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Ducati’s newest Scrambler 1100 PROs drew some discussion because of a change in direction from the paintwork of the other Scrambler models.
Specifically, the Sport PRO wears a massive “1100” across its tank panels, seen in the main photo above. Where the other Scramblers feel more classically derived, this marked a change somehow, at least to our commenters and a few CT staff. New bike gets new graphic that some people like more than others. What’s the big deal?
Nothing, yet. It’s only that this is the second time I’ve seen that style this week, and The Big Numbers have appeared on some other bikes in the last years from a range of manufacturers. Triumph just released two special edition Tiger 1200s, both sporting sizable “1200” graphics on their tanks. I’m not talking about little displacement badges here, I mean Big Numbers. I wonder if we’re looking at the beginning of a trend.
The Sport PRO and the Tiger both wear their displacements, while the Scrambler Cafe Racer simply has “54” on the side. According to Sasha Valentine’s Common Tread review of that bike, 54 references “one of their legendary racers, Bruno Spaggiari. In 1968, he raced the Mototemporada Romagnola on a Ducati with an engine derived from the original Scrambler... Nevertheless, it might be wise to make this number plate a customizable piece so that a group of riders can differentiate their bikes or slap on their personal race numbers.”
Then there’s BMW’s R nineT Option 719 paint. BMW offers the Option 719 as their top parts package for the heritage boxer. (Option 719 is apparently an internal code for factory custom work.) And anyone you meet will know you opted for 719 with that tank graphic.
Harley’s even in on this with their spelled-out “FORTY-EIGHT” design for, you guessed it, the Sportster Forty-Eight, which is one of the more subtle of the Big Numbers crowd. And it’s not all that subtle, is it?
Even the aftermarket’s getting into putting some digits on your ride. Check out this Puig flyscreen for the R nineT. (It's also available for the XSRs, the Scramblers, and other trendy bikes.) If the aftermarket is even supplying Big Numbers, I have to think that this might be a thing.
Do we welcome the Big Numbers to our world? Do they get to stay? The custom world has certainly embraced them, even on bikes that are never meant for racing. And it’s no secret that designers look to bike shows, Instagram, etc., for inspiration.
So will the trend stick around or grow? I can’t say. There is, of course, far more to a bike than whatever it’s called or what its badges and paint read. In the words of Ambrose Bierce, “In this world one must have a name; it prevents confusion, even when it does not establish identity. Some, though, are known by numbers, which also seem inadequate distinctions.”
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