Ducati Sport Classic, MH900e and MHR900

NCR announce Hailwood Rep SC

2008-11-03T10:24:00.004Z

Launched today at the EICMA show in Milan is the new NCR Hailwood replica, details taken from motoblog.it and roughly translated its an 1120cc engine, titanium conrods and valves with carbon bodywork and Ohlins suspension. More once the NCR website is updated.

Ducati Announce 2009 GT Sport Touring

2008-10-12T08:35:00.002+01:00

Ducati Motor Holding announced the addition of the GT1000 Touring to its 2009 model lineup.

Unveiled at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, 6 Oct, the GT1000 is the latest addition to Ducati’s SportClassic line. featuring the 992cc L-Twin Desmodromic valve engine and classic styling, the GT1000 Touring edition comes standard with many of the accessories that owners have been upgrading their bikes with for years.

“Ducati is excited to bring the Touring edition of the GT1000 to the North American motorcycle travel market,” says Jason Chinnock, national sales manager for Ducati North America.
Ducati has bundled some of its more popular accessories for a new touring edition GT1000.

Ducati has bundled some of its more popular accessories for a new touring edition GT1000.
“The GT1000 has always been an exceptional touring bike with the addition of these Ducati performance accessories, so it only made sense to deliver a bike with them pre-installed.”

Featuring a new black livery, the GT1000 Touring gets numerous upgrades from the standard GT1000. This includes a luggage rack and windscreen as well as chrome front and rear fenders.

The GT 1000 touring edition will be priced at $11,995 and will be available from March of 2009.

Full details at Ducati.com

I'll add photos as soon as they are available from the official press release.

Ducati Artehouse Limited Edition Paul Smart Print

2008-10-07T20:29:00.002+01:00

Ducati Limited Edition (1004) - Signed Paul Smart Print

This unique photographic print signed personally by Paul Smart comes to you framed, double matted with a limited edition number plate. This exclusive offer is limited to just 100 pieces. Each plate is stamped with its own registered number. Actual Framed size: 30"x27". Delivery time for this product is 3-4 weeks.

Full details on Ducati Artehouse

Auction - 1973 Ducati Formula 750 Racing

2008-10-06T18:30:00.006+01:00

To be auctioned by Bonhams at Stafford Classic Show
Full details here

Sale 16253 - Collectors’ Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia, 19 Oct 2008
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford
Lot No: 360*
The ex-Bruno Spaggiari, Imola 200, works
1973 Ducati Formula 750 Racing
Frame no. 02
Engine no. 01
Read More/Continues below

It was, without question, Paul Smart’s famous victory at Imola on Sunday 23rd April 1972 that really put Ducati’s new v-twin on the map. It was a particularly sweet occasion for hitherto un-fancied Ducati, as the Bologna factory defeated not only the race-proven Triumph Tridents of Percy Tait, John Cooper and Ray Pickrell, but also the works 750 MV Agusta of Giacomo Agostini. Also ranged against Ducati that day were works entries from Honda, Norton and Moto Guzzi, plus semi-works machines from Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW and Laverda. There was a lot at stake: the 750cc sportsbike category was vitally important to all the major manufacturers, so Ducati’s win in this company was of immense commercial significance for the relatively small Italian firm. It also emphatically demonstrated the potential of the Fabio Taglioni-designed v-twin.

Prepared by the semi-official NCR race shop, Smart’s bike was based on the 750 Sport roadster introduced that same year. The racer’s cycle parts remained close to stock - even the centre stand lugs were retained! - merely being up-rated with triple Lockheed disc brakes while the engine gained desmodromic cylinder heads, high-compression pistons and stronger con-rods. In the race, Smart, whose first outing this was for Ducati, was involved in a three-way battle for the lead with his team-mate, Bruno Spaggiari and Agostini. When the latter’s MV broke, it became a straight fight between the two works Ducatis, with Smart taking victory after Spaggiari had run off the road trying to overtake. The Italian eventually finished second.

Keen to repeat their success the following year, Ducati went to work on a heavily revised Formula 750 racer over the winter of 1972. For the ’73 bikes, Fabio Taglioni came up with a short-stroke (86x64.5mm) version of the 90-degree v-twin engine that revved higher and was more powerful. Together with the 6mm wider bore, Taglioni specified a narrower valve angle (60 degrees rather than the original 80). The cycle parts were updated with a modified frame, centre-axle forks (the 1972 bikes had used the leading-axle type) and a new swinging arm that enabled the wheelbase to be varied. The result was an engine that produced around 100bhp in a package weighing 326lb (148kg), both these figures representing a significant improvement over those of the 1972 model.

Only three bikes of this specification were ever built. They were entered in the 1973 Imola 200 under the Scuderia Spaggiari banner and ridden by Englishman Mick Grant, the Swiss Bruno Kneubühler and Spaggiari himself. Although Ducati had done much to improve its Formula 750 racer, at that year’s Imola 200 it faced one of the most formidable man/machine combinations in the history of motorcycle racing: Jarno Saarinen and the Yamaha TZ350. Spaggiari finished runner up for the second year in a row. Perhaps sensing that the era of four-stroke domination of Formula 750 was coming to a close, Smart had chosen to ride a Suzuki two-stroke that year. For the rest of the decade Ducati would focus its attention on endurance racing and TT Formula 1.

The short-stroke Formula 750 racer offered here is the one ridden by Spaggiari at Imola in 1973 and the sole survivor of this very special trio of works prototypes. At the end of the 1973 season the machine was sold to Norstar, the Canadian Ducati importer, which passed it on to one of their favoured customers, Keith Harte. Bought from him by Team Obsolete’s Rob Iannucci, the Ducati was rebuilt by TO and raced by Yvon Duhamel with some success. The current vendor, an American private collector, bought the bike from Team Obsolete circa 2000. The Ducati was fairly complete, and on acquisition was treated to a ‘ground upwards’ restoration using as many original parts as possible. Components were sourced from across the world, including a pair of the correct cylinders, with help provided by Ian Gowanloch and Arthur Davis in Australia. NCR’s Rino Caracchi, who had built the bike back in ’73, assisted with the restoration, providing the connecting rods and crankpin. The result is as genuine a short-stroke 750 as you will find. The restoration was carried out over a two-year period by Advanced Motorsports (Ducati Dallas) and on completion the machine was ridden by Paul Smart at the ‘Vintage Motorcycle Days’ meeting at the Mid Ohio circuit in 2004.

Its successes at Imola in the early 1970s effectively established Ducati’s credentials as a builder of exceptional high-performance motorcycles. As such, the Formula 750 racers built specifically for this prestigious event are among the most important the company has ever produced, and the example offered here represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire an ex-works Ducati of immense historical significance and undisputed provenance.

Estimate: £250,000 - 300,000

First Ride: Ducati SC1000 By Niall Mackenzie

2008-10-05T00:18:00.004+01:00

Thirty-three years in the planning and Ducati's Sportclassics are finally here. But you'd better be quick if you want one.
Originally published here

On the 23rd of April 1972 I was 10 years old, Amazing Grace was at number one and I had just got back from Sunday School praying my folks would buy me that orange Raleigh Chopper in Halfords' window. On that same day in Italy something far more significant was taking place. One Paul Smart was celebrating his 29th birthday by winning the most lucrative motorcycle race on the European calendar, the Imola 200.

Read more/continues below

Paul was presented with a helmet full of money plus his race-winning 750 Ducati for his efforts, but never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined what would take place 33 years down the road. That cloudy day was unforgettable for Ducati so, in celebration of that victory, and after several years of planning, they have finally launched the first two machines in their unique Sportclassic range.

The Sport and the Paul Smart LE - the LE stands for Limited Edition - both use the air-cooled 1000cc Desmodronic twin power unit found in some other Ducati models. The two chassis differ slightly, the Sport having a steeper head angle and using Sachs suspension, while the Paul Smart LE is painted in the '72 original's sea green colour, with …hlins front and rear. Both bikes have a single seat, USD forks and a single rear shock mounted on the left.

Ducati have excelled with the attention to detail, from the polished fork yokes all the way down to the tapered spokes on the specially made 17-inch wheels. Seeing these bikes in the flesh is crucial; only then can you examine and appreciate the hard work that has taken place in Bologna. Everything about these bikes has a well engineered look and feel, which hopefully means a long, trouble free life. The Sportclassics are also fitted with a brand new tyre from Pirelli. The 'Phantom' is a tyre I had a lot of success with back in the '80s on LC Yamahas but we now have the Phantom Sportscomp which has feel and grip in abundance in the dry. The Paul Smart LE was my first choice for the Tuscan test route near Florence, so once I had settled into the old school CafŽ Racer riding position I was ready to rock. Only 2000 of the Paul Smart LEs will ever be made so you'll need to be very hasty indeed if one is to grace your garage (or front room) by Christmas. Apart from the fairing, the most obvious differences between this and the slightly lower-spec Sport model is the higher quality, fully-adjustable …hlins suspension, the sea green chassis and the polished aluminium steering damper.

The free-revving, big twin power unit, familiar from the Multistrada and SS1000 machines, works well in the Sport 1000, making its 92bhp at 8000rpm before stopping dead on the rev limiter 1000rpm further on. That may not sound like a flexible engine, but I found on fast stretches gear shifts were fine at that 8000rpm peak and, because the motor pulls strongly from zero, being in the right gear is never a real problem. I had the confidence to push the envelope a little on the LE without any dramas, thanks due no doubt to the combination of stiff chassis, those fully adjustable …hlins forks and rear shock, and the Phantom Sportscomps.

The fairing offers some protection and comfort, plus it helps things along when speeds increase. The polished top fairing bracket is a nice touch, enhancing the simple, classically styled dash. Since the LEs are already collectable I'm not sure how many of these you'll see on the road, which is a shame because they will make a cracking road or track day bike. The Sport is just as much fun, though (see over the page), or you could wait for the GT1000 (due this spring), which has a more upright riding position. Either way you're going to stand out from the crowd.

This launch was a new and unique biking experience for me. Incredibly, the Sportclassic range exists today because of a solitary date in racing history. The bikes truly reflect the passion and pride that was present at Imola on that day. Riding them I'm sure is much more civilized than it was back then. However, Ducati's racing spirit lives on.

PAUL SMART - THE MAN, THE LEGEND
PAUL SMART IS an interesting character. Born in 1943, he grew up in the shadows of Brands Hatch, spending most of his youth in the family run transport cafe. Paul started racing in 1963 and went on to ride professionally for Triumph, Kawasaki, Ducati and Suzuki. Described as a 'fair but hard' rider, no major titles came his way, although he had many successes at home and abroad, including five GP podiums finishes.

After meeting Mags Sheene (sister of Barry Sheene) at Assen in '70, the pair married a year later and went on to have two children, top BSB runner Scott and Paula, girlfriend of Tim Reeves, the 2005 sidecar world champion.

Paul's 750 Ducati ride at Imola came after a chance phone call while he was racing in America. After he broke the lap record while testing at Modena, Ducati were convinced they had a winning combination. They were right, as Paul won and his team-mate Bruno Spaggiari came second. Soon after, Paul went on to pip Phil Read at the Hutchinson 100, the reverse-direction race run at Brands Hatch, which he considered a greater achievement. After a season on TZ Yamahas in '78, Paul finally hung up his leathers to look after his motorcycle business in Maidstone.

Although Paul has been aware of the Sportclassics for the last five years or so, he seems totally overwhelmed with all the fuss. Despite this, he has managed to nab two LEs for his own collection. A great racer indeed, but I have to question his taste in music considering some of the best bands ever came from his era. Never mind the Beatles, he rates the 1963 hit Hey Hey Paula by Paul and Paula as one of his favourite songs.

Visordown allows users to posts comments, Stu Pid posted this :

Stu Pid Posted: 18/08/08 14:25:35

Got a little story of me own:

Im outside the MSV building at Brands, I'm with Ducati on a VIP for the BSB, Im having a fag enjoying the sunshine and I see this old bloke, on a push bike, come riding up to me, he jumps off and says "ere mate, look after me bike" I say "your avin a laugh mate, look after it yourself" and he smiles and goes "OK, it's just people keep borrowing it and I'll have to walk back" then he goes and puts the bike next to the entrance to the MSV building and I'm thinking ive just met some sort of geriatric or something.

I go back inside to the suite and sit down with couple of friends and tell em about some old git who asked me to look after his bike, then, 10 minutes later the old bloke comes over to us, I roll my eyes to the others as if he is some sort of nutter and he says to me its "OK, ive got someone else looking after it, problem is down in the pits they are buggers and keep stealing it. I asked him what he is doing down the pits and who is he working for, thinking of course he makes them tea or sweeps up or something, and he says "well my son is racing". I ask, "so who is your Son then" he goes, "Scott Smart". Now by this time, those of you who know, will know what I'm on about. I say well "can you get us all a free pit walk?" being all cocky and stuff, and of course he says "**** off"

Then, my mate, who is Mr BSB/WSB starts having a full on chat with this bloke about all the teams and stuff, and I'm sitting there oblivious to who this bloke is. then, when he leaves to go back to his own table, my mate says " do you have any idea who that is" and of course I say no cos I aint got a clue have I. he says"that was Scott Smart's dad, PAUL SMART!!!!"

ooops

2007 Ducati Sport 1000 Vs. Triumph Thruxton - Modern Rockers - Cafe Racer Comparo

2008-10-05T00:05:00.005+01:00

writer: Brian Catterson
photographer: Chip Morton, John Zamora

There's a scene in The Who's Quadrophenia that I almost reenacted on my way to work this morning. No, not the climactic finale where our hero, Jimmy Cooper, launches his Lambretta off the Brighton cliffs-though that did cross my mind afterward. The other incident, where he lays down his motorscooter and watches it get mowed by a mail truck. Gone postal?

