Tagged: desmo

Ducati

Black Gold: 1978 Ducati 900SS for Sale

1978 Ducati 900SS R Side Front

While I appreciate modern design and efficiency, there’s something so timeless about Ducati’s 900 SuperSport, especially in black with gold pinstripes as seen here. Sure, the silver and blue might more strongly evoke Ducati’s improbable Imola victory, but the black bikes just look so elegant and sinister…

1978 Ducati 900SS R Side Engine

Although far more common than the original, 750cc SuperSport that was intended to commemorate Ducati’s 1972 Imola win, the updated 900SS featured improved performance and general refinements intended to appeal to a broader market. The shifter was revised to more easily allow the bike to use a left-side gearchange, something that was important for customers in the USA. Cast-aluminum wheels replaced the earlier spoked items and the bike also used the updated “square-case” engine that was bumped to 864cc and designed to match the angular, Giugiaro-styled 860GT.

1978 Ducati 900SS Cockpit

From the original eBay listing: 1978 Ducati 900SS for Sale

For Sale is this Beautiful very rare Black/Gold 1978 Ducati 900SS. This bike runs fantastic, engine’s strong and sounds fantastic. The transmission shifts smooth in all gears, there is no issues. Can not confirm speedometer mileage. Fairing and side covers are aftermarket, the Gustafsson windscreen NOS without cracks or scratches. 

Small paint chip on rear fender and there’s a small hairline crack on fairing near mount screw (see photos). Cowl compartment and seat zipper is in excellent working condition. Campagnolo 5 spoke wheels are Gorgeous. New Dellorto’s PHM 40’s, Tommaselli throttle and adjustable clip-ons, Aprilia headlight bezel with Jute light. Brake systems operate great.

Overall this bike is gorgeous.

The Kentucky title’s clear, in hand and in my name.

Frame number 87593

Engine number 87853

 Included with bike is a new wiring harness purchased from Bevelheaven supplied by oldracingspareparts in Italy. Original wiring harness is rough but the headlight, running light and switches operate, both brake light switches work.

This bike is being SOLD-AS-IS, there is NO WARRANTY. Buyer is responsible for all shipping costs and arrangements. Bike is located in Louisville Ky 40219 when checking shipping costs. The bike is being advertised for sale locally, I reserve the right to end this auction at any time.

1978 Ducati 900SS L Detail

The seller also includes a video that can be found here. From the description, it sounds like this is a very clean, very solid-running motorcycle that’s just a few very minor cosmetic blemishes away from being a “10” although that new wiring harness might be worth installing, just for peace of mind…

The Buy It Now price is set at $35,400 which seems pretty high for a 900SS. And with very little interest in the listing so far, other than looky-loos, it appears that I’m not the only one who thinks the price is a bit unrealistic…

-tad

1978 Ducati 900SS R Side

Ducati

Bevel-Drive with an NCR-Prepped Engine: 1978 Ducati 900SS for Sale

1978 Ducati 900SS R Front

Looking like it’s sitting in God’s living room, this very nice bevel-drive Ducati 900SS apparently has an NCR-prepped engine, although the seller doesn’t detail exactly what that entails. Which would help, as that could mean just about anything, from a simple rebuild or blueprint, up to and including a barely-streetable race engine.

1978 Ducati 900SS R Engine

Introduced in 1975 and powered by an 864cc version of Ducati’s iconic bevel-drive engine, the bike was really their first attempt at a global-market bike: along with a quieter set of stock mufflers, the shift mechanism was significantly redesigned to make relocation to the left side of the bike less of a cobbled-together affair and improve the action for riders in the US market. By now, many 900SS bikes have had the stock pipes swapped out for a set of appropriately-loud Contis, as seen here.

1978 Ducati 900SS R Rear

Obviously a bit less desirable than the original “round-case” bevels that were introduced in 1974, the “square case” 900SS shared much of its DNA with the far more practical Darmah. But the sex appeal of that half-fairing and clip-on bars, along with the undeniable links to racing mean that these will always be the most desirable Ducatis of the period, barring actual race bikes.

