Ducati Has a New Scrambler-Based Retro Bike Coming, and It Could Revive a Legend

2026 will mark the 100th anniversary of Ducati’s founding, and the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is wasting no time getting started on its celebration efforts. 

In addition to dropping a ‘Ducati100’ logo dedicated to the occasion, the brand has also created a pair of special test liveries for its factory riders paying homage to iconic motorcycles from its past. Moreover, with ‘Ducati Island’ announced for March, 2026 is already shaping up to be quite the party.

Ducati

Now, as it turns out, Ducati has at least one special edition bike release planned for the forthcoming year. While only a few specifics have been uncovered at this point, they nevertheless amount to some pretty telling details.

Caught in the scramble

The confirmation comes courtesy of Motorcycle.com, as the publication discovered that Ducati has updated its executive order for the 2026 Scrambler with the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Among existing bikes like the Scrambler and the Scrambler Full Throttle, the filing adds a new bike — the Formula ’73 — to the brand’s list of approved motorcycles

Ducati

Now, according to the executive order, the Formula ’73 will use the same 803cc V-twin that currently appears throughout the Scrambler lineup. However, as Motorcycle.com keenly observes, because “Scrambler” isn’t included as part of the name, it could bring some very different styling.

To that end, Ducati’s choice of moniker for the bike most likely references the 750 Supersport Desmo that debuted in 1973. As such, if the name is anything to go by, it could very well take the shape of a partially faired bike like Yamaha’s retro-styled XSR900 GP. 

Ducati

After all, this wouldn’t be the first time that Ducati has paid tribute to an iconic motorcycle from its past with a modern homage. Back in 2006, the Italian manufacturer celebrated the 1972 Imola 200 with the release of the Paul Smart 1000 LE. It later revived the silver paint with a Scrambler-based special edition.

A momentous production bike

For those unfamiliar with Ducati’s past, the win at Imola in 1972 marked a significant moment. Up until that point, the brand had mostly specialized in small-bore singles, so a dominant 1-2 victory from Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari established instant credibility — especially against competitors like Triumph and MV Agusta. 

Ducati

It’s a performance that redefined Ducati’s approach to racing, and it wasn’t long before the bike’s thundering engine could be heard echoing down the street. Come 1973, the brand realized the 750 Imola racer as a production offering in the form of the 750 Supersport Desmo.

Considering that the desmodromic valves made famous by bikes like the 750 Supersport Desmo remained a core part of the Ducati brand up until only recently, it’d make for a worthwhile model to celebrate.  

Ducati

All the more so in this case because the Scrambler’s 803cc V-twin is one of the few engines in Ducati’s lineup that retains such qualities.

As an air-cooled Desmo two-valve, it may lack the cutting-edge variable timing tech of the quickest Diavel and smartest Multistrada. However, this also means that it can trace its DNA directly back to the legends that helped define the brand. 

Ducati

More to come

At this stage, Ducati has yet to make any announcements regarding the Formula ’73. However, given that 2026 is just around the corner, we should start to see teasers dropping before too long.

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