Read more/continues below

True, I shouldn't have been speeding toward a stale-yellow light, but the Ducati Sport 1000's front end shouldn't have started flapping like a fish when I grabbed the front brake lever, either. Excuse me for whinging like a Mod coming down off of leapers, but I've never ridden a motorcycle with such diabolical suspension-at least not a modern one. And the Triumph Thruxton's isn't much better.

It's easy to be seduced by the romance of the Cafe-racer era: the whole Ace Cafe, Mods vs. Rockers, Ton-Up Boys, pudding basin and goggles, black leather and blue jeans, rockabilly scenario. And we do owe a debt to the creators of these '50s and '60s Brit-bikes, whose clip-on handlebars and rearset footrests paved the way for today's street-going sportbikes. But the truth is the Good Old Days really weren't that good. And it might not be in our best interest to revisit them.

When Ducati announced it was going to build production versions of the three Pierre Terblanche-designed SportClassic prototypes unveiled at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, Ducatisti the world over rejoiced. The then-current Supersports were nice enough motorcycles, made better with the addition of fuel-injection and Dual Spark ignition, but they were fugly. The SportClassics would return Borgo Panigale to the days of achingly beautiful naked sports bikes.

There is a lot to like about the Sport 1000, beginning with its looks. Its minimalist bodywork, yellow-peril paint, Veglia-style, white-faced instruments and spoked wheels evoke the 1970s 750 Sport, the valve-spring version of the legendary 750 Super Sport Desmo. You've gotta love its engine, too: The DS 1000 is one of the great air-cooled, two-valve V-twins, with well-calibrated injection, gobs of torque from idle to redline and not a lot of vibration. The exhaust note emanating from the dual right-side mufflers is too subdued to be menacing, and little of the dry clutch's ca-chinga, ca-chinga rattle makes its way through the solid cover. But bolt on an open megaphone and a ventilated clutch cover, and you've got a rockin' drumbeat with cymbal accompaniment. Loud clutches save lives, right? If nothing else, the dual horns will get motorists' attention.

The Sport's seating position is period authentic, with a longer reach to the bars than on most modern sportbikes. Leaning far forward like that places a lot of weight on your wrists and shoulders, so your neck soon gets a crick in it, and when you turn your head to look behind you, you find yourself looking up at the sky. The solo seat is tipped up in back, which means you tend to slide forward, "the boys" becoming intimate with the squared-off back of the plastic fuel tank. Unusual for today, the Sport comes with bar-end mirrors, which provide a decent rearward view but make the bike a foot wider than it would be otherwise; we tipped them up vertically while lane-splitting and still had a tough time squeezing between cars.

Like all Ducatis, the Sport is geared tall to pass the DOT's drive-by noise test, and that, combined with the dry clutch, makes easing away from a standstill anything but easy. Heat is to a clutch plate what a Mod is to a Rocker, thus it's better to give the bike a little throttle and let the clutch out quickly rather than wind it up and slip it-our testbike's clutch action deteriorated noticeably following drag-strip testing. Speaking of heat, the rear exhaust header radiates an excessive amount, roasting your inner things. You won't notice it as much at speed, but in town, it's a PITA.

One other thing that bugged us at slow speeds was the Sport's handling. Maybe it's the position of the handlebars ahead of the forks, maybe it's the seating position, maybe it's the rake and trail figures ... whatever it is, the bike steers heavy at parking-lot speeds and doesn't feel normal until you're rolling along at 15-20 mph.

One last gripe before we quit griping, and that's the tires: Made specifically for Ducati's SportClassics, the Pirelli SportsComp radials use a similar tread pattern to the '70s Phantom bias-plies, which look great but cause the tires to walk in freeway rain grooves or on grated bridges. It's been years since we'd experienced that sensation, so we found it unnerving the first time it happened. But they work pretty well otherwise, and in fact the Sport is a decent-handling motorcycle. It's only when you really push it that the undersprung, underdamped fork starts to pogo.

It's hard to fathom how Ducati-which just won its umpteenth World Superbike Championship-could sell a production motorcycle with such a poorly calibrated fork. It settles halfway into its stroke under the weight of the bike alone, and packs down even further with a rider on board. As a result it's always in the harsh part of its stroke, so it's a hop, skid and a bump under braking as the front tire skims across the waves of asphalt. Did we mention there aren't any adjustments? We might expect that from a conventional telescopic fork, but the Marzocchi 43mm inverted cartridge unit is seemingly state of the art. The single Sachs shock works better than the fork, but would work better yet if it had a rising-rate linkage. The shock is fully adjustable, but even with minimum rebound damping can't match the fork, so the bike always feels unbalanced.

The Triumph Thruxton is named after a limited-production racing model that was itself named after a track that hosted a classic endurance race. It's a classy-looking motorcycle, especially in our testbike's Tornado Red with white stripes. The paint is set off by acres of "brightwork" (Brit-speak for shiny metal bits), such as the cast Triumph badges on the gas tank, the chrome pipes and "winkers," and the polished-aluminum dash with white-faced instruments.

Insert the key into the left side of the Thruxton's headlight nacelle, push the starter button and the result is hardly a ruckus. The engine sounds like a tea kettle whistling, and looking at the dime-sized muffler outlets in the megaphone exhausts, it's no wonder why. Considering it's a Cafe racer, the seating position isn't so bad; you sit flatter than on the Ducati with more weight on your bum and less on your wrists. It's still a long reach to the bars, however, so you find yourself scootching forward to the tip of the seat, whose pillion cover is removable to accommodate a passenger. The narrow-spaced fork legs let the clip-ons tuck in tight, and the mirrors give a decent view over your shoulders while not being too wide for city work. They do get a little fuzzy at speed, though, thanks to engine vibration that makes itself apparent above 4500 rpm. And long-legged folks will hit their knees on the cam covers.
Unlike the Ducati, which merely looks like a period Cafe racer, the Triumph pretty much is one. It's equipped with a conventional fork and twin shocks (all adjustable for preload only), which provide the kind of ride you'd expect. The suspension is soft at both ends, prone to pitching under braking, and there's precious little damping in either direction. It's more what you'd find on a cruiser, and seeing as how the Thruxton is based on the Bonneville, that shouldn't be too surprising. Things are hunky-dory around town and acceptable on a smooth country road. But drop a coin in the Ace Cafe jukebox, speed out and back on the North Circular Road and you'd be hard-pressed to return before the song was over. The bias-ply Metzeler Lasertec front and radial MEZ2 rear are an odd combination but seem to work well together, the bike feeling good while leaned over in a smooth corner. It's only when you encounter bumpy pavement that the suspension gets wonky. And trying to make quick transitions reveals how littleweight is on the front end as the bike begins to wallow; if we owned it, our first mod would be longer shocks. Last, the single front disc brake is prone to fade during fast riding. Which isn't much of a problem because the Thruxton is slow.

Can it "Do the Ton?" Yes, but it'll take a while to get there; during our performance testing, the Thruxton just cracked 100 mph in the quarter-mile. It's hard to believe this is the 865cc "cooking" version of the carbureted 790cc Bonneville T100 twin. The original 1964-'65 Thruxton made a claimed 54 horsepower, yet this one makes just 5 more-and 17 less than the Sport 1000. Worse, full of gas the Thruxton is 61 pounds heavier than the Sport. As a result, any performance contest is no contest: The Ducati waxes the Triumph by 1.85 seconds in the quarter-mile and leaves it for dead on a twisty road.

You expect certain concessions from classic-style motorcycles like these two retro Cafe racers, but they both ought to work better than they do. Has fashion finally surpassed function? Or do owners want a bike that needs fixing, like back in the day? Whatever the answer, what it boils down to is this: The Sport 1000 sells for $11,495 and needs a set of $100 fork springs to fix it. The Thruxton costs just $7999, which is a screamin' deal, but even with $3495 worth of mods is still unlikely to equal the Ducati. In the end, the Triumph is the more authentic Cafe racer, but the Ducati is the better motorcycle.

Ergos
Explained Back in the Bad Olde Days, Cafe racers never studied ergonomics. Some things never change. Though comfortable is a strong word for either bike, the longer, roomier Triumph wins this round, especially if you have long legs or an aversion to being propped up on your wrists in excruciating pain for extended periods on the Ducati. Bottom line: They're both painful for more than an hour at a time, but the Thruxton is less so.

2007 Ducati Sport 1000
PRICE
MSRP $11,495
Engine
Type a/o-c V-twin
Valve arrangement sohc, 4v
Bore x stroke 94.0mm x 71.5mm
Displacement 992cc
Compression ratio 10:1
Transmission 6-speed
Final drive Chain
Chassis
Weight (wet) 436 lb. (198kg)
Weight (dry) 413 lb. (187kg)
Rake 24.0 deg.
Trail 3.62 in. (92mm)
Wheelbase 56.1 in. (1425mm)
Seat height 32.6 in. (828mm)
Fuel capacity 3.9 gal. (15L)
Suspension
Front 43mm fork
Rear twin shocks, adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping
Performance
Corrected 1/4-mile* 11.63 sec. @ 113.36 mph
Fuel mileage
(low/high/average) 40/50/45
*Performance with test-session weather conditions corrected to sea-level stand-ard conditions (59 degrees F, 29.92 in. of mercury).

2007 Triumph Thruxton
PRICE
MSRP $7,999
Engine
Type a-c vertical twin
Valve arrangement DOHC, 8v
Bore x stroke 90.0mm x 68.0mm
Displacement 865cc
Compression ratio 9.2:1
Transmission 5-speed
Final drive Chain
Chassis
Weight (wet) 497 lb. (225kg)
Weight (dry) 471 lb. (213kg)
Rake 27.0 deg.
Trail 3.82 in. (97mm)
Wheelbase 56.7 in. (1440mm)
Seat height 31.4 in. (797mm)
Fuel capacity 4.4 gal. (17L)
Suspension
Front 41mm fork, adjustable for
spring preload
Rear twin shocks, adjustable for spring preload
Performance
Corrected 1/4-mile* 13.48 sec. @ 100.18 mph
Fuel mileage
(low/high/average) 29/40/34
*Performance with test-session weather conditions corrected to sea-level stand-ard conditions (59 degrees F, 29.92 in. of mercury).

Off The Record
Age: 48
Height 6' 2"
Weight: 215 Lb.
Inseam: 35 In.
Tim Carrithers Executive Editor, Motorcyclist Ignore the sporty posturing. Triumph's Thruxton is a cruiser. It's just the ticket for those who harbor warm, fuzzy feelings for the days when Britannia ruled the waves and Ascot Park, but can't find the kick-starter on a proper 410-pound Bonneville. A little gentrified pottering, perhaps? Fine. But it's bang out of order on a twisty road.

And though the Sport 1000 suffers from price-point suspension and Euro 3 emissions asthma, Jeff Nash has proven there's a beast in there just waiting to get out. In stock trim, at least the Ducati is a start. The Triumph is an embarrassment.

Brent Avis
Too-Tall, Too-Young
Age: 30
Height: 6' 2"
Weight 195 lb.
Inseam: 34 in.

I hate to agree with Timmy the C on anything, seeing as he has more age-induced crust and bitters on him than the Triumph has ugly on the Ducati, but so it goes here. Whether on it or around it, the Triumph is slower, uglier and faker than the gorgeous Ducati-and it sounds like a flatulent parakeet to boot. It goes so far as to make Kawasaki's W650 that was the Bonneville knockoff seem authentic. While the Sport 1000 generated more positive comments and up-turned thumbs and mouths than anything I've ridden recently, the Thruxton (whose nickname became an expletive replacing the first syllable) was all but invisible.

While neither is a true sportbike in the modern-classic sense, the Ducati is at least not a mockery of its lineage, and can be a truly pleasant roundy-road runabout with potential for real performance. The Triumph is only that in name.

Originally published here

Ducati 750 Imola Racer, '74 750 Super Sport And PS1000 LE - The Holy Trinity - Paul Smart

2008-10-04T23:53:00.005+01:00

The Religious Right May Object, But What Else Can You Call Ducati's Original 750 Imola Racer, The Incomparable '74 750 Super Sport And The New PS1000 LE? Imola 200 Winner Paul Smart Tests All Three.

writer: John L. Stein
photographer: Kevin Wing

Serendipity just falls your way sometimes. You meet the love of your life in an elevator. The car that just passed you hits the deer. Or the fortunes of your company soar on the basis of a single event. Such is the case of Ducati, which in 1972 was a little-known Italian manufacturer of buzzy single-cylinder road bikes. That is until April 23, when everything changed as 29-year-old Englishman Paul Smart outran the best Formula 750 bikes and riders in the world to win the inaugural Imola 200, the Daytona of Europe, on the company's brand-new 750. Surprised? Most everyone was. "Before the race, people thought me riding a Ducati at Imola was a joke," Smart recalls today. "No one had ever heard of a V-twin Ducati."