1978 Ducati 900SS L Engine

From the original eBay listing: 1978 Ducati 900SS for Sale

Original Ducati 900SS engine prepared by NCR with NCR specification, two owners up to now, all history known. Excellent condition, runs perfectly.
NOS Tank

  • Original Veglia Borletti racing rev counter
  • 40mm Dell’Orto carbs
  • Original Conti exhaust (not rechromed)
  • Marzocchi shock absorbers
  • CEV 177 headlight
  • Greek documentSeller great Ducati collector

1978 Ducati 900SS Tach

They say that “presentation is everything.” And it never ceases to amaze me to see auctions for high-end motorcycles where the seller hasn’t even bothered to haul their $30,000 motorcycles out of the back of the shed into the light to take a few quality pictures. So it’s always nice when someone makes the effort to really show off their pride and joy, especially when it’s a beautiful, black-and-gold Ducati 900SS. This one obviously needs a quick trip down a windy back road to clean off those rusty brake discs, and it’s not in perfect cosmetic condition, with some minor surface corrosion and pitting and general wear. But it looks well cared-for and the listing suggests that it’s ready to run, a very important consideration when you look at what a mechanical restoration would cost for a bike that’s been sitting.

Also: genuine Veglia white-faced racing tachometer!

-tad

1978 Ducati 900SS L Front

Ducati

Sturm und Drang: 1978 Ducati 900SS Bevel Racer in Germany

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer L Front

From the land of Vorsprung durch Technik comes a very low-technik Italian bike built for going very fast. Clearly based around a square-case, bevel-drive 900SS, this Ducati race bike currently resides in Germany but, since you’re never going to register it for road use, that shouldn’t worry anyone here in the US tempted to splash out the cash necessary to put this into their garage or foyer.

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer L Side

The 900 Super Sport was introduced in 1975 to follow up their 750SS and is far more common than that very rare motorcycle. It is easily identifiable by its revised square case engine that was restyled to work better with Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Ducati designs. While his GT bikes were certainly controversial in terms of style, the more angular look of the engine works just fine with the more traditional half-fairing on the SS bikes.

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer L Side Naked

Engine internals were similar to the 750 with the usual evolutionary changes and a displacement increase to 864cc, along with a change to a left-side gearshift designed for the important US market. Later 900’s featured cast wheels and while those are obviously more advanced, these earlier spoked wheels look the business and suit the bike far better, I think.

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer Cockpit

Complete with open bellmouths on the carburetors and a classy Gear Gazer for the rear cylinder, this isn’t the most original Ducati I’ve seen, but it’s one of the coolest.

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer R Engine Detail

From the original eBay listing: 1978 Ducati 900SS Race Bike for Sale

You are looking for a Ducati racer. We have a special one:

Frame: Molybdenum
Pistons: 92 Pistonrace,
Carillo connecting rods,
dry clutch,
Valves: Mimonic,
Cucusan electronic ignition,
Dellorto race 41,
engine was prepared by Lauro Micozzi
Titanium muffler,
aluminium wheels,
racing shock absorbers

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer L Side Engine Detail

Bidding is only up to $12,000 with one day left on the auction. It’s a little rough around the edges, but this thing looks brutally fast and appears to be very well-prepared if your tastes run to the effective rather than the pretty. While it would obviously make a very impressive livingroom decoration, I get the feeling that this one would be much more at home hammering around a racetrack

Personally, I’d take this 900SS over a meticulously restored or pristine original example any day of the week and twice on Sunday, since everyone knows that Sunday is a Day of Riding.

-tad

1978 Ducati 900SS Racer R Side

Ducati

Jewel-Like Racer: 1964 Ducati 250 F3 Race Bike for Sale

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike R Side Low

Small bikes are big business these days, especially when the words “Ducati” and “race bike” are involved, and this little Ducati 250 F3 might be at the top of the heap. While Ducati’s improbable victory at Imola cemented their big v-twin in everyone’s mind as the bike to have and gave them credibility in the eyes of the American market with their insatiable hunger for moar powah, much of their racing and street history is built around bikes like this single cylinder machine.

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike Dash

In fact, the first bike to feature their signature spring-less Desmo system was a single cylinder bike. Which makes sense, since the primary advantage of the system would have been most pronounced in the 1950’s, during the era when “hairpin” valve springs were still prevalent in motorcycle engines and metallurgy of the time reduced spring performance at the screaming revs that gave race winning power on track.

