We’ve been lucky enough to ride most of Ducati?s extensive Scrambler range. Of all of them, the Desert Sled is the one we’re most likely to ride in the dirt?and the liter-plus Scrambler 1100 is the one we’re most likely to ride on the street. But what if you could roll them both into one bike"
That’s exactly what Filippo Barbacane of Officine RossoPuro has just done, with this off-road-focused Ducati Scrambler 1100. By mashing up the 1100 with Desert Sled parts and hand-made touches, he’s built the big-bore retro dual sport that’s currently missing from Ducati’s line-up.

Based on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Filippo’s most known for his tasteful Moto Guzzi builds. But when Ducati handed him a Scrambler 1100 to customize, he jumped at the opportunity?mostly because this concept had been milling around in his head for a while. ?The idea from the outset was to create a versatile bike at the highest level,? Filippo explains, ?which is also the trend I have been dedicating myself to the most in recent years. In addition to always experimenting, which is the basis of customization in my opinion, there remains a fundamental idea that a bike exists to be used.?

First on the list was jacking the Scrambler 1100 up, to create more ground clearance and compliance.
Filippo scalped the longer forks and rear shock from a Desert Sled, and tuned them internally to compensate for the bigger bike’s weight. The stock front hub w...