The 1980s were a period of gestation for Ducati, hitting their sportbike stride with the move from the bevel drive motors to the now-ubiquitous rubber belt-driven desmo valve train. And while Japan focused on technology such as four valves per cylinder, liquid cooling and a constantly changing array of multi-cylinder configurations, Ducati stuck to what…
The ( original ! ) owner of this 900 SS/FE must’ve been at the dealer in late 1997 to have cadged chassis number 016 of 300. The end-of-model commemorative had mostly the best of the 900SS years, and where Ducati left off, this owner has updated to even better. 1998 Ducati 900 SS/FE for sale…
Update 10.18.2018: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc If you gaze upon modern motorcycles today and think that they are all starting to look alike, you’re not alone. There is a certain #metoo movement in current motorcycle design. But cast your eye back a few short – like 40 – years…
Hard to believe it was just 1968 when engineering director Fabio Taglioni put Ducati’s street eggs in the desmo basket, having used the valve actuation technique in race machines for several years. The Mk.3 line included 250, 350, and 450cc singles, and while this last-year model hasn’t run in a while, its low miles and…
Ducati has carved out an enormous niche in the super-sport area, with some compromises on the sporting intentions of their superbikes, but often more versatile and plenty of fun. This 900SS was parked after a year or so of use and recently re-incarnated, a happy beginning to its next chapter. 1993 Ducati 900SS for sale…
These days, when someone says “BMW sportbike,” two things happen. First, the squinty, asymmetrical S1000RR immediately springs to mind. Second, you don’t immediately burst into a fit of laughing: not long ago, “BMW sportbike” would have been something of an oxymoron. But people forget that, sandwiched in between the sporty-toury R1100S and the game-changing S1000RR,…
Update 8.12.2018: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Italian bikes are sometimes accused of putting style before function, but I think it’s more accurate to say that they prioritize performance and style over comfort and practicality… But in the case of the Ducati MH900e, style was far and away the most…
Moto Guzzi cross-pollinated their 1990’s unfaired sport model with the newly developed 992cc four-valve V-twin, the result being the V10 Centauro. Calendar-girl bodywork surrounds the air and oil-cooled beast within, tuned down from the Daytona 1000’s peak but still happy to rev to the 8,400 rpm limit and crank out 95 hp. This one has…