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike R Side Engine

These days, single-cylinder racing is generally a budget endeavor, a stepping-stone for newer racers to show their stuff on a relatively level playing field that allows their skill and ruthlessness to shine. But racing singles from this era are anything but budget, regardless of the spec sheet: the racing 250 shared virtually no parts with the street version. Bikes like the F3 had their own frames, engines, suspensions, and brakes with basically no parts interchangeability with roadgoing models.

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike R Side Tank Detail

From the original eBay listing: 1964 Ducati 250cc F3 Corsa for Sale

I AM INTERESTED IN TRADING OFF THIS DUCATI FOR A 1972 OR LATER HARLEY DAVIDSON  XR750TT OR OTHER INTERESTING RACE OR CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE OR VINTAGE FORMULA CAR!

Very rare one of only a few true F3 250cc that Ducati produced. Professionally restored and documented by Altinier Motorsports Treviso Italy. This is a beautiful motorcycle that would make an excellent addition to any garage or collection.

Well known sportbike manufacturer Ducati has always been deeply immersed in motorcycle roadracing, and its premier engineer, Fabio Taglioni, was a talented designer of fast motorcycles. In the 1950’s, Ing. Taglioni developed an overhead cam lightweight with desmodromic valves that became the bike to beat in international lightweight racing. Later versions of this bike came with double overhead cams. Many of the world’s top rider rode a Ducati lightweight at some point in their careers.
Walter Villa was one of the most famous GP racers of the Sixties and Seventies. Winning four GP titles in the 250 and 350 classes in 1974, 1975 and 1976. It is believed that this 250 is his personal mount, based on an inspection by his brother. Both the engine and frame have significant differences from other motorcycles built by Ducati.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A BUILT UP 175cc!!

Located in Southern California.

NOTE! This motorcycle is selling on a BILL OF SALE ONLY! There are no titles on factory race motorcycles!

These are extremely rare, with very few 250’s being built. According to a previous auction of this bike through Bonhams, there may have been as few as five or six ever built. There are so many cool details on Ducatis of this period: that little cut out in the bottom of the tank for the carburetor bellmouth and the little clips that hold on what I suspect is an inspection cover on the left-hand side of the engine case. Any owners want to chime in and tell me what’s hiding behind that?

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike Carb

While it’s still possible to find sporty Ducati singles on a reasonable budget if you’re looking to participate in events like the Moto Giro, this probably isn’t one you’d consider: a previous auction of this very bike in 2012 netted $81,000… With plenty of time left on the auction and bidding only up to around $12,000 I’d expect we have a long way to go yet!

-tad

1964 Ducati 250 Race Bike L Side

Ducati

Yellow One-Lunger: 1975 Ducati 350 Desmo for Sale!

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo R Side

Today, Ducati’s famed “Desmo” valvetrain features across their entire range, giving them something to crow about in their marketing material, something for bench-racing affectionados to brag about, something that adds just a bit to the symphony of noise these bikes make. But with today’s streetbikes that can rev to 16,000rpm and still go 16,000 miles between valve adjustments, there’s really little practical advantage to Ducati’s avoidance of valvesprings.

These days, the biggest limiting factor for Ducati motors is piston speed, not valve float.

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo L Side Detail

But in the 1950’s, when “hairpin” valve springs were still regularly used and metallurgy was less advanced, there was a definite performance advantage for a desmodromic system. Most cars and motorcycles use the lobes of cams or pushrods to open valves, and springs to close them. But at high speeds, springs just can’t close the valves fast enough before the cam pushes them back open, leading to “valve float” where the valves never actually close all the way. In addition to the obvious performance problems this can generate, pistons can actually strike the open valves, causing catastrophic failure.

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo Dash

Designed by Fabio Taglioni and first applied to the 1956 125cc race bike, Ducati’s desmodromic system uses cams to both open and close the valves, completely eliminating float and allowing for very precise tuning. In 1968, Desmo performance came to the street and was eventually available in 250, 350, and 450 flavors. The 350 was actually 340cc’s with 10:1 compression and a 5-speed box.

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo R Side Detail

Interesting, the 250 and 450 models were far more flexible on the street, with the 350 the hot-headed middle child. The bike could top 100mph easily in stock form and was just about ready to go racing right out of the box: just add a bigger carburetor and megaphone exhaust.

From the original eBay listing: 1975 Ducati 350 Desmo for Sale

An exceptional example of an original yellow 350 Desmo Single. Designed by Italian designed, Tartarini, these Desmos were the pinnacle of Ducati’s single-cylinder design and performance. Restored by current owner approximately 20 years ago with limited mileage since then.

