We reckon the Scrambler Ducati is one of the best-looking factory bikes around. And the healthy sales figures bear that out.
That makes it slightly tricky to modify. But the Greek shop Jigsaw Customs has just done a sterling job with a major bodywork swap and a select few smart mechanical mods.
Jigsaw is a family-run business just outside Athens, and part of a Yamaha dealership. But in the cooler winter months, they focus on restoring and customizing motorcycles.
This commission came from the folks at the local Ducati distributor, who were impressed by the XSR700 tracker that Jigsaw created a couple of years ago for the Yamaha Yard Built program. Randy Mamola took it for a ride, and it headlined the Yamaha stand at EICMA.
“Ducati asked for a project based on the Scrambler 800,” says shop boss Petros Chatzirodelis. “They left it up to us to decide what we wanted to build.”
Jigsaw bikes are deceptively simple: easy on the eye, and with flowing shapes. “Working on an Italian motorcycle is always difficult, though,” says Petros.
“Italians have design and style in their blood. And the Scrambler is already a naked motorcycle, with everything hidden under the fuel tank.”
Jigsaw’s signature is smooth monocoque bodywork. So they started by stripping all the factory plastics off the Scrambler—and the wheels too. Using a 3D design program, they created the curves for a sleek one-piece fiberglass body. A foam buck was cut using a CNC machine for testing and refinement.
Once Petros was certain it looked and fitted correctly, he cut a wooden mold and used that to lay down the fiberglass. The clever LED taillights are bent Plexiglas tubes inside silicone tubes, and look as good as a factory design.
Jigsaw have also dropped the front wheel down a size to 17 inches, to match the rear hoop. They’ve used a D.I.D. rim, and also installed a custom-made upper triple clamp, plus clip-on bars from the German specialist ABM.
ABM also supplied the mounts for a KOSO headlight and the brake levers, but Motogadget supplied the front turn front signals, grips and bar-end mirrors.
The Scrambler’s ECU is unusually difficult to interface with new controls, so Jigsaw have fitted the stock switches to the clip-ons. They have, however, hidden the ignition key switch on the frame.
Petros and his crew have also fabricated a new exhaust system, with simpler lines than the factory system, and terminated it with an HP Corse slip-on muffler—much smaller than the large stock unit.
It’s attached via a custom mount, and the footpegs and foot controls are custom too.
The whole effect is cool and understated, paring down the Scrambler’s already simple aesthetics to the barest minimum.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, that’s snow in Greece. The Mediterranean country was hit with record low temperatures last month, blanketing even the Acropolis with snow. The perfect backdrop for an ice-cool Ducati.
Jigsaw Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Photos by Xristos Kapnisis
