts. They're part of the lifestyle, the uniform, and the landscape.

This fact has not escaped Ducati. And now the not-so-flannel-clad boys from Bologna have a response, the much anticipated Scrambler. Two things you need to know now: it's cheap and delightfully simple/light. Oh, that's three things? Back to the point. How does 385 pounds wet and $8,599 sound to you? Those are the key specs on the Scrambler, which uses a version of retired Monster 796's air-cooled, two-valve engine.

The familiar desmodue engine resides in an all-new chassis made of steel tubing. You were expecting something else? With dimensions slightly tighter than the old Monster, the Scrambler should hit the sweet spot for inseam-challenged beginners as well as for those looking for a retro take on a modern Ducati in a bike less dragster-esque than the new Monster.

Sure the price is low but the specs aren't. KYB suspension front and rear is modern even if there's only preload adjustment for the shock. Up front is a 330mm disc squeezed by a four-pot radial Brembo, backed up by standard ABS. An all-LED headlight leads the way.

What's more, the early machine we were able to photograph, but not ride, looked well built and handsome as hell in the only color scheme for this year, a crisp but not too lemony yellow. Dealers will start getting their Scramblers in March.