Bike comes with 36-spoke Borrani alloy rims, four-leading-shoe Grimeca front drum brakes, and 32 mm Dellorto SSI remote-float racing carburetor. Engine was disassembled, inspected and rebuilt with new parts as required, including 76.4mm high-compression piston and electronic ignition. Starts and runs perfectly.

Includes original parts (not pictured) such as steel chain guard, engine brackets and front brake stays. Other minor engine spares also included.

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo L Rear Suspension

This particular example is finished in classic Ducati yellow, that’s almost orange. Yellow is a color that’s so easy to do badly, but this particular shade is a very rich, evocative color. Shouty and just a bit “look-at-me” but classic and subtle at the same time: it’s easily my favorite yellow and a great match for the bike. I also love the gauges that swing underhand in a more British style, but with classic Italian markings.

At $12,000 currently with the Reserve Not Met, I’m curious to see what this sells for. Most 60’s and 70’s Ducatis are not Desmos and feature regular valve springs, and the early Desmos have been highly valued for some time.

-tad

1975 Ducati 350 Desmo Cockpit

Ducati

It’s Pantah-stic! 1980 Ducati 500SL Track Day Racer

 

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike R Side2

In the late 1970’s Ducati introduced their best-forgotten parallel twin motorcycles in an attempt to broaden their appeal and cut manufacturing costs. But while the bike handled well, reliability was an issue and the looks did not appeal to Ducati’s fanbase: the bike was a massive flop.

After the debacle that the 500GTL parallel-twin represented, Ducati needed to get back in the saddle quickly, and the 500SL Pantah was the right horse for the job. The four-valve, water-cooled superbikes get all the glory nowadays, but the Pantah-derived engine has been the air-cooled, Desmodromic heart of Ducati’s breadwinners for over 30 years now, providing the motive force for SuperSports, Monsters in a dozen shapes, sizes, and displacements, Hypermotards, Pasos, and every other darn bike that rolled out the door, basically keeping the company afloat.

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike R Side Engine

The updated motor dispensed with the expensive-to-produce bevel-drive and tower-shaft system and replaced it with simple rubber camshaft belts. These needed regular replacement, but saved the company significant costs during manufacturing and assembly.

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike Tank Detail

This one features very stylish NCR-replica bodywork and paint, although the effect is somewhat spoiled by that unpainted front fender. That’s pretty easily fixed though. And these smaller twins sound plenty strong and could easily be mistaken for a bike of much larger displacement. You may not get the top-end scream out of a bike like this that you would from a modern 600, but this will punch you out of corners, handle well, and put a big smile on your face

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike Dash

From the original eBay listing: 1980 Ducati 500SL Vintage Track Day Racer

HERE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A BUILT 1980 500SL VINTAGE TRACK DAY RACER.
HAS  NCR/AIRTEK BODYWORK
38MM MARZZOCI FRONT FORKS( TUNED BY ACCELERATED TECHNOLOGY IN CANADA)
BITUBO REAR SHOCKS(NEED REBUILD) LITTLE LEAK
WAS TOLD BY PREVIOUS OWNER IT HAS A BIG BORE KIT. (THE BIKE IS FAST AS HELL)
36MM DELLORTOS (REBUILT)
SPA DESIGN TACH/SPEEDO (JUST RETURNED FROM SPA FOR REPAIR)
AVON  AM23 130/65/18 REAR NEW (OLD REAR TIRE COMES WITH BIKE STILL GREAT SHAPE)
AVON AM22  100/80/18 FRONT NEW
THIS IS A RACE BIKE WITH NO LIGHTS AND TOTALLY REWIRED ELECTRONICS FOR RACING WITH 2 TOGGLE SWITCHES AND PUSH BUTTON START
IT IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CT WHICH THERE IS NO NEED FOR A TITLE UNDER 1981 YEAR
FRESH OIL CHANGE AND PLUGS
I CURRENTLY STREET DRIVE THIS AWESOME BIKE AND ITS A BLAST ON THE STREET
THE END OF THE UPPER FAIRING ON THE LEFT BY THE GAS TANK IS BROKE OFF. CAN EASILY BE REPAIRED
THE PAINT IS NOT PERFECT AND THERE IS SCRATCHES

The simple, air-cooled two-valve Ducatis have been around for a long time, and have proven very reliable and responsive to tuning. Looked after, the belts are very reliable, but they need replacement every two years or 12k miles, something that every Ducatisti knows is cheap insurance. The job itself is relatively simple and requires less know-how than adjusting the Desmo valves, so potential buyers shouldn’t be put off by Ducati’s exotic reputation. This one is obviously no trailer-queen, excepting trips to the race track and the photography leaves a bit to be desired, but it looks like this bike has been well-maintained and is ready to go.

