LIVING WITH BIG CATS

Ducati Scrambler Icon - The Domesticated Italian

- WORDS AKAASH BHADRA PHOTOGRAPHY SIDDHARTH DADHE

Big bikes are dream machines. Posters on our bedroom walls, loud revs in our heads, and usually... confined to Sunday rides and biker cafés. But what happens when you strip away the gloss, the reel-worthy corners, and just live with one? Every single day. Rain or shine, traffic or twisties. That’s exactly what Living with the Big Cats is all about — testing whether these big cats can purr through everyday chaos, not just roar on weekend runs.

And our first contender? The beautifully minimal, muscled yet friendly — Ducati Scrambler Icon. We had it with us for a month in Mumbai, and what followed was a journey filled with stares, burbles, the occasional splatter of monsoon, and a whole lot of joy. This wasn’t just a test — it became a relationship.

First Impressions: Minimal Yet Magnetic

It’s the kind of bike that doesn’t shout, it smirks. The Scrambler Icon has a visual presence that’s minimalistic yet unmistakably premium. Especially when seen from the side, the wide handlebar, stubby proportions, clean lines and exposed trellis frame create a profile that’s both old-school cool and modern tight.

From the get-go, the 795mm seat height was welcoming. I didn’t have to tiptoe or wrestle with the machine — I just sat, pressed the starter, and got on with it. That low saddle, combined with the compact body and manageable 185kg kerb weight, made it feel almost... too easy. And that’s not a complaint.

The City Jungle: Malad to Andheri, Twice a Day

My daily route? Malad to Andheri in the morning, and the reverse in the evening — which meant medium traffic in the A.M. and soul-crushing congestion post 7 PM. This is where most big bikes fail, turning into heat-spewing monsters. And the Scrambler Icon, being air-cooled, isn’t immune to this.