Read more/continues below

That would quickly change. Enthused with the victory of Ducati's first big bike in its maiden race, company management announced a road-going version of the Imola racer. Delightfully, when it arrived two years later, the '74 750 Super Sport really was a race replica-and the most audacious streetbike of its time. With an exotic desmodromic valve train, gigantic pumper carbs, triple disc brakes and the sexiest bodywork this side of Brigitte Bardot, the limited-production "greenframe" soon became iconic on street and track.

Fast forward three decades, and with retro fever gripping manufacturers from Apple to Zippo, it was inevitable that Ducati would spin its venerable two-valve air-cooled powertrain into the Paul Smart 1000 Limited Edition to celebrate what is arguably the company's most important race win. But how faithfully does it follow the tire tracks of its ancestors? We wanted to know.

Smart has ridden his Imola winner occasionally over the years, had once sampled an original greenframe in the U.K. and has enjoyed the occasional whirl on the new PS1000 LE. But he never rode all three bikes in sequence to measure the genetic evolution that his Imola triumph began and said he'd like to try. With Smart willing and Willow Springs Raceway available, all we needed were the bikes.

Seven Imola racers made the short trip from Ducati's Borgo Panigale race shop to Imola in '72 and three are known to exist in original form today-including Smart's race-winner, which he was given after the event and still owns. According to the best knowledge available, the bike seen here is his backup machine from Imola that later raced in Europe, Canada and Africa. Fortunately, it's slightly easier to find an original 750 Super Sport streetbike, and this example is a solid runner showing 15,600 kilometers on its Smiths speedometer. Outfitted with grippy new Avon classic racing rubber to match the Imola racer's, it was ready to prove its heritage on the track. Finally, with most of the new PS1000 LEs now in private hands, we were lucky to find Eric Beaman, the lead mechanic at Southern California Ducati, willing to turn his personal bike over to Motorcyclist for testing-with the only proviso that it return bearing Mr. Smart's signature.

Nobody was in much of a hurry to ride anything when black ice greeted us in the pits at Willow on a subfreezing morning in January. And yet, as the winter sun tracked across the desert skies, eventually enough heat baked into the track surface to make hot lapping possible. Smart first went out on his namesake, the PS1000 LE, to familiarize himself with The Fastest Road in the West. He liked it, and with just a few laps of reconnaissance was ready for the program.

First up was the '72 Imola racer. Far from the nearly stock machines that Ducati publicized, the Formula 750 bikes actually used special frames, highly modified engines with racing crankshafts, primary drives, valve train, twin-plug ignition, carburetion, oiling and exhaust systems, plus the triple disc brakes, Ceriani shocks, a giant fuel cell and roadracing bodywork. Stock appearing though they might have been, they were highly developed machines credited with making 84 horsepower from their 748cc displacement-a very respectable 112 bhp per liter, even by today's standards. With appropriate gearing, Smart reckons they were good for 150 mph in '72. We push-start Smart and a sharp staccato bark jumps from the unique high/low megaphones, so configured to provide cornering clearance for Imola's predominantly left-hand turns.

Smart accelerates the Imola racer by on his first hot lap, his black leathers and white helmet virtual carbon copies of 35 years ago. This 63-year-old can still fly, and many laps later he returns the bike with the right-side pipe scuffed and the tires feathered to the edges. Smart is credited with developing the modern hanging-off cornering style that virtually every roadracer uses today. It was born of necessity. "I didn't go racing until age 22; I just rode bikes on the street," he explained. "Then I went to the MCC High Speed Trials at Silverstone on an old BSA and it dragged terribly. I hung off the thing just to keep the undercarriage off the road. Kenny Roberts later complimented me by saying he learned a lot about body weight control by following me at Ontario."

As for the high points of the original Formula 750 Imola racer: "It's incredibly torquey, isn't it?" he began. "It has big old carburetors and basic ignition, but the thing works so well. That's the advantage of the desmodromic system-because you can open and close the valves a lot quicker, you can put more efficient ramps on the cams. And considering the age of the thing, it does handle. Its geometry is all wrong with a long wheelbase and a fork angle of who knows what, but it behaves itself extremely well, doesn't require a lot of rider input and the brakes are faultless. The biggest Achilles' heel is it's so long you have to crank it to get through tight corners. Also the riding position where you're sitting well back and low with your knees under your chin feels strange. But those motorcycles were just right. They were easy on the rider and relaxing to ride. I honestly can't fault it."

Thanks to the commitment of Ducati executive Fredmano Spairani and the genius of engineer Fabio Taglioni, the 750 Super Sport went into series production in January 1974. Though outfitted with a new frame, street equipment, a downsized fuel cell and abbreviated fairing, it was still the progeny of the Imola racer. The desmo valve train-the first on a production Ducati V-twin-along with the 40mm Dell'Orto carbs, triple disc brakes, clip-on handlebars and rearsets with remote linkages remained. Many Super Sports, like this example originally sold in South Africa, were pressed into racing duty, then later returned to street use.

Smart expertly kick-starts the SS, pulls the right-side shifter up for first and enters the track. The motorcycle is obscenely loud, even by early-'70s standards, and the combined thrashing of the gear-driven cams, the intense intake chuffing and the bark of the straight-through Conti mufflers is definitely plug-your-ears painful at close range. No wonder Maggie Smart, Paul's wife and the sister of the late, great Barry Sheene, had reminded him to wear his earplugs. Smart laps, well, smartly, on the Super Sport, but not quite at the same pace as on the racer. It's the brakes mostly. Italian Scarab front calipers-cheap knockoffs of the factory racer's Lockheeds-became standard equipment on production Super Sports and never offered the same performance or feel as the originals. Besides that, the Super Sport doesn't have the Imola-spec camshafts, bold cylinder-head development, straight-cut primary gears, efficient racing fairing or light weight of the factory bikes. Even so, its DNA remains intact.

"I haven't ridden one of those in probably 30 years," Smart exclaimed after returning. "It is amazing how well they steer. The chassis does feel very much the same as the racebike, and the engine characteristics do, too. It's probably 20 horsepower less, but it has the same wide torque spread. The fairing is not as efficient as the racebike's, and it feels like you're falling off the bike, you're sitting so far back. But the point is, you're riding a bike whose heart is the same. One thing Ducati has managed to do is take the racing-bike feel and translate it to the street."

Smart endorsed the classic Avon racing tires on both bikes-patterned after the tiremaker's vintage rubber but using modern race compounds. "They are incredible, aren't they?" he mused. "It's amazing just how good they are. The tires definitely contribute to the fact that these old bikes can be ridden as hard as they can."

But he definitely didn't like the Scarab braking system on the Super Sport. "The brakes on the racebike are really good for their age," he continued. "They work extremely well and people are still using them in classic racing. But the ones on the streetbike feel leaden, sallow and unresponsive."

So far we had established that the hallowed 750 Super Sport, the derivative of the Imola racers, was indeed from the same breeding stock. Despite some missing ponies and flaccid brakes compared to the factory bikes, it still honestly and emphatically established Ducati as a superbike builder.

But the big leap was yet to come. While less than two years passed between the creation of the Imola racebikes and the 750 SS, some 32 years-and numerous architectural changes-separate the greenframe from the new Sport Classic PS1000 LE. Mechanically, they share little except their 90-degree engine configuration and a few ounces of silver and turquoise paint. Would Smart find any connection on the track?

He jumped aboard the borrowed PS1000, flicked up the sidestand, thumbed the starter button and motored up the pit exit. Already, it was easy to see a dramatic difference. Like all modern motorcycles, the fuel-injected PS1000 LE is utterly simple to use. No flooding the carbs, no fishing for TDC, no leaping on an awkward kickstarter and no fogged faceshield when the thing won't fire. Smoothly and much more quietly, the PS1000 accelerated onto the racing line. After a lap to warm the tires, here came Smart, whooshing down the front straight. Hunkered behind the windscreen, those same black leathers looked equally at home-or more so-than on the old bikes. And he was going faster.

After slinging past the pits, the PS1000 shot into the braking zone for Turn One impossibly late-or so it seemed. But by the grace of the big twin-piston brakes, Smart got it slowed in time, neatly dropped it over and accelerated out of the turn and away. Lap after lap, he cut smooth lines in the corners, ripped down the straights and dug deep into the brakes. And when he was done, the PS1000 murmured back into the pits as contentedly as a coed's scooter.

"The geometry is very contemporary," Smart began after removing his helmet. "You get lots of feedback and it still feels very planted, especially in fast corners. I really do believe a steel frame gives great feedback-just like on a bicycle. This is not a highly tuned engine, but it does make a tremendous amount of torque so you really don't have to rev it. Overall, though, the modern tires, suspension and brakes are really what separate it from the old bikes. In comparison, the frame and engine are probably the least developed."

He then made an unexpected announcement. "The bike that surprised me most today is the old streetbike," he said of the 750 SS. "I thought I would go out and do one or two laps and put it away. But if you just ride it smoothly and pick your line, it's really very nice."

Hungry for a decisive conclusion, we cornered the genial Mr. Smart and asked him which bike he'd select if he had time for just one more session. "I have to be honest: It's the new bike," he confessed. "Everything works and the machine is far better than the rider in my case now. You can just go out there and ride it as hard as you can until you run out of tire."

It's a good thing Smart said that, because when serendipity hands you a chance, you'd better make it count. Now 35 years removed from that fateful day at Imola in 1972, we can finally rest assured that Ducati did just that. And that in the Paul Smart 1000 Limited Edition, the Holy Spirit lives on.

Originally published here

MHR Advert - UK

2008-09-17T21:47:00.016+01:00

Coburn and Hughes MHR ad

MHR Poster - Superbike Magazine

2008-09-17T21:47:00.013+01:00

Poster from Superbike Magazine 1982

750 Sport Road Test - Italian Motorcycle, 1989

2008-09-17T21:47:00.010+01:00

A review of the 750 Sport from Italian Motorcycle magazine

Read more here/below

Signed Paul Smart Postcard

2008-09-17T21:47:00.006+01:00

750 Sport Road Test - Two Wheels, Oct 74

2008-09-17T21:47:00.004+01:00

Road test of the 750 Sport from Two Wheels Magazine, October 1974
Continues here/below

Sport Classic Launch party - Daikanyama, Japan 2005

2008-09-01T08:30:00.001+01:00

Photos and video from the Party for launch of the Sport Classic in Japan. Taken from Colezzione Giappone's wonderful website

Continues with photos here/below

Photos from the Silverstone Paul Smart launch

2008-08-31T14:57:00.010+01:00

A selection of images taken at the UK launch of the Paul Smart LE at Silverstone Race Circuit, thanks to Smart LE owner RichC for supplying these.
This was the first opportunity those who had ordered PS1000 LE's had to see the final production bike.

Continues here/below

Paul Smart recalls the 1972 Imola 200

2008-08-31T14:33:00.006+01:00

Taken from the Ducati press kit.
By Paul Smart/Ducati (Saturday, 31 January 2004)

In 1972 Paul Smart met his new mount the Ducati 750 that he would race at the Imola 200. Courtesy of Ducati, this is his recollection of that first meeting and the race that followed.

Meeting the new Ducati for the first time.
I got on the airplane tired, having just finished a race at Atlanta in the USA. I was not real happy as I had the long trip ahead of me to Imola for a race that my wife had committed me to. I was not at all sure that I wanted to go.

Continues here/below

Arriving in Italy, I was surprised to be picked up at the airport by a big car. You know the ones with the curtains in the windows, the car of the Direttore or something. That my initial attitude was negative is an understatement, you see I was totally prepared to find that my “ride” for the race was another old bike, patched together for the weekend.
I went straight from the airport to Modena race track, and was greeted by a great mass of mechanics and race personnel in their blue overalls. I certainly got the message that something important was going on. Franco Farné who was heading-up the race department spoke a little English, and thank goodness there was Angela, his English-speaking South African secretary. From them, I got the feeling that they were anticipating something very important in the works.
We went straight to the practice circuit in Modena, which was right in the middle of town. The circuit was also an airport, with airplanes parked along the sides of the track. This is the same place they used to hold a round of the Italian Championship. The track was completely surrounded by apartment blocks. Add to this all of the airplanes lining the circuit it was very easy to be totally distracted. I hadn’t been in Italy for a day, yet by midday I was at the Modena track, ready to test a brand new motorcycle with the entire team and management looking on. The Imola 200 was only days away and we were desperately short of time.
The first time I saw the bike was at the track. I thought, “This thing is so long its never going to go round a corner…and it’s got a hinge in the middle”. You get preconceived ideas just looking at a bike. I had just gotten off one of the most evil handling motorcycles in the world, and this new Ducati made me think that I was stepping back in time. A four-stroke twin?
So I just went out and did 10 laps. Right away I could tell the engine was the story. Ducati had obviously been working hard and put a lot of effort into it. It just felt slow revving, like it fired every lamp post (well it wasn’t slow, it just felt it) but still quick enough, and the chassis seemed to work fine.
After the first 10 laps the only thing I had to criticise was the TT100 street tyres. I wanted Dunlop race tyres, but the mechanics were sure they wouldn’t last for the 200 miles of Imola, but I kept insisting that they were changed before we went to Imola. We made a few minor adjustments – footrests, handlebars and the like and in 20 minutes I went back out. I did about ten more laps and headed back to the paddock. Remember, I was really tired and my mood poor, and when I came into the pits I was ready to criticise and rip the bike to bits, but as I came in to the pits I knew something was up. The whole team was jumping up and down, clapping and patting me on the back. It seems I had just broken the world Champion Agostini’s lap record -- on street tyres! And of course standing there was Ingenere Taglioni. He always had a smile on his face and was constantly talking to you, asking questions, analysing the situation. I will always remember that broad smile.
The bike had only just been produced, created from bits and pieces from the GT models that had just been introduced. My feeling was that it was unlikely that such and unproven thing could finish a 200 mile race. The bike was a lot quicker than I expected 84bhp to be and it didn’t lose power when it got hot during the race like the two strokes I had been riding. It made really tractable power and allowed me to be more aggressive with the throttle. All this was a surprise to me and the new Ducati was much easier to ride and more powerful than the Triumph I had ridden the year before.
There wasn’t much more to do, Ducati had it all pretty well sorted. The biggest hassle was the tyres, they just wouldn’t listen; so I just insisted, if we were down to the carcass at the end of the race, we would deal with it then.