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike Front Brake

The one-piece NCR bodywork may not be the most elegant, but it embodies tons of racing history and certainly is distinctive. There’s been no activity on this auction and time is almost up, but at $4,500 it looks like it’d be a great tool for track day fun at a pretty budget price.

-tad

1980 Ducati 500SL Race Bike R Side

Ducati

Know Your History: 1983 Mike Hailwood Replica MHR for Sale

1983 Ducati MHR R Side

If this machine looks vaguely familiar, it should: our banner image at this site includes the silhouette of Mike Hailwood’s original race bike, the machine he used to win the 1978 Isle of Man TT.

1983 Ducati MHR L Side Tank

Born Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, Mike “The Bike” Hailwood ranks up there with Agostini as one of the all-time motorcycling greats. He won multiple world titles during a ten-year career that stretched between 1957 and 1968, riding for Honda and MV Agusta. After retiring from motorcycle racing, he moved on to Formula 1 in the early 1970’s, once of very few to make that transition successfully.

In 1978, he returned to motorcycle racing at the Isle of Man TT, then and now the most dangerous event in the world, riding an unlikely machine from Ducati. Against all odds, he won, and cemented his place in Ducati’s racing history.

1983 Ducati MHR L Side Rear

He also got a bike named after him: the MHR or “Mike Hailwood Replica” bikes were basically full-fairings slapped on a largely-stock 900SS. Powered by the “square-case” version of Ducat’s 864cc v-twin and making about 72hp, the bike could hit almost 140mph. Although a cosmetic update to a long-in-the-tooth product at the time it was conceived, these have become very collectable.

1983 Ducati MHR R Side Detail

This particular example is no garage-queen and has covered a tick over 14,000 miles. To me, this is a good thing: nice bikes deserve to be ridden, instead of being condemned to slow decay in a museum or in someone’s garage under a tarp.

From the original eBay listing: 1983 Mike Hailwood Replica MHR

This is a Japanese edition built in late 1983 and purchased by a US military employee in Tokyo in 1984. We purchased from him last year. This is arguably one of the nicest 83 Hailwoods on the planet. Runs as nice as it looks. Comes with all paperwork and repair records back to the purchase from Muriyama Motors in Tokyo.

Tank and all bodywork in outstanding shape. Beautiful paint. All bright work looks incredible ( see photos).

New this year: Pirellis front and rear, new brakes, new cush drives, new battery hold down, tank hold down, battery tray. New rebuild on the rear master cylinder. New fuel lines (correct green) and clamps. New alternator harness. New steering head bearings. New turn signals. Petcocks reworked. Carbs looked over at Ducati Phoenix. The carbs were rebuilt by the Woods Bros in Cal in an earlier workup. Conti pipes.  All services just completed EFX clipons installed. Have original ones. This bike has the optional factory big cams.

There has been no engine work except for looking over and dialing in the carbs, oil change (Castrol GTX) and alternator harness replacement.  Factory seal on the cases still intact. We have put only 30 kilometers on the bike in the last 14 mos.

The seller also includes several videos of the bike, including a walkaround and a ride-by.

1983 Ducati MHR L Side Detail

Interestingly, the paint on the MHR was not intended to mimic the Italian flag. It was patterned after primary sponsor Castrol’s corporate color scheme. There are still several days left on this auction, and this looks to be a great bike for someone who wants to ride their acquisition!

-tad

1983 Ducati MHR L Side

Ducati

1978 Ducati 900SS “Cafe Corsa” for Sale

1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa R Tank

Ducati’s SuperSport bikes are truly some of the most iconic sports motorcycles ever conceived and probably rank up near the top of every Italian bike enthusiast’s wish list: racy bodywork, one of the best-looking engines ever designed, race-winning heritage, and a booming exhaust note combine for a truly involving experience.

