Ducati made a few scramblers back in the 1960s, ranging from 250cc to 450cc. They were popular then and still have an enthusiastic following today, but when the British offered their big twin street scramblers in the 1970s, Ducati didn’t respond.

Mark McClean is a fan of those early Ducatis, but when the Pierre Terblanche designed Ducati Sport Classics appeared, he thought he had a great place to start, giving Ducati the big street scrambler it never had. Mark began with a 2007 GT1000 and went to work.

My engineer friend Roger Banks made the petrol tank from a 1970`s Spanish 75cc trail bike! He cut it in three and welded strips in so it would fit the frame.We had to make a separate tank to house the fuel pump under the seat.The original seat was dissected and put together again. Roger also made the exhaust pipes from scratch and we fitted Conti replica silencers. Air box was removed and K&N`s fitted. Computer was reprogrammed by official Ducati race shop. Triumph Hurricane handlebars and 30mm risers give the perfect riding position for great control. Race brake lines stop it real quick! With power just under 100bhp and around 400 pounds weight this is an amazing bike to ride. The whole idea was to make it feel real small and slim the way old Ducatis were. When you see it, it almost looks like a 250.

The makeover isn’t extreme, but between the tank and seat alone, you get a real 70s flavor, add the Conti replicas and you get a look dramatically different from a stock GT1000. It’s still a lot more modern than anything you would have seen back in the 70s, but it’s just the thing to be riding when your friend shows up on that new Triumph Scrambler. Nice job!