The Imola 200

The race was the biggest thing in Italy. Checco Costa’s grand event, and he really wanted every Italian manufacturer there, and all the top riders. No excuses accepted, he wanted them all there.
Arriving at the track I knew a few people -- Agostini, the English riders and a couple others who were all surprised to see me there. The secrecy in the Ducati pits, Taglione’s smile and my presence occupied everyone’s thoughts. Something was up at Ducati.
All the top names and teams were on hand. Agostini with his world beating MV Agusta, Villa on a very strong Triumph, Jack Findlay on a really trick Moto Guzzi, Saarinen on his Yamaha, Peter Williams and I think Croxford on the Nortons plus the extended Triumph team with Pickford and Jefferies in the saddle. There were also teams from Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki.
A ride on the new Ducati mounts was offered to a number of top riders, but all declined to go out on such an unproven thing.
Practice went extremely well, with Bruno Spaggiari my team mate and me setting most of the fastest laps. Immediately the grumbling started by the people who had the chance to ride the bikes and chose not to. Much to their surprise the bikes were up front.
Agostini’s plan was to go like stink and win, or until his MV broke. I think he was on Pole. I am pretty sure he was behind me in practice, but he was on Pole. He was the World Champion after all, so no one argued.
I wasn’t too fussed or intimidated by the competition or my team mate Spaggiari, by this time in my career my attitude was that no one was going to faze me. I didn’t care who they were, as long as they were second.
On race day I couldn’t believe how many people there were. The atmosphere was electric and full of noise like only the Italians can make. Thousands of people clogged the roadways and it took forever to get into the circuit. Everywhere you looked were race fans watching from any vantage point, from rooftops to the tops of trees, everywhere you looked you saw a mass of faces.
The track is one of my lasting memories. It was a wonderful old style Grand Prix circuit, which did, and still does run around the hills at the back of the old town of Imola. The race was run primarily on closed-off public roads and its layout encourage really high speeds. My only worry was rain, as the track was lined in many places by steel Armco barriers and trees, and putting a wheel off could have some rather unsavoury consequences. The track was a bit damp and I could see this would be a sprint – no backing-off or cruising for the entire race. The critical part of the circuit was the Tamburello corner, the same one where Senna crashed. To win, you would need to go through flat out and be in the right place for the exit. It took more than skill to get this turn right, it also took a fair amount of courage or insanity to get through at race winning speeds. From the bottom of the hill and through the turn it was full throttle situation and we were pulling 150mph+. These were not slow those bikes, and the tires were absolutely skinny by today’s standards.
Ducati team manager Fredmano Spairani was and incredibly determined man totally focused on winning. Before the race, to stop any fighting, he told Spagiari and I, “Listen, you and Bruno are going to be first and second. I’d just like you two to agree to share the prize money for first and second when we win.” He was so convinced and convincing that we all agreed. And to top it off, he said if I won, I could keep my bike.
During the race, there was no pit board, just three batons -- Red for danger - someone was close, yellow - hold your speed and green - slow down. We would have to pit for fuel during the race, and again, no signals. We had a clear stripe down the side of the fuel tank, which would allow the mechanic to be sure he had filled the tank at the refuelling stop. Definitely an “analog, no excuses” system.
As we rolled out to the start, all the drama and screaming fans begins to fade, and by then you’re oblivious to the amount of people around and you’re on your own. I was looking at the sky thinking ‘oh Christ its going to rain’. It was a full stop, engine running start. When the flag dropped Ago’s MV shot off, but I was cautious as I wanted to keep both the clutch and me in one piece. I was very aware there was a whole field of very hungry competitors just behind me; I really didn’t want to mess it up at the first hairpin.
Bruno and I quickly moved to the front, but I lost first gear very early on. It always amazed me that Bruno never figured that one out and blast past me. Again its just possible that without first gear I saved a couple of gear changes and maybe I couldn’t have gone through those first gear corners any quicker. The biggest problem we had was passing the back markers as Imola being a fast track and there some slow riders on some slow bikes out there. Moreover it was a torturous 200 miles and we were always dodging bikes retiring and running out of fuel. The attrition rate was pretty high.
We did just one refuel and this was the tensest part of the race and just to add to the drama, both Spagiari and I came in for fuel at the same time. It all looked (and was) even more spectacular running together up front and then pulling into the pits and refuelling together. Ducati didn’t just want to win they wanted the bikes first and second, in formation for the whole race and even for refuelling. Ducati wanted it all, and to pull it off would be a magnificent achievement, (actually it would be a f*#%g miracle).

Spaggiari had come past me during the race but I had gone straight back past him. He didn’t press me again until the last lap when he tried to ride round the outside of me coming out of the Aqua Minerale section. At that part of the track we were going completely flat out and I saw of his front wheel coming alongside, and to communicate my displeasure I just let it drift wide. I didn’t see him after that, and when I did look back I wondered if he had just gone through the hedge or something. We were a long way ahead of everyone else. During the last few laps of the race you could hear the screaming voices of the fans above the sound of the engines. Really impressive fans.
Bruno and I crossed the finish line first and second, and I think I relaxed for the first time since boarding the plane Atlanta. The realization of what you had done really hit when riding the bike back into pit lane and seeing the faces of the entire race team, especially Taglioni and Spairani. Total elation. They had gambled and their bet paid off.
The day was also notable for me in another way – you see it was also my birthday ( April 23, 1943). A really good birthday.

After the race
They really made a big fuss about Bruno, me and Ducati in Italy. They put our bikes in this big glass-sided truck and us on the top and that evening we had a grand tour around Bologna in a long procession of cars honking their horns and waving flags. We stopped for what was to be minute outside the railway station, but thousands and thousands of people surrounded us and we just joined in the party. I was still in my leathers and so tired and jet lagged, but there was no way you were going to get any sleep at this party. It seemed and entire city came out to celebrate this glory for Ducati, Bologna and Italy.
The next day Spairani reminded me that I would get to keep the bike, subject to me racing at some international meetings in the UK. The Ducati 750 and I went on to win the Hutchinson 100 at Brands Hatch besting the then dominant Phil Read.
With the Imola 200 mile race and subsequent races I developed a real affinity for the bike. It was quick and it just didn’t do anything wrong. If I could find a fault it would be ground clearance, but my ‘hanging-off’ riding style didn’t allow it to become a big problem. I still own the bike and have lent it to the Ducati factory where it sits proudly in the Ducati Museum in Bologna, Italy.
Paul Smart

The Imola 750's Specifications:
ENGINE:
-4-stroke longitudinal 90° V twin cylinder configuration. Air cooled.
-Longitudinally-cut crankcase, heads on blocks in light alloy; cast-iron liner.
-Bore and Stroke: 80 x 74.4 mm
-Capacity: 747.95 cc.
-Compression Ratio: 10:1
-Desmodromic single overhead camshaft driven by bevel-gear
-Twin-plug contact-breaker ignition
-Two Dellorto PHF 40 carburetors with accelerator pump
-Wet sump lubrication
-Primary reduction by gears, final by chain
-Wet multi-plate clutch, five-speed gearbox
FRAME, FORKS, AND RUNNING GEARS:
-Duplex open-cradle tubular-steel frame
-Marzocchi telescopic hydraulic front forks with raked pins; swinging-arm rear suspension with
-two Ceriani 310-mm shocks.
-Brakes: Front twin 280-mm disks with Lockheed calipers.
-Borrani light alloy rims, Dunlop KR Tires, 3.25 x 18 front, 3.5 x 18 back
-Fiberglass fuel tank with 24 liters capacity
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT:
-Length – 2,018 mm, Wheelbase – 1,530 mm, Rake – 60 mm.
-Weight: 163 kg
-Maximum Power: 82 HP at 9,000 revs
PERFORMANCE:
-About 250 kmph

1974 Ducati Brochure

2008-08-29T12:04:00.006+01:00

Kindly reproduced here with permission of Ducati.ms user Corks67 a 1974 Ducati brochure featuring the 750 SuperSport.

View Photos

Continued

Sport Classic Promotional Video

2008-08-26T09:56:00.001+01:00

Motorcycle Sport and Leisure SC Test

2008-08-25T19:49:00.003+01:00

MSL published a road test of all 3 sport classics in their December 2005 issue. You can order back issues here
This magazine is also available electronically as a Zinio download more details here

Moto Italia Back Issue

2008-08-25T19:19:00.005+01:00

Morton's Book Publishing produced an excellent book/magazine on Italian motorcycle exotica, I bought my copy in September 2005 I believe and still refer back to it. Included in that magazine was an interview by Alan Cathcart with Pierre Terblanche on how the Sport Classic range came about. You can order a copy from here, price - a bargain at £5.

Book Contents

6 Moto Morini returns - Riding the new kid on the block
18 Ducati – into the Future What’s next for the boys from Bologna
26 Jota The story of Laverda’s enduring legend
34 What’s happening at Aprilia? All the latest since the Piaggio takeover
48 Puglia by Multistrada - Is this the best way to see Italy’s heel?
58 Moto Guzzi Breva - Testing the new big bore twin
66 Borile Supermoto Hand crafted for riding pleasre
72 Call 999 - Ducati’s supersport flagship evaluated
82 MV’s Brutal Beast - Running the rule over the Agusta Brutale
90 Down the line at Ducati - We get nosey in the Bologna factory
96 Motogiro memories - Looking back at the revival of the famous race
102 Bimota DB5 - Testing the super-slim Bim
110 Ducati Sport Classics - Behind the scenes with the new retros – and meeting the man who inspired them
118 Club Italia - Sampling owners clubs – Italian style
124 MV Superbike -MV plan a return to the rece track. We ride the bike

Press Release for SC Demo Week 2007

2008-08-23T21:01:00.003+01:00

Originally posted here
Ducati North America presents the SportClassic Demo Week from September 1-8 at participating dealerships.

With the runaway success of the 1098 and now the Hypermotard, it's only natural to honor Ducati's history and the models that have been revolutionizing motorcycling for decades. Come ride the modern interpretations of Fabio Taglioni's original 1970s Ducati sport bikes—these motorcycles are more than showroom displays of modern classics, they are also brimming with performance.

These last days of summer are the perfect time to experience the Sport and GT models—all powered by the outstanding Desmo 1000 Dual Spark engine. The torquey air-cooled L-twin is the perfect match for the SportClassics' comfort and performance attributes. Alloy cylinders, with their traditional cooling fins form the classic "L" configuration, reminding us of the original Taglioni design. Slim between the legs and exposed for all to see, the latest two-valve Desmo system, fuel-injection, computer controlled engine management and Ducati Testastretta technology ensure that the 1000 DS engine is powerful, dependable and thrilling to ride. Click here to learn more about the SportClassic lineup.

Each participating dealer will have a Sport 1000 and GT 1000 available for demo so stop in Saturday, September 1 through Saturday, September 8 to ride a piece of history. Enjoy food and drinks as you peruse SportClassic Ducati Performance accessories and vintage-styled apparel. Details may vary by dealership, but one thing will remain constant—the essential beauty, timeless style, emotion, and performance of the SportClassics.

As an added bonus, any SportClassic purchased from a participating dealer during the month of September will receive $500 worth of Ducati Performance Parts or Apparel.

Ducati Race Replicas

2008-08-23T20:27:00.004+01:00

Ducati Race Bike Replicas are offering a limited production run of 15 NCR replicas, 5 Endurance and 5 TT900 Replicas.
Approximately 80% of the replica will be new parts with the remaining 20% being refurbished parts.

Full details and specs at their website

NCR New Blue Street Launched

2008-08-23T20:02:00.006+01:00

From NCR website
NCR has decided to homologate New Blue for the street after great customer feedback from the release of the race version in EICMA a year ago.
The new street version will be introduced with all the trick components in New Blue but with a stock engine in order to meet homologation rules.
Read more here

The motorcycle will weigh an ultralight 160 kg (352 lbs) thus making New Blue an extremely entertaining bike to ride on the street or on the track.

In fact, New Blue is bilt with the top racing components available such as Brembo Racing monoblock radial 108 mm brakes, NCR carbon wheels made by BST and Ohlins components in front and back. The ultralight components are manufactured in house by the Poggipolini Group as was the Corse version of New Blue.

Based on the Ducati Sport Classic series, NCR has transformed the basic bike into an truly unique work of art and performance, a true collectable.

The Street New Blue is being homologated but production is by demand only, so get your orders in early if you want to truly stand out in the crowd and own a truly unique jewel.