Much is made of Ducati’s “Desmodromic” valve actuation, although it can be argued that, even by the 1970’s, it was pointless technology and offered no real advantage: plenty of machines during that period revved much higher and featured regular, ordinary valve springs instead of Ducati’s signature Desmo system that used cams to open and close the valves. But the mystique remains and this exotic technology helped, then and now, to differentiate Ducatis from other mere motorcycles and give them a clearer brand identity.

1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa R Engine Detail

Speaking of identity: when it comes to naming cars and motorcycles, manufacturers tend to round displacements up or down to come up with something that looks cool on a fender or tank, although it seems like Ducati was pushing things a bit when they introduced their new “square-case” engine in 1975 and decided to call the 864cc engine a “900”, although this particular example is packing a bit more than stock…

1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa Speedo

Aside from the new displacement and angular aesthetic for the engine, the 900SS featured updates to the bike to help it sell in the USA, including a gearshift moved to the left side of the bike and updates to the electronics to improve reliability.

The photos in the original listing aren’t the best, but the seller includes a ton of details that suggest a sympathetic and attentive ownership:

From the original eBay listing: 1978 Ducati 900SS “Cafe Corsa” for sale

This “Special” Ducati Cafe’ Racer was built by and for a known Ducatisti and collector as his personal road bike.
This is one of the quickest Bevel Drive, Desmo Ducatis ever built, titled and registered for the street. Only 78 Miles on a fresh 3 yr restoration of a Ducati with 22982 total miles at time of listing. Countless hours and an extensive list of period correct performance, handling and cosmetic upgrades were employed in the build of this special classic Ducati. No “modern” parts (with the exception of tires, battery and Mirrors) were used intentionally to preserve the integrity, ride, handlng and experience of riding this period Italian superbike / Cafe’ Racer. Including but not limited to the following:
 
905cc “endurance” displacement engine (88mm x 74.4mm Pistons)  increased from the standard displacement of 864cc. The 1978 models benefit from the next generation and improved (stronger) Darmah big end,  larger crank pins and upgrades/redesigns which support larger displacement and higher horsepower. 1978 models also benefit from the better Bosch ignition. “Imola” race “up-rating kit” cams” that get the top performance out of Fabio Taglioni’s desmodromics. A new 43 / 15 sprocket set  and 520 gold chain allows these otherwise “race only” cams to be used on the street and comfortable in traffic or on back road, Sunday rides. The combination is also suitable for Mulholland drive or Snaefell Mountain and makes the engine “pull like a freight Train”.  40mm Delorto carburetors, these are the desirable larger “Pumper” carbs and were rebuilt by Dave Brown.
1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa Rear Brake

There’s quite a bit more in the listing that concerns significant upgrades to the suspension and other details: it’s been thoughtfully upgraded with a laundry list of desirable period parts and modified with an eye to modern necessities like a tank treated to handle ethanol-ized gasoline. Bidding is up to $18,200 and the reserve has been met, which seems pretty reasonable considering what nice 900SS’s go for these days. 900’s certainly don’t have the value of the earlier round-case bikes, but they obviously benefit from the gradual upgrades and changes applied throughout the bike’s lifespan.

1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa Tail

It may be a bit dorky, but I happen to love Bevel Heaven’s “Gear Gazer” and would probably add one immediately after purchasing an SS. Otherwise, it doesn’t get much better than this, unless you’re looking for perfectly untouched originality.

Me, I’d rather go riding, and it’s pretty clear that’s what this bike was built for.

-tad

1978 Ducati 900SS Cafe Corsa L Side

Ducati

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport for Sale

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport R Side

The Ducati 900 SuperSport inspired the moto-lust of many a young man in the 1970’s. Most of the advertising I’ve seen from the time features the same type of glorious excess imagery you would find in the 1980’s, complete with smug, rich bastards and women in various states of undress suggestively draped over the hardware. It was all blatantly aspirational, but somehow it seemed classier, more innocent, more afro-y.

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport Advert

In some ways, the 900 SuperSport was already nearly obsolete at the time it was introduced: the Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z900 really pointed the way forward in terms of straight-line performance, and were just some frame-bracing and shock-revalving away from domination on both road and track. A hand-built, two valve twin just couldn’t compete with a big four that combined both low-end torque and a screaming top end.

