Forza Smussato – 1978 Ducati 900SS with 1,900 Miles !

Today’s Supersport is a vintage bevel still on the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin and presumably never registered.  Condition and ask are more stadium auction than eBay.  Just a couple of klicks down Rte. 7 from me if a reader would like a close-up inspection.

1978 Ducati 900SS for sale on eBay

Ducati added 6mm to the bore of the 750SS and found 864cc’s and 67 hp.  Still an early adoption of the desmodromic valve gear, reviewers advised against ignoring the valve adjustment intervals.  The stout frame tubes cradle the squared-off engine cases, and spring rates could be kept relatively mild.  280mm brakes and 18-inch spoked wheels round out the running gear.  The single seat seems to have been optional for 1978 and joins the party started by the upper-only fairing.

Dealer plates might explain the 1,900 miles and MSO documentation, and likely all but a few happened more than a generation ago.  Recently the engine was evidently rebuilt, and factory blinkers are still mounted.  Finishes on the chrome, alloy, and paint ( sometimes all in the same picture ! ) are excellent without seeming overdone.  Details from the eBay auction –

Silver with Blue. 1,900 original miles, same owner since 1988 – still on Ducati Factory MSO. In 2019, the bike was totally gone thru, the brakes and the carburetors rebuilt, the engine was disassembled and refreshed after sitting for many years, this was all done by a Ducati Expert. Almost $15,000 was spent doing this work with receipts to verify the work done. The bike is in excellent condition exactly as you would expect for a super low mile example. It comes with an additional front fairing and owners manual. Ducati’s are the ultimate sport bike. If you are collector this is one you should have in your collection! It is a very low mile example that has just been mechanically gone thru.

Though not the first desmodromic valve engine, the bevel has a rabid – following – which capitalizes on the bikes’ vintage beauty.  They weren’t a racetrack challenge to Japan’s latest four cylinder bikes, but were only a tad slower on the road with better torque and lighter handling.  Almost all are collectible these days, occasional riders with close family ties to Imola and looks that always draw a crowd.

-donn