PRIZE STARTING FROM : TBA
BASE Ducati Sport Classic 1000S 2007
WEIGHT 359 Lbs (163 Kg)
MOTOR Ducati DS1100 (90 hp - 66 kw @ 7750 rpm)
HOMOLOGATION Euro 3 on special request
FRONT BRAKE 2 x 300mm Braking WAVE rotors, radial monoblock Brembo Racing calipers with 4 pistons and 2 pads
REAR BRAKE 200mm Braking WAVE rotor, Brembo 2 piston caliper
FRONT SUSPENSION Ohlins titanium nitride coated 43mm full adjustable with NCR Corse valving, adjustable offset NCR triple clamps made in avionic aluminum. NCR Corse billet fork bottoms
REAR SUSPENSION NCR- Ohlins dual shock - progressive - adjustable - configured by NCR CORSE
EXHAUST SYSTEM Full exhaust 2 into 1 into 2 in titanium. Design by NCR and built by Zard.
WHEELS BST for NCR in carbon fiber, front 3,50"x17" , rear 6"x17"
INSTRUMENTATION OEM Ducati Sportclassic Sport 1000S
IGNITION EFI Magneti Marelli, 45mm throttle bodies.
HARDWARE Completely in titanium by the Poggipolini Group
SEAT Leather seat by Schedoni per NCR.
COLOR Color inspired by Old Blue with a modern NCR twist
SPECIAL PARTS (standard) Rear ward and adjustable NCR rear set in Al 7075 and titanium, custom gas cap by NCR in Al7075, billet NCR CORSE fork bottoms and fully adjustable triple clamps in avionic aluminum.

New Blue is only built on request and made to measure to the customer demands.

NCR will homologate the new Blue only on request after the Milan show and will be of limited production run.

New Blue placed third and fifth at Daytona 2007 battle of the Twins ridden by Larry Pegram and Nick Ienatsch.

A new shade of blue - NCR

2008-08-23T19:43:00.005+01:00

"A project developed jointly with Ducati North America upon their request. This bike is a limited edition, to be used on tracks only, and it is a homage to Cook Neilson's 1977 Daytona victory on a Ducati 750SS, known as OLD BLUE, tuned by Phil Schilling. This was the first victory for an Italian brand in the USA, and therefore a huge boost for that market.

The platform is the new Ducati Sport 1000S 07, completely tuned by NCR and made lighter in all its parts, reaching a weight of 150 kg compared to the 188 kg of the street legal model (that is a weight reduction of 38 kg, or over 25%), and the power has been increased by 40% reaching 116 HP. The engine is the new 1100NCR, components and braking system are of racing origin: everything is made in Ohlins, Brembo and Poggipolini Titanium. The exhaust system is an extraordinary titanium 2-1-2, weighing 4 kg.

The bike will be sold “ready to race”
NCR offers an ample catalogue of parts and special works for those who want to tune Ducati Sportclassicmodels, available on the new website www.ncrfactory.com.
Photo gallery continues here

Full gallery at NCR

In the fast lane of quality design

2008-08-16T23:32:00.004+01:00

An article on the design of the MH900e from Telegraph Motoring Sep 2000
In three weeks we'll be bringing you a report from the Munich Motorcycle Show, at which most of the world's major bike manufacturers will be presenting their 2001 models. Like last year and 1998 too, this will mean many new machines, probably more than 100, many of them very high profile and very glamorous, such as Triumph's new twin-cylinder Bonneville, the supersports Suzuki GSX-R1000, a V-twin sports tourer from Aprilia, and many others I daren't mention because it's so near, if I get them wrong you'll remember!

Despite the array of really exciting new bikes which appear annually, there's usually one that stands out and makes all the front covers and headlines. In 1998, it was Ducati's highly innovative MH900e, a bike that blends futuristic design with styling cues taken from one of the most famous racing bikes in history, Mike Hailwood's 1978 Senior TT-winning Ducati 900SS. The MH900e incidentally is available now as a production bike, but only via Ducati's web site and not its dealer network - the original thinking has extended to the way it's being sold, very successfully too.

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Futuristic: AKA's clay mock-up of the innovative Ducati MH900e

Last year, it was the dramatic, angular lines of Benelli's three-cylinder Tornado supersports bike that grabbed the most attention, both for its arresting looks and for engineering innovation.

Both machines are Italian and were prototypes, but they have more in common: one English company was instrumental in their genesis, using its world-class design expertise and equipment to produce these near, production-ready motorcycles in an astonishingly short time. Amazingly, for AKA Design, based near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, these were the first complete motorcycles it had been involved in, yet both stole their year's major shows.

The man behind the MH900e, Ducati's design chief Pierre Terblanche, turned to AKA because he knew the company's ability to work within tight schedules. His faith proved well-founded: the MHe went from idea to show-ready prototype in only 12 weeks, a process that often takes a year. Director Paul Critchley puts this down partly to AKA's state-of-the-art design technology: "We use for example Alias AutoStudio modelling software - one licence for this costs around £60,000, and we have seven or eight here. Even BMW might only have 12, so we're right up there with the big players in this respect. We also have three- and five-axis CNC machining equipment, but it's important to understand that these are all just tools.
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"What's special about AKA is how our team operates. It's impossible for us to meet every single demand on a project, so we integrate with our customer's staff very closely. For example, Adrian Morton of Benelli was based here and not in Italy, and when Benelli boss Andrea Merloni disagreed with something, Adrian was fighting the case with us. This is far better than the usual company versus consultancy situation which so often arises."

The recently revived Benelli so far has only produced scooters, but the company's future seems based on solid foundations. "Benelli's engineering department is one of the most competent I've come across," says Critchley. He's worked with many well-known names, including TWR, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Fiat, VW and Daewoo among others, but AKA does have a problem with the car industry. "There's a perception in the larger companies that we are too small to be able to do a job properly. But we don't need 50 staff or more because of our method of involving the client company's own staff. It's a much faster and more satisfactory way of working."

The key to AKA's amazing turnaround times is producing a plan and sticking to it, says Critchley. "We lay out exactly what we're going to be achieving and by when, and adhere to it from the outset. And a belief that we can do it is crucial. With that in place, we don't have to work long hours as people expect."

Adrian Morton struggled to come to terms with this at first, expecting to be putting in many late nights on the Tornado. But AKA completed the project on time, working no more than 9am to 6pm most days, apart from the last few, when a lot of sleep was missed. "It's important to put quality, not time, into a project," says Critchley.

Ducati is in the process of setting up its own autonomous design studio, but still plans to use AKA for some jobs. "There are some things even Ducati can't justify buying," says Pierre Terblanche. "AKA has that equipment and uses it very effectively."

Although motorcycle production in England is small scale now in world terms, the knowledge and capabilities of companies such as AKA are still pivotal behind the scenes.

Forbes.com - Ducati e-tailing (2000)

2008-08-16T23:13:00.003+01:00

Taken from a Sideline article on Forbes.com
The success of the MH900e internet launch and Ducati's move towards an internet based marketing strategy has been the subject of a number of assignments for business students, pdf's of these are included with this article.
New economy meets old in Bologna
If you're wondering about the future of e-tailing, Ducati Motor, based in Bologna, Italy, offers a perfect case study of how an Old Economy company can profit by adapting New Economy ways of doing business. At a Munich trade show in 1998, Ducati CEO Federico Minoli displayed the designer Pierre Terblanche's latest prototype, the Ducati MH900e. The bike drew enthusiastic attention from Ducati fans. "But by late 1999 we still didn't know whether or not to produce it," Minoli recounts. "So I said, 'Let's let the Internet tell us.'"
Read the full article

Ducati's lawyers and technology gurus told Minoli he was crazy. Minoli insisted. In early December, Ducati's website (www.ducati.com) announced that a limited edition of 500 MH900e's would go on sale on the site on Jan. 1. E-mailed orders for the 15,000 euro (now $13,800) bike would be filled over two years on a first-come, first-serve basis--and had to be accompanied by a 10% deposit.

Results: On Jan. 1 a tidal wave of orders overwhelmed Ducati's server. When it came back up, Ducati had sold all 500 bikes in 31 minutes. Minoli increased the run to 2,000--and sold out by the end of the month. Ducati's retail dealers aren't complaining. Ducati will pay customers' local dealers two thirds of the regular commission. More important, says Wayne Doran, Ducati's master distributor in South Africa, dealers will book higher-margin revenues from selling spare parts and fashion accessories.

Minoli feels there are big lessons in this for other manufacturers. "The Internet changes your relationship with customers," he says. "Your customers become your marketing department: They tell you what kind of bike they want." For example, he says, when Ducati floated the possibility of not chroming the MH900e's exhaust pipes, customers flooded the factory with e-mails demanding chrome.

Last month Minoli introduced an online chat room so the MH900e's chief tester can talk to customers. "Our next step is to put a video camera on the production line," says Minoli. "We'll stream video to show customers the bike's progress. Maybe we'll sell them accessories and let them customize their bikes as they're being produced. Why not?" Minoli is about to publish a book about his MH900e e-tailing experiences. The CEOS of Honda and Harley Davidson, see ("Honda Versus Harley In The U. S."), will certainly want copies.

Downloaded pdf case studies can be found here and here they are very similar

Original Press Release - MH900e sellout

2008-08-16T23:01:00.003+01:00

DUCATI MOTOR CAPTURES BIGGEST INTERNET SALES IN ITALIAN HISTORY; MH900E YEAR 2000 PRODUCTION SELLS OUT WITHIN HOURS

Bologna, Italy -- On New Year's day, Ducati Motor SpA rang up the biggest Internet sales in Italian history and became the first motorcycle manufacturer to ever launch a new production motorcycle on the world-wide web. Orders for Ducati's latest model, the MH900evoluzione, became available on-line on the official Ducati web site (http://www.ducati.com) with the start of the new millennium at 00:01 a.m. GMT. Within hours, the entire first-year production sold out to Ducati enthusiasts all over the world.

Ducati fans from all corners of the world had waited anxiously for the start of the new year to reserve their limited-edition bike. About 38 percent of the sales came from Japan, while North America and Europe each accounted for about 30 percent of MH900e sales. The remaining orders came from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Arthur Andersen and IBM were two of Ducati's partners in this history-making initiative.

"Ducati is thrilled about the wild success of the sale of the MH900e on the Internet," said Federico Minoli, Ducati Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We always thought that the Internet would be the best way to take the excitement of the MH900e -- which celebrates our decade-long racing heritage and commitment to performance -- directly to our enthusiasts. But even I have to admit, the response of our Ducatisti has beaten my expectations ... now, we are looking forward to everyone taking their first test drives when the bikes arrive this summer."

In addition to selling out production for this year, hundreds of future reservations were taken for subsequent model years. The success of the MH900e sale on the Internet, as well as Ducati's other exciting initiatives on-line -- including its official web site (which receives 150,000 hits a day) and its racing parts auction Desmobid -- clearly demonstrate the power of the Ducati brand with the Internet. Ducati plans to take full advantage of future possibilities of using the net for its strategic development.

All that Ducati enthusiasts wishing to buy the MH900e have to do is click on the official web site and follow the instructions. To reserve the motorcycle, Ducatisti must leave a 10 percent deposit on the bike, which costs 15,000 Euro (about $15,000), using their credit card (American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners or JCB).

Once confirmed, the MH900e will be sent to the Ducati dealer pre-selected by the buyer. The dealer will conduct the final checks on the bike before handing over the keys.

The MH900evoluzione is a hand-built, limited-production motorcycle, recalling the racing days of Mike Hailwood on the Isle of Man. Pierre Terblanche, Chief Designer of the Ducati Design Centre, describes the bike as "neo classical," focusing on the essential elements of traditional motorcycle beauty and clean lines, which represent the renaissance period of Italian and English motorcycle design.

Each individual component of the bike is elegant and in harmony with the rest of the machine. But the bike is modern, using Ducati's advanced, state-of-the-art technology as well as the latest computer-controlled engine management system and chassis dynamics data acquired on World Superbike circuits.

The bike prototype was presented to the general public in September 1998 at the Intermot Show in Munich, Germany to rave reviews. Since then, overwhelming customer demand for the bike prompted Ducati to bring it to market in record time.

Web site: http://www.ducati.com official factory press release pdf here

Carole Nash MH900e review

2008-08-16T22:53:00.004+01:00

Posted on the Carole Nash Insurance website 18 June 2008

Some motorcycles are designed with pure financial gain in mind, but that cynical observation could never be leveled at Ducati creator general Pierre Terblache’s latest mechanical vision.

The Ducati MH900e is a strictly limited production run (2,000) special which evokes all the passion and glory of Mike ‘The Bike´ Hailwood´s 1978 TT-winning NCR machine.

It simply oozes style, but the substance is also amazingly usable on the road as Kevin Ash discovers in Bologna, Italy when he tested one of the rarest bikes on the planet.

Hold on to your Termignonis as insidebikes takes a trip back in time on a thoroughly modern motorcycle.

Read more

It’s really quite astonishing that the MH900e happened at all when you think about it. The bike is, after all, the personal whim of Ducati’s chief designer Pierre Terblanche rather than the usual product of relentless market research. And it’s come from a factory only recently taken over by a venture capital group, a type of company usually notorious for maximising productivity and perceived value of the concerns it buys into, with the minimum of real investment in order to move on again after a few years with big financial gains.

Ah, but we’re talking motorcycles here and Italians, a mix of passions even the hard-nosed Americans couldn’t help getting caught up in. And the MHe, or Mike Hailwood evoluzione, evokes some of the strongest emotions in motorcycling history, borrowing styling cues and ideas from the 1978 900SS Ducati on which Hailwood made the most astounding comeback, winning the Senior TT after an 11 year break from bikes.