But on the racetracks of the period, it was a different story, where the Ducati’s handling made up for a lack of outright power and was described as “the best ready-to-race production racer that money can buy” by period British racer Percy Tait.

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport Dash

With the purer, early 750SS rapidly becoming nearly unobtainable and priced accordingly, and the 900 has become the expensive, but more accessible choice. It was nearly the last of the line and benefited from the gradual updates and development that Ducati applied throughout the bevel-drive twin’s lifetime. And while it may have been a bit outdated at the time it was being made, that hardly matters now and the bedroom dreams of teenage racers can now be realized for the price of a well-equipped Honda Civic.

From the original eBay listing: 1977 Ducati SuperSport for sale

1977 900  Ducati SuperSport
All restored and correct.
Starts on first or second kick.
Runs beautiful
Mint
Rare 900 bevel twins with baroni wheels.

While most of the shots are out of focus, I had to feature this bike, since it’s been a while since we featured a nice Ducati SS here on CSBFS. And what’s that in the background? A Supermono?! And a couple MV Agusta F4’s, a 916, a 900SS Superlight, and what appears to be some sort of 750 F1-derivative.

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport L Front

This guy clearly knows his motorcycles, but unfortunately doesn’t seem to know his way around a camera: we’re lucky his thumb isn’t in the picture. There’s still some time left on this auction but, it looks like no one will be getting any bargains out of this particular collection: we’re up to $25k with active bidding and the reserve has not yet been met.

-tad

1977 Ducati 900 Super Sport L Rear

Ducati

1972 Ducati 250 for Sale

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler L Side

During the 1960’s, Ducati struggled to sell bikes in the USA, left behind in an arms race that really required at least two cylinders to compete with popular machines from Moto Guzzi, Triumph, Norton, and Harley Davidson. Ducati’s roadrace heritage and sublime handling were considered to be of little value and horsepower was king in a country with so many miles of arrow-straight roads. Luckily, the famous 750 v-twin was on its way to salvage Ducati’s fortunes…

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler Dash

Until that v-twin put Ducati into the “superbike” game, they made do with a range of sophisticated single-cylinder machines with a variety of displacements. The regular 250 had a single overhead camshaft operating the valves via traditional springs: unlike today, only the sportiest Ducati singles of the era featured their now-ubiquitous Desmodromic springless valvetrain. All Ducatis did get the distinctive tower-shaft and bevel-drive arrangement to operate the single overhead cam. Driving power through a five-speed box, the bike offered a blend of usable power and sweet handling that was sadly overlooked in America.

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler R Side Tank

From the original eBay listing: 1972 Ducati Single 250 for Sale

This bike is great condition and runs great.  It has 2 significant upgrades.  The plastic oil pump has been replaced with a metal oil pump that now makes the bike reliable.  It also has the Power Dynamo 12 volt upgrade, which gives a solid state, maintenance free, full electronic ignition.  Now you never have to worry about your battery going bad, as it eliminates the battery altogether.  Just put fresh gas in it and kick it and you’re ready to ride.  Also comes with brand new road tires, napoleon bar end mirror, and H4 headlight.  The tank is in great condition with no dents, seat is in like new condition.  Akront aluminum wheels with trials tires that are on the bike are actually very nice to ride on the street.  This is a very reliable and fun bike to ride with very low miles.  Clear title in hand. 

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler Seat

It used to be that the non-Desmo and lower-spec, small-displacement Ducatis were still very affordable, and could still be found in restorable condition in barns and sheds. But that’s changing: lots of people snapped up Scramblers and other less-racey machines with an eye to converting them into replicas of the sportier models. Now, as vintage dirtbikes have come into vogue and Ducatis in general have risen in value, they’re being kept original as well.

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler Tank

The “trials” tires on this particular machine threw me when I first saw it, tricking me into thinking it was some sort of modified Scrambler. The seller is vague as well, mentioning only that it’s a 250, so I’m betting he doesn’t know either. It certainly looks to be in nice shape, with shiny paint and an intact seat, although I’m not sure if they match the bike or each other. The frame, gauges, and tank look like a Scrambler, but those side covers and the seat don’t match that model. So what are we looking at here?  A Scrambler? A Mark 3?

Any of you vintage Ducati experts want to chime in in the comments? Am I looking at more than one bike here?

-tad

1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler R Side