New special edition Ducati Scrambler marks race success
Limited-edition Desert Sled paintjob shines a light on Ducati’s race winner
‘The Sled won the Mint 400 race in Nevada’
Ducati have unveiled a limited-edition version of the Scrambler Desert Sled in collaboration with American clothing company Fasthouse. The bike has been created to celebrate their victory in the Mint 400, one of the oldest motorcycle races in the US. If you’re not familiar with the Mint 400, it’s an off-road race across the Nevada desert just outside Las Vegas that’s perhaps best known for its inclusion in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Named after the main sponsors Mint Casino, the race sees hundreds of competitors attempt the 400mile course with a wide variety of categories catered for.
And who are Fasthouse? Despite sounding like a Shakespearean word for a bordello, Fasthouse are actually a funky clothing brand that make clothing for, well for the sort of people who ride scramblers. Last year they teamed up with Ducati, transformed a Desert Sled into a racebike, placed it under semi-pro racer Jordan Graham and bagged themselves the top spot in the Hooligan class. It’s this victory that the limitededition bike celebrates. Made to replicate the look of the race-winning machine, the Desert Sled Fasthouse swaps in a red frame, dark grey bodywork, black mudguards, new stripy non-slip saddle and blacked out wheels. The Fasthouse logo adorns the tank and the aluminium plate on the frame, which bears the individual number of each bike. The bike is otherwise unchanged, so it carries the aircooled 803cc V-twin of the stock bike, producing 75bhp and 55lb.ft. As it’s the Desert Sled, the engine sits in a reinforced steel frame capable of handling the rigours of off-road riding. It’s also equipped with adjustable long-travel suspension, and a set of 19in/17in spoked wheels shod with Pirelli Scorpion dual-sport rubber for when the going gets rough.
To pair with the bike, Fasthouse have created a collection of clothing, including a T-shirt, MX jersey and wind jacket.
The Desert Sled Fasthouse costs £10,295, which is only £300 more than the standard bike but, with supply so limited, your chances of seeing another one are low.