Yet it’s the MHe’s detailing which impresses the most: the cross-section of the spokes on the cast aluminium wheels is the same as that of the Campagnolo magnesium alloys fitted to Hailwood’s bike, while the large, finned aluminium sump (in imitation of the old Ducati V-twins’) is really just a dummy housing various electrical components (which, in a break with tradition, work perfectly...)

There are neat touches everywhere, such as the machined aluminium housings for the hydraulic fluid master reservoirs, the pylons attaching the screen to the fairing, the cast aluminium used for the headlight surround and the plate atop the fuel tank. The dashboard is a visual feast, the central white-faced tachometer sitting above a panel on which the speed is displayed digitally, the two being separated by tiny (and hard to read, but who cares?) warning lights.

The swingarm is a unique single-sided item formed from tubular steel , while the high-rise exhausts complete the unmistakable rear aspect. There’s a welcome return to chrome on components such as indicators and engine covers, while the red and silver colour scheme reflects the livery of the works NCR Ducati team of the late 1970s. Hailwood’s machine was similar although in the red and green of sponsor Castrol, but Terblanche felt the bike needed to honour Ducati instead. He also points out how he’s confounded Ducati’s corporate policy of exclusively using its latest logo by "getting away with" the 1970s badge on the fairing - just as well, as it finishes the bike to perfection.

Most of the bike’s attraction is visual and tactile, but that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with it to ride. But the fact it’s very much Terblanche’s own creation shows as soon as you swing a leg over it, as the seat is unusually high - well, he’s six feet four inches tall, and it’s HIS bike! It also shares the generic Ducati stretched out riding position with very low handlebars, so a good length of limb is a definite advantage.

The engine is the old-fashioned two desmodromic valves per cylinder 904 cc air-cooled V-twin, updated with fuel-injection, as fitted to the 900SS and Monster 900. Despite its gentle 74bhp output it’s surprisingly punchy thanks to the MHe weighing less than the 900SS and having the lower overall gearing of the Monster - the bike readily pops up the front wheel at the twist of the throttle. The lower gearing and fuel injection also mean that Ducati’s infamous low rev snatchiness is no longer a problem.

Spin the engine hard and the power does tail off too much to make it worthwhile, but there’s sufficient urge in the midrange and a slick gear change to make the pace exciting, while the chassis is perfectly capable too.

The handling has, unsurprisingly, a typical Ducati feel to it, with slow steering matched to exceptional stability. You do notice the relative lack of weight over the front wheel (compared with a fully faired 900SS) as a slightly choppy motion from the forks on bumpy surfaces, although the chilling late December cold in Bologna was enough to thicken the suspension’s damping oil and add some harshness to the ride quality, otherwise it’s all security and stability.

All in all its effective if unremarkable to ride, flawed only by that riding position (if you’re not tall enough) and mirrors which don’t even come close to displaying any useful portion of the road behind you. But those lucky enthusiasts who have already accounted for the 2000 bike production run are buying into Pierre Terblanche’s vision of a piece of history more than anything else - the fact the bike’s a pleasant ride is a bonus.

If you want a slice of that too, chances are you’ll simply have to go without. Originally just 1000 were to be made, but when the bike went on sale on January 1st 2000, solely on Ducati’s web site (no dealer sales) it sold out within a couple of hours. The figure was doubled to 2000 but the bike’s exclusivity assured when Ducati said definitely no more would be made.

Some will still have to wait for up to two years, as it will take that long to complete the orders from the area of the factory - away from the production lines - assigned to the team which hand builds the bikes. Put your name on the reserve list and you might get lucky, or check out the classifieds over the next few years.

But don’t hold your breath...

Vital Statistics

Engine Air/oil-cooled 90-degree V-twin
cc 904
Claimed power (bhp)
Compression ratio 9.2:1
Transmission 6 speed

Cycle parts
Front suspension: 43mm inverted telescopic, 120mm travel, adjustment for rebound damping
Rear suspension: One Paioli damper, 130mm travel, adjustments for preload,compression and rebound damping
Front brake: 2, four-piston Brembo calipers, 320mm discs
Rear brake: Double-action Brembo caliper, 220mm disc
Front tyre: 120/65 x 17in Michelin Pilot Sport
Rear tyre: 170/60 x 17in Michelin Pilot Sport
Rake/trail: 23.5 degrees/110mm
Wheelbase: 1415mm
Seat height: 825mm
Dry weight: 186kg
Instruments: Tachometer, digital speedometer, digital clock,
lights for turn signals, neutral, high beam, low oil pressure, low fuel level

Performance
Top speed 150mph
Fuel capacity 18.5 litres

The Birth of Ducati

2008-08-16T22:41:00.003+01:00

And a second video here

Inside the Ducati factory

2008-08-16T22:38:00.001+01:00

How a Ducati is made

1st MH900e European gathering

2008-08-16T11:46:00.001+01:00

The 1st ever Ducati MH900e owners gathering in Europe will be hold in France in September 2008.
From Friday 19th to Sunday 21st of September 2008.

Hosted into one of the most beautiful region of France, North West part, 200km away from Paris near Deauville, Honfleur, into a very magnificent area called the French Swiss Normandy.

Program : MHe parade
Welcome of all participants
Visit of Calvados Factory
Visit of Camembert maker
Visit of this incredible region.
Excellent food & beverage
Local roadbook : La Boucle du Hom, La route des Crêtes, Les Rochers des Parcs, la Roche d’Oetre.
Typical Normandy villages : Clécy, Saint Rémy sur Orne, Saint Martin de Sallen, Saint Omer, Thury Harcourt…
Election of the most beautiful MHe and prizes for the participants.
Local Hotel / B&B /
Support of Ducati France
Logistics Partner : ABX Logistics

Entries for the event are now closed

2006 Ducati Sport Classics - First Ride

2008-08-15T22:39:00.008+01:00

2006 Ducati Sport Classics - First Ride
1/23/2006
By Phil West
Photos by Milagro and Chippy Wood from Motorcycle-USA.com

Time Machines

Ducati's new SportsClassics have been a long time coming, but for the most part it's entirely deliberate. The inspiration for these striking retro bikes dates right back to 1972, and even the SportsClassics themselves have been a familiar sight since first unveiled as concept machines at the Tokyo Show in November 2003.

In truth, however, the two years they've taken to reach production is lightning fast (the industry norm for concept to production is three). But however long it felt, now, having ridden them, we're happy to say the wait has been more than worth it.

Continues here

This new family of bikes is the brainchild of Ducati design chief Pierre Terblanche. Its members are three very different machines, all based around similar rolling chassis powered by the latest air-cooled, two-valve 1000DS engine. The first are the Sport 1000 and Paul Smart L.E. 1000 here (although Terblanche himself suggests that the original Sport Classic and fourth member of the family was the limited-edition Mike Hailwood inspired MH900e of 2000). A third, the GT 1000, will follow in April.

All, Terblanche insists, are not replicas of famous 1970s Ducatis (as a cursory glance at their styling may suggest). Instead they are full-on, modern sports bikes which take their styling cues from, and pay tribute to, illustrious forebears from the 1970s.

"I wanted not to just recreate an era," Terblanche explained, "But to produce real, modern sports bikes - that's why, for example, they have inverted forks. The intention was to take the look and feel of the past - but to produce modern bikes with the very best in equipment available today."

1000 Sport

Although in many ways overshadowed by the more comprehensively equipped, expensive and illustrious Paul Smart machine, the $10,995 1000 Sport is, chronologically speaking, the daddy of the Sport Classic range. It takes its inspiration from the tangerine yellow Ducati 750 Sport of 1973-1978 (so pre-dating the 1974 SuperSport upon which the Smart machine is mostly based) and, like that bike, is a classic, pared down, single-seat cafe racer.

The basics are standard 2006 Ducati two-valver: proven and versatile 1000DS engine (as familiar to Monster, Multistrada and SS owners) carried in a traditional (but actually mostly new) tubular steel trellis. The rear shock is a fully-adjustable Sachs, while at the front are the sort of non-adjustable 43mm Marzocchis that those previously mentioned owners will know as well as the insides of their fridge.

And that's where the familiarities end.

Take a second look at that 'traditional twin shock rear' and count the suspension units. That's right. Although the 1000 Sport has a conventional swingarm layout there's only one shock - on the left. The right is forfeited so the natty, stacked twin silencers hug the rear as tightly as possible for maximum ground clearance.

The swingarm itself, naturally enough, is pretty special, too. An immensely strong, asymmetrical design fashioned from chunky 60mm-section tubing (as fat as a baby's arm) with 2mm thick sidewalls and massive gusseting.

Then there's the gorgeous, alloy-rimmed wire wheels considered such a vital part of the new machines' make-up. No standard hoops these. After all, when was the last time you saw a traditional wire rim wearing 180-section rubber?

Ducati actually approached its original 1970s supplier, Ceriani, in a bid to be as authentic as possible. Unfortunately the legendary Italian wheelwrights were unable to supply in the volume required. Instead, these are by Excel, best known for producing wheels for motocrossers and the like. Oh, and as they are 'proper' wire wheels with centrally positioned spokes, tubed tires are required.

But these are no ordinary tubed tires. If you think you've seen that tread pattern before, you're right - they're purpose-designed, all-new Pirelli Phantoms. As Sport Classic Project Leader Dan Van Epps explains: "We wanted a tube-type tire because of the wire wheels, but we wanted the tread to replicate the old Phantom pattern. So we approached Pirelli and they were happy to oblige - but with modern sizes, compounds and construction." The result is the new Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp. And to anyone over 35 who remembers sports tires of the early '80s, they're absolutely fabulous.

The Sport Classics show a sublime finish and obsessive attention to detail. The lush acres of polished alloy, such as the sensuous top yoke, CNC-machined footrest hangers, mouth-watering exhaust and mudguard brackets, and old-fashioned filler cap. Or the paint: deep enough to doggy-paddle in, as glossy as a Dulux warehouse and shades so authentic they could have come from the original 1970s color charts. And in fact, they did. The 1000 Sport's orange, red or black are all genuine 1970s Ducati colors.

"We made a special effort with this bike to look at every single detail," says Ducati CEO Federico Minoli. Terblanche added: "This is probably the best bike in terms of detail I've been involved with - it matches the best out there."

In short, both new Sport Classics are fabulously put together and have a jewel-like quality a quantum leap beyond any other current Ducati (999Rs included).

Three more examples: the 1000 Sport's fork caps are hand polished, by a person, with a buffing wheel. The deliciously simple round taillight mimics the 1973 original - as does the typography of the white clock faces. It's all delicious. Only the chromed plastic (but otherwise authentic) horn covers disappoint. In essence, the 1000 Sport is nothing much new - anyone who's ridden a Monster, SS or even Multistrada will feel instantly at home. But what is refreshingly different is the classy, retro view from the saddle, the aggressive (but not too extreme) riding position (although round town riding quickly brings wrist ache) and a sprightly verve that simply gobbles up backroads and brings out the hooligan in you.

It's difficult to explain just why that might be - there's no obvious rationale for it, no relentless performance, no cutting edge chassis set-up (with a 56.1-in wheelbase it's actually longer than the SS). But what there is, is that flexible but free-revving V-Twin, light (to the point of flighty) steering that begs to dice through the turns, bags of ground clearance, a planted feel once on its ear that's plain addictive, and a taste for wheelies that reminds of the original Monster of 1993. Paint all that lot in brazen tangerine yellow with a racing stripe down its spine and you've a mix that spells 'fun' whatever your mother tongue. Oh, and the brakes are good, too.

Sum it up in a sentence, the Sport 1000 is the Monster reinvented - but classier, meaner and more stylish.

Paul Smart 1000 LE

What is it?

A tribute to the machine which Brit Paul Smart (father of current BSB racer Scott Smart and brother in-law to the late, great Barry Sheene) rode to fairytale victory in the inaugural Imola 200 in 1972. That victory changed the direction of Ducati entirely, ushering in the big Desmo Twin era and spawning the 1974 Ducati Super Sport 750 which is also echoed in this machine.

Ringing in at $13,995 the Paul Smart 1000 has everything the 1000 Sport has, but even more so. The basic rolling chassis is the same but with top-notch, multi-adjustable Ohlins suspension front and rear. There's that fairing, of course, 20mm lower clip-ons, a Sachs steering damper mounted across the frame in front of the tank (with a special, welded on frame lug to suit), slimline instruments (to fit inside that fairing) and a different, Imola-replica silver/blue paint scheme.

The expected limited-edition plaques and suchlike are nice, as are the Ohlins, but best of all is the Seagrass Green frame color. Design chief Terblanche himself explains why. "It's as exact to the original race bike frame color as we could manage. We spent five months trying to match it to Paul's actual race bike and couldn't understand why (we had difficulty). Then Paul finally admitted that it wasn't the original color anymore. It had got scratched while on display in his shop and he'd repainted it with a Hillman Imp touch-up color!"

(Little known fact: The metallic silver used on the bike is intentionally not an exact replica of the original chunky metalflake. That hand-laid '70s effect is impossible to replicate with modern production techniques and was also deemed unnecessarily garish.)

There's many special bits on this bike, but if we're to pick one, probably the clever, hedonistic single seat unit it shares with the 1000 Sport. For one, how can you not admire something so simple, beautiful, single-minded and effective (yes, it's comfy). Better than that, however, is the way all the electrics have been hidden underneath and a swish storage compartment is built into its base. Classy.

