This Featured Listing is part of the The Edinger Ducati Collection. Thank you for supporting the site, David! -dc
The next offering from the amazing Edinger Ducati Collection is here, and it is a stunner: a 1979 Ducati 900 SS bevel in iconic gold and black. These long, sleek machines tell an important story in history, and are responsible for Ducati’s rise to power and popularity. This all began with the 1972 Imola win by Paul Smart (fun fact: Paul’s wife was Barry Sheene’s sister). Smart was riding a green-framed Ducati 750 Super Sport for that Imola race – as close an ancestor to this 900 Super Sport as can be found in history. You see, while displacement climbed over the next 15-ish years, little else seemed to outwardly change on these models. The similarities between the earlier bikes and later models is remarkable, highlighting what a fantastic platform the original Super Sport represented in the first place. The last of the big bevel twins had more in common with the earliest bikes of the same model than could be imagined. These are bikes with serious bones.
Featured Listing: 1979 Ducati 900SS
The Super Sport series began with what was essentially the mating of two Ducati single cylinder top ends to a common crankcase. The instantly recognizable L-twin arrangement came about due to the need to ensure adequate air flow to the rear cylinder; laying the front barrel down kept it from blanking the wind. Later this arrangement showed promise for weight distribution (low down and as far forward as possible), but it was the need for cooling and reliability that lead the way. And one key element really shows the history of this design; although this is a “modern” motorcycle with electric start, the kick starter carries over as a vestige of earlier days. And speaking of electrics, that is the one area where the Super Sport series made significant strides over the years, building in better reliability and efficiency.
From the seller:
This is a 1979 Ducati Classic with less than a 100 miles on it following the complete ground up restoration. The bike was purchased in Texas and was restored by Revival Cycles in Austin and has been serviced by Ducati Austin. There is only one flaw shown on the cosmetic ring on one gauge, the speedometer, new tires, this bike is in art. Vin# 089083 and has a clean title which says it’s a 1980 but the Vin # tells me it’s a 1979. Current mileage is 18,004 and the bike is in TexasAsking Price: $30,000
Contact: Edinger.david@gmail.com 317-908-2573
Classic bevel Ducatis continue to drive to new heights in the marketplace. They are simply a standout design that bridges the gap between old and new; they are modern enough to ride today (in anger), yet retain the classic good looks and arcane technical elements that make them unique. By the early 1980s the bevel cam drive arrangement was being phased out in favor of the Pantah “rubber band” engines, the valve timing setup being tremendously less resource intensive on the production line. But today these older bevels simply look, sound and run fantastic. Today’s example has been restored, appears to be in wonderful shape for a 40+ year old sport bike and is ready for a new home. Interested parties should reach out to David quickly, as this black beauty is unlikely to be available very long!
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