If the 1000 Sport is sinfully seductive to ride, the L.E. is a sweet, smooth charmer. Its slightly slower, calmer steering (thanks to the lower bars and steering damper), slighter plusher, more sophisticated ride (thanks to Mssrs Ohlins) and slightly calmer, classier styling, add up to that much.

In truth it's a very small difference (despite the $3000 variance in prices). Both bikes' bars were so wrist-cramping round town, any slight improvement (the 1000 Sport) was hugely welcome. The L.E.'s steadier steering, meanwhile, undoubtedly makes it the better track bike. But whatever your mood, there's not doubt that the Smart makes its rider feel truly special, and isn't that what motorcycling's supposed to be all about?

Summed up in a sentence, the Paul Smart makes the standard 1000DS SS seem dowdy, basic and... cheap

Only 2000 are being built for worldwide consumption, of which just 500 are coming to the U.S. According to Ducati North America, so be quick if you want one.

There is one other Sport Classic in the lineup called the GT 1000. It is arguably the 'grown up' bike of the three. What sets the GT apart is its practicality. Dour colors aside (although a vibrant red version is predicted alongside the grey by the time it enters production), the GT, importantly, will be the only bike of the three to boast a pillion seat and pegs to go with its higher bars, twin pipes (one down each side) and uprated twin shocks. It won't arrive until sometime after the Spring of 2006.

Verdict
For bikes which could so easily and cynically be described as 'retrograde' steps, both Sport Classics, and particularly the Sport 1000, have proven to be a breath of fresh air. Both are stunningly gorgeous objects which will be treasured by any owner. They are also competent and capable road bikes that will make their owners feel special. But best of all, the Sport is zestful, invigorating and a plain big-grin machine the like of which we've not had in years. The Sport Classics have already proven to be the most successful Ducatis in history in terms of both dealer and customer pre-orders, they could yet prove to be the injection of life the legendary Bologna firm so urgently needs.

Ducati Paul Smart L.E. 1000
Tech Spec
Cost $13,995
Power 91 hp @ 8000rpm
Torque 67 lb-ft @ 6000rpm
Weight 399 lbs
Fuel 3.9 gallon
Seat Height 32.5 in
Rake 24 degrees
Trail 4.06 in
Wheelbase 56.1 in
Length 85.8 in
Engine air-cooled, 992cc (94 x 71.5mm) four stroke desmodromic 90-degree V-twin.
Chassis Tubular steel trellis. Ohlins 43mm inverted forks with preload, compression and rebound damping adjust, Ohlins single rear shock with preload, rebound and compression damping adjust. 2 x 320mm Brembo Goldline front discs with four-piston calipers. Single 245mm Brembo disc with single piston caliper. Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tires, 120/70 ZR 17 front, 180/55 ZR 17 rear.

Ducati Sport 1000
Tech Spec
Cost $10,995
Power 91 hp @ 8000rpm
Torque 67 lb-ft @ 6000rpm
Weight 394 lbs
Fuel 3.9 gal
Seat Height 32.5 in
Rake 24 degrees
Trail 4.06 in
Wheelbase 56.1 in
Length 85.8 in
Engine air-cooled, 992cc (94 x 71.5mm) four stroke desmodromic 90-degree V-twin.
Chassis Tubular steel trellis. Marzocchi 43mm inverted forks with preload, compression and rebound damping adjust, Sachs single rear shock with preload, rebound and compression damping adjust. 2 x 320mm Brembo Goldline front discs with four-piston calipers. Single 245mm Brembo disc with single piston caliper. Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tires, 120/70 ZR 17 front, 180/55 ZR 17 rear.

Paul Smart Imola Story
The Smart/Imola story is a true motorcycling fairytale. The Imola 200 was set up to be a 'European Daytona' - all the leading factory European factories were to take part, riders from across the Continent were being drafted in. Heading the entries was multi world champion Giacomo Agostini aboard his mighty MV Agusta. Others greats included Brits Phil Read, John Cooper, Mick Grant and more.

At the time, Ducati was a long way from being one of the greats and was desperate for a teammate for regular rider Bruno Spaggiari aboard its new Desmo V-Twin. Paul Smart's wife, Maggie, took the call and accepted on his behalf.

"Lots of people turned the ride down but I said yes," she says today. "Paul wasn't sure but by then I'd already said he'd do it so there was no way I was letting him back out."

The rest, as they say, is history. Ducati's new V-Twin Desmo turned out to be a rocketship. Ago broke down, Smart won from Spaggiari, and the world of Ducati changed forever.

Inspired by the bike's success, Ducati chief engineer Ing Taglioni used the racer as the model for a whole new range of production road bikes and the Bologna firm's 'big twin' era, today crowned by the 999, was born.

Smart was allowed to keep the winning bike, on condition he completed three more international races aboard it. He's had it ever since.

"At first it didn't mean an awful lot," he says today. "It just went in the shed and gathered dust and then later went into my shop. Then out of the blue came this call from Ducati a few years ago and they wanted to buy the bike back. But I said it wasn't for sale.

"But now look at me. I'm totally amazed to be here. I'm one of the few people in the world to have a motorcycle built after my motorcycle - and how many people can say that? It's got my name on and it's gorgeous."

Sport Classic Accessories
The launch of the bikes is just the beginning. Ducati is planning a whole range of tailor made accessories for the Sport Classics, ranging from full exhaust systems to cosmetic add-ons, most of which will be available as soon as the bikes go on sale. Here's what's already on offer.

Paul Smart 1000 LE
2-into-1 race exhaust
High screen
Ergal clutch plate
Magnesium alternator cover
Magnesium valve covers
Magnesium clutch cover
Carbon clutch cover
Carbon gearbox sprocket cover
CNC ergal rearsets
Carbon cambelt cover
Bike cover
Paddock stand
Tank cover
Gold chain

Sport 1000
Termignoni slip-on silencers
Ohlins shock
Ohlins forks
Chromed mirrors (small)
Alarm system
Brake and clutch master cylinder cover
Ergal clutch pressure plate
Comfort seat
Paddock stand
Red chain
Polished alloy, slotted clutch cover
Tank protector with bag
High-quality bike cover

Source: Motorcycle USA

Ducati Sport Classic - Sport1000 Speed Racer

2008-08-15T21:00:00.002+01:00

OneWheeldrive.net reviews the Sport 1000
Written by Neil Johnston + Photos by Kevin Miklossy
My shoulders are molten slag, my wrists are twin torments worthy of the inquisition, the Rocky Mountain air has taken on a hypothermic edge, and rain torrents through my perforated leathers so hard it stings my forearms and my face. I've abandoned my long since fogged over visor; it's become a detriment this night. Between the dark, the downpour, the mist, and the tire spray I can hardly make out the lines on the road or the taillights 15 metres in front of me. I'm not sure if that's road salt I taste or tears. At least the Axio pack is keeping my back warm. Suddenly I have a flash, the mental image of a 70s cafe racer, rider flat to the tank, open-faced helmet, goggles, teeth gritted against the elements, going hell-bent for leather through the tempestuous night. I grin and give a "Speed-Racer" thumbs up to no one in particular. At this moment I'd not trade any of this day's 500kms on the Ducati SportClassic Sport1000 for any other bike.
Continues here

2007 Ducati Sport 1000 S - The Paradox Machine

2008-08-15T20:56:00.002+01:00

OneWheelDrive,net reviews the Sport 1000S
Written by Neil Johnston + Photos Kevin Miklossy

Riding into the city the dome of the windscreen reflects the Lion’s Gate Bridge’s lights in a moment of cinematic grace reminiscent of David Bowman’s face shield in Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey. The clocks are marked with fine point font, thin elegant needles, and the chrome bezels reflect a glittering world. The cowling amplifies the “desmo” clatter as mechanically actuated valves open and close. The Ducati Sport 1000 S is a paradox, simultaneously embodying a romance between history’s view of the future and the present’s fascination with the past.
Continues here

Ducati GT1000 – A Little Bit of History Repeating

2008-08-15T20:49:00.004+01:00

OneWheelDrive.net review the GT1000, Written by Neil Johnston + Photos by Kevin Miklossy

Back in 1971 Shirley Bassey was singing “Diamonds are Forever” and Ducati had just released the GT750, a product of Fabio Taglioni’s (Dr. T’s) prediction that motorcycle displacements were on the rise. The engineer took Ducati’s existing SOHC, two-valve, single-cylinder design, bodged it to another and voila, the first Ducati 90-degree L-Twin. The GT750 inspired motorcycle history; Cook Nielson reviewed one for Cycle in 1973 and by 1975 he was racing a Ducati 750 SS (California Hot Rod) leading to Ducati’s first AMA victory in 1977 – placing the Italian mark firmly on the map. Before you start pining for “back in the day” though, you’d best meet the remake of the bike that started it all… the 2007 Ducati GT1000.
Continues here

The Making of the Paul Smart (from Ducati.com)

2008-08-15T09:28:00.010+01:00

When the Paul Smart was launched Ducati added a set of photographs of its making, not easily found on the website I'm adding the images from that presentation in this blog. Please note that the images are screen grabs of a browser window and the next/previous buttons in the image will not work, clicking an image will open a bigger window and you need to go back in your own browser to return to the blog page.

Click here for the full gallery

The full factory presentation is here but you need to go to the bottom of the page and follow the link.

Paul Smart's Imola Racer

2008-08-14T23:06:00.002+01:00

Captured at the 2008 Corsa Moto Classica, this is Paul Smart's actual back-up bike raced at Imola in 1972, not a replica.

Webbikeworld GT1000 Blog

2008-08-14T11:00:00.005+01:00

A good site for GT1000 owners is Rick K’s GT1000 Blog at webbikeworld.
Read more

Rick ‘s blog provides a lot of useful info on maintaining and repairing a GT1000 , recent articles cover the Fuel Tank Spreading problem along with a fix and a review of a pair of Carrozzeria Wheels as well as many other tips and fixes.

webbikeworld also has reviews and press releases of the Ducati Sport Classic line.

Links to other sites of interest for GT1000 owners are also included.

Pierre Terblanche Interview - Desmo Leanings

2008-08-13T12:59:00.004+01:00

An interview with PT and Frederico Minoli taken from PT's Presentation on "The Art and Design of an Italian Motorcycle" November 2004 at the Larz Anderson Motorcycle Museum.

The Minoli interview clearly shows PT's love of the MHR and how it influenced him.

you can download the pdf from here

Pierre Terblanche Cycle World Interview July 2007

2008-08-12T22:24:00.004+01:00

Full Interview - Cycle World - CW 5Q: Pierre Terblanche

Published in the July 2007 issue of Cycle World

Quick questions with Ducati’s influential designer

By Gabe Ets-Hokin
June 2007

Few motorcycle designers—okay, no motorcycle designers—evoke passions, pro and con, like Pierre Terblanche. Internet chat room dwellers, guys around a Sunday-morning-ride breakfast table, any gathering of Ducati owners, will debate whether this 51-year-old South African native is a forward-thinking trendsetter or the defiler of the most beautiful two-wheeled creations know to man, the Ducati 916 series of Superbikes. Read More

In his years as a designer for Ducati, Terblanche has penned many successful and acclaimed bikes besides the distinctive-looking 999. His Supermono has inspired lust among Thumper aficionados the world over, and his SportClassic line of retro bikes signaled a whole new direction for Ducati. He also designed models for Cagiva before he started as Ducati’s Director of Design in 1997.

Recently, he was in the States and we invited him to our favorite bistro (what else?) near the Cycle World digs to discuss his work and the state of the world motorcycle market. Here’s what he had to say.

CW: You started in automotive design, working on cars for Volkswagen. Which industry do you prefer?

PT: I’m a motorcycle enthusiast, so this is where I like to be.

In conversation with CW’s Matthew Miles at the Ducati factory. Read more in the July, 2007, issue of Cycle World, on newsstands now.

CW: One of our readers wanted to know where the flat seats that standard motorcycles used to have went? Why does every new motorcycle look like it’s poking its ass in the air?

PT: The problem is that modern suspension gives you lots of wheel travel—on the new Ducati GT 1000, we have 122mm (almost 5 inches) as opposed to 85mm (3.3 in.) on an old Ducati scrambler—which means the subframe has to be taller than older designs. It’s difficult to fit flat seats and long-travel suspension. One could of course fit slightly less suspension travel and have a lower seat height. This is what one finds on some custom/cruiser bikes on the market today. It all depends on the priorities. Of course, people also like the racebike look of ass in the air...

CW: You've made a lot of Ducatisti unhappy with your 999 and some other controversial designs. Why are they so ticked off and how do you feel about that?
(Here, Terblanche seemed relaxed and unapologetic, where I was expecting him to be exasperated and defensive. I'm certain he’s been asked this question a lot since 2003!)

PT: I thought that the 916 series needed to move on. The original 916 was a beautiful bike, but it had a lot of issues that owners and journalists alike remarked on and complained about. These were mainly practical issues regarding using the bike on the road under real-world conditions. The 999 fixed a lot of the issues; it was a direct response to the complaints about the 916/996/998.

Maybe I was too rational; maybe people liked those flaws. The intention had been to give people an exciting bike which also works well under real-world riding conditions. I now know that I went too far on the styling for the average biker, but as you well know it’s always easier to play Monday-morning quarterback. It is all so easy to discuss now but, hey, you win some and you lose some, and it’s all water under the bridge now.

CW: What’s the future for the SportClassics?

PT: Well (laughs), you don’t need to update them, do you? As they are already classic―styling-wise, that is―the changes we will be making will be to continually improve the functional side of the bikes and improve both quality and finish. The Classics are great because they are modern bikes that handle and perform really well yet have the looks that fulfill the rider’s desires. They seem to be selling quite well.

CW: Your Hypermotard 1100 is getting lots of ink, and other big-bore motards are coming. Do you see supermoto-styled bikes becoming much more popular than today, or will they always be a niche market?

PT: We will have to wait and see. The motards, especially the Singles, we have seen up to now have really not been very practical. It depends on how good the new bikes are.

Sport Limited Edition (Black/Gold)

2008-08-12T22:06:00.005+01:00

Released in July 2007

Here is the Press Release

DUCATI LIMITED SPORT 1000 SPECIAL EDITION RELEASED

Ducati North America announces the release of the 2007 Sport 1000 Mono Special Edition, which is being produced exclusively for the North American market.

Production of this model will be limited to 100 units (90 for the US, 10 for Canada). With only 100 units being produced, this will be one of the rarest Ducati’s made in recent history.

Combining modern technology and historic design, this Sport 1000 SE embodies the spirit of the legendary 1978 Ducati 900SS “Darmah,” and features the classic timeless Black and Gold paint scheme.

Each of the limited 100 Monoposto (single seat) 2007 Sport 1000 SE models will be identified by a numbered plaque, located on the triple clamp. The motorcycle also features a twin muffler “shotgun” exhaust, spoke wire wheels and Brembo brakes. It is powered by the 992cc dual spark motor, which puts out impressive torque and horsepower figures for an air-cooled engine.

This Ducati 2007 Sport 1000 Mono SE has a MSRP of $11,495 and is currently available in dealer showrooms throughout North America.

when added to the Ducati US website the following text was added

T 750 CAFÉ RACER STYLE
Sport riders in the early 1970s pioneered the trend of modifying their street bikes with technology previously found only on the racetrack. When street bikes began being fitted with clip-on handlebars, rear-set footpegs, and painted in race colors all for performance as well as aesthetic reasons, the Café Racer style was born.

MHR 900 History

2008-08-12T21:30:00.003+01:00

1979 900 MHR

The Mike Hailwood™ Replica, the latest development of the renowned 900 Super Sport, was produced by Ducati to celebrate its first World Championship title. Created for hard-core Ducatisti, the bike was not even fitted with an electric starter. Stately and impressive, it was truly a biker’s bike. Click here to read more

ENGINE

Type - 4 stroke 90° V-twin
Bore and Stroke - 86 x 74,4 mm
Total displacement - 863,9 cc
Compression ratio - 9,5 : 1
Timing system - Desmo S.O.H.C. driven by gear shaft
Cooling system - Air
Carburetor - Fuel feeding system with two Dell'Orto PHM carburettors Ø 40 mm
Transmission - Five speed gearbox
Primary drive - By gear
Final drive - By chain
Clutch - Dry multi-disc clutch

CHASSIS

Frame - Tubular steel open double cradle
Front suspension - Hydraulic fork Ø 38 mm
Rear suspension - Swinging arm suspension with double effect, hydraulic shock absorbers and adjustable concentric springs
Front brake - Double disc Ø 280 mm
Rear brake - Disc Ø 280 mm
Front tyre - 100/90 V 18
Rear tyre - 110/90 V 18

DIMENSIONS

Length 2220 mm
Handlebar width 700 mm
Height 1280 mm
Saddle height 750 mm
Wheel-base 1510 mm
Dry weight 195 kg

PERFORMANCE

Maximum power 72 HP at 7000 r.p.m.
Max speed 220 km/h
Max torque 8,5 kgm at 5800 r.p.m.

Ducati.com History

Mike Hailwood - Motorcycle Hall of Fame

2008-08-12T21:12:00.002+01:00

Mike Hailwood

Mike Hailwood's racing resume is impressive enough: nine-time World Champion, winner of 76 career Grands Prix, and 14-time winner of the legendary Isle of Man TT. But Hailwood was much more than simple statistics to a world of motorcycle racing fans. To many he was the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, a man from a family of wealth who became a people’s champion. A racer who came out of retirement after an 11-year absence and, against all odds, returned to win at the Isle of Man. He became known to his adoring fans simply has "Mike the Bike."

Continues here

Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood was born in England on April 2, 1940. He grew up in the college town of Oxford. His father, who also raced in the pre-World War II era, owned a large motorcycle distributorship and young Hailwood was raised in relative affluence. He began riding at an early age, starting on a minibike as a small boy. He learned to ride in an eight-acre field near his home and wore an oval track from the constant laps he rode on Sunday afternoons after church. The young Hailwood was prone to mischievousness and was caught driving his mother’s Jaguar before he could even see over the steering wheel.

In 1957, Hailwood began his road-racing career. Barely 17, he finished 11th in his first race, but was soon winning on a regular basis. In fact, Hailwood was able to earn his international racing license after only a few months of racing, something that took most riders several years to attain. During the winter of 1957-58, Hailwood went to South Africa to hone his racing skills even further and returned home that spring as South Africa's national champion.

1958 was his inaugural season on the Grand Prix circuit. That year he finished second in the 250cc world championships and earned three domestic British championships. In all, he won an incredible 74 races in only his second year of racing. The motorcycling press went nuts over this young rider and dubbed him "Mike the Bike." In 1959, Hailwood rode for Ducati and, at 19, became the youngest rider of the time to win an international championship race – a 125cc event in Ireland.

By 1961, Hailwood was racing for a Japanese upstart factory named Honda. Riding a four-stroke, four-cylinder 250cc Honda, Hailwood won the 250cc world championship. In December of that year, Hailwood made his first appearance in the United States and raced at Rosamond Speedway in California (now Willow Springs Raceway) in an "international" race held by the United States Motorcycle Club. He easily won the race against primarily local Southern California riders on his factory Honda.

In 1962, Hailwood signed with MV Agusta and went on to become the first rider to win four consecutive 500cc World Championships. In the middle of that string, in 1964, he returned to America and won the United States Grand Prix held at Daytona International Speedway. After his success with MV Agusta, Hailwood went back to Honda and won four more world titles in 1966 and ’67 in the 250cc and 350cc categories.

Hailwood is perhaps best known for his accomplishment at the renowned Isle of Man TT. By 1967, he had won an amazing 12 times on the infamous island mountain course. He won what many historians consider to be the greatest Isle of Man race of all time, the 1967 Senior TT. That event pitted him against archrival Giacomo Agostini. "Ago," on the MV Agusta, faced off against "Mike the Bike," on the blazingly fast but ill-handling four-cylinder Honda. Agostini built a 12-second lead on Hailwood on the first lap. The ever-determined Hailwood rode harder than he ever had in his life, pushing the Honda up to and beyond its limits (setting a new lap record of 108.77 mph in the process, a mark that stood for eight years) to close the deficit to just two seconds when the two titans pitted on the third lap.

During his pit stop, Hailwood lost 11 seconds to Agostini as his crew tried in vain to fix a loose throttle grip. In frustration a mechanic tied a handkerchief tightly around the throttle in a last-ditch effort to hold it in place. Hailwood valiantly fought the Honda, loose grip and all, in what appeared to be a hopeless effort to catch the flawless Agostini. Suddenly, on the last lap just a few miles from the finish, the chain on Ago’s bike snapped. Hailwood sped past the freewheeling Italian, who was fighting back tears, and took the dramatic victory.

In 1968, Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing, but paid Hailwood not to ride in expectation of keeping him as its rider upon return to competition. But Hailwood would never return to motorcycle racing on a full-time basis, instead electing to pursue a career in auto racing.

In 1970, and again in ’71, Triumph coaxed Hailwood into racing the Daytona 200 in an all-out effort to win America’s most prestigious motorcycle race. While he qualified second in 1970, both Daytona appearances ended in mechanical failure.

While he never attained the success in cars that he had on motorcycles, Hailwood became a respected driver in Formula One and World Sports Cars. He won the Formula Two world title and earned a podium finish at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Hailwood earned the admiration of fans and fellow drivers when in 1973 at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit, he stopped his car and waded into flames, his own suit ablaze, to pull Clay Regazzoni from a burning car. A terrifying crash of his own at the German Grand Prix in 1974 resulted in a severely broken right leg for Hailwood and ended his auto-racing career.

Hailwood had retired to New Zealand when the idea of coming back to the Isle of Man was brought up. Against the advice of friends and family, he returned to the TT in 1978. Most figured Hailwood would do nothing more than tarnish his image. But he didn’t. Instead, he won the F1 category on a Ducati 900SS. Thousands of screaming fans flooded the track as Hailwood took the checkered flag in what motorsports writers who were there described as the single most exhilarating moment they’d ever had the privilege to witness. Hailwood came back and rode his 14th TT on a Suzuki GP bike the next year. Shortly thereafter, he retired for good.

Queen Elizabeth honored Hailwood for his contributions to the sport of motorcycling by naming him a Member of the British Empire.

Hailwood died tragically in an automobile accident on March 23, 1981. His daughter, Michelle, was also killed in the crash, and his son, David, survived.

Hailwood will always be remembered as one of the all-time greats of motorcycling. He was named to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Moto GP Legends Hall and was named as Rider of the Millennium by several European motorcycle magazines.

Mike Hailwood - Motorcycle Hall of Fame

Who was Paul Smart?

2008-08-12T21:08:00.001+01:00

Men who made history

Paul Smart

Born on April 23, 1943 in Eynsfords (Kent), UK, Paul Smart raced with many bikes but it was his legendary victory at the Imola 200 Miles in 1972 that assured his eternal fame with Ducati lovers. Ducati showed its stuff in front of 11 powerful competitors, including: MV Agusta, Honda, Triumph, Norton, BSA, and Moto Guzzi, and other famous riders like Phil Read, Walter Villa, and everybody’s favourite, Giacomo Agostini. Continues here

In the 1970s, the Borgo Panigale brand was concentrated on developing their production models and investment in racing was very limited. Smart’s victory was quite unexpected; as talented as he was, no one thought he had a chance against Agostini on his MV Agusta. The bike Smart rode was a touring bike, a Gran Tourismo 750 and the first Ducati to have a desmodromic engine. The Ducati GT 750 had the frame, suspension, engine and breaks of a production model touring bike, while Agostini’s MV Agusta was a 500cc built specifically for racing.

With a small but very professional team to support him, Smart started the Imola 200 Miles with his bike tweaked to perfection. On the fourth lap, the English pilot caught up with Agostini and his MV Agusta. Surprising the more than 70,000 fans and onlookers, and even his own team, Smart surged ahead and crossed the finish line in 1st place. To the joy of fans, another Ducati rider, Bruno Spaggiari, followed right behind Smart. Smart and Spaggiari were neck and neck, fighting for 1st place. Smart eventually took the lead as Spaggiari was forced to slow down because of a lack of petrol. This was the first time Ducati achieved such amazing results against Count Domenico Agusta’s powerful bikes.

Before this win, Paul Smart wasn’t a well-known name in European racing. He was more famous in the United States where he raced for the American team Hanson Kawasaki, on Japanese bikes (that were technically unreliable). When Smart joined Ducati to complete their four person team, he was very surprised at the high skills and capacity of Taglioni’s technical team. Seeing their potential, he couldn’t understand why the Bolognese company didn’t invest more time and energy in professional racing. Although Smart was unaware, the wheels of progress were already turning and the great Imola victory really showed Ducati’s management that successful racing has a significant impact on commercial and financial growth.

Bringing the story back in time to before the great victory, Ducati fought an uphill battle get Smart on the team. Their first step was finding the finances to put a team together. Taglioni was able to convince Ducati’s Director to approve the necessary expenditure. Once the finances were available, the hard part was just beginning… Ducati tried to sign on some well-known riders like Jarno Saarinen, Barry Sheene, and Renzo Pasolini but, in 1972, Ducati wasn’t a big name in the world of large cylinder competitions and these riders weren’t interested. Ducati’s success had been concentrated on races with small single cylinder engines and the riders had a hard time believing that they would have a winning chance in Ducati first return to racing. With little success so far, Spairani tried to enlist a couple of expert, yet lesser-known riders such as the Englishman Alan Dunscombe and veteran racer Bruno Spaggiari. He also tried to contact Smart but could never get through to him. Finally, the Ducati team was able to pass the word to Smart through his companion, Maggie (also Barry Sheene’s sister). Smart was a bit doubtful about the Ducati team but after a bit of negotiation, he signed the contract.

When Smart touched down in Italy at the airport in Milan, he was surprised to be met by a big sedan that brought him straight to the Modena circuit for trials. Without time to rest, Smart found himself directly on the track trying out Dunlop TT100 tyres and various frames. He was pleasantly surprised by the quality Ducati materials (even those coming from the production models) and by the professionalism of the team (the “best he had every worked with”). The team consisted of 30 people, 10 motorcycles and all of the strength and passion of Ducati.

Smart had only just come to Ducati when his magnificent victory joined the rider and brand for years to come.

Originally published in the Passione Ducati Encyclopedia by Altaya/De Agostini

Ducati.com

Welcome

2008-08-11T07:58:00.000+01:00

I've started this blog to provide information, help and assistance to owners of the Ducati Sport Classic and MH900e. If you would like to contribute please let me know and I'll set up access.