If badge-engineered “Limited Edition” Ducatis are not your thing, how about a rare Duc that earned the title the old fashioned way? Check out this gorgeous 1982 600 SL. Sure, it sports some miles and it needs some refurbishment. But for a LOT less than the turn-of-the-century MH900e internet bike we recently posted, you can have a classic Ducati that offers a different type of exclusivity.
This 600 SL sports the “new” Pantah motor, actuating the desmodromic valve train via rubber belts versus the earlier bevel drive motors. By going this route Ducati realized a huge jump in factory productivity; the belt drive motors required far fewer adjustments during assembly. Longevity of these units has been assured by the track record – change the belts and oil at required intervals, and they are relatively bulletproof.
From the seller:
RARE 1982 DUCATI 600SL PANTAH MOTORCYCLE ,EXCELLENT CONDITION ,RUNS PERFECT ,EVERTYTHING WORKS ,VERY LOW PRODUCTION ,MINT CONTI PIPES ,36K 2 OWNER MILES ,REGULAR SERVICE FROM NEW ,SMALL CHIPS ETC IN PAINT FROM NORMAL USE ,BIKE HAS CLEAN LIEN FREE TITLE ,FACTORY TOOLS ,OVERALL VERY CLEAN WITH NO ISSUES
A bike can only be new once, and it can only be original once. While this one is clearly not new, it does offer originality. Yes, it has some flaws that you might expect in a 30+ year old motorcycle, but it still looks pretty good from a reasonable distance. Consider this a rider today with restoration potential in the future.
Early Pantahs – like many interesting bikes – are headed upwards in terms of pricing. The 600SL was never a hyper sports bike, and was not intended to be track burners like the similar era Super Sports. This is a gentleman’s ride, with class and good looks. What those looks will cost you will be determined by the auction. Current bidding has been moderate, with the auction just over $4,000 and reserve still in place. Click the link to check out all the details. Good Luck!
MI
The Pantah 600 is a good bike, but IMHO the 750 Paso (when a better flowing exhaust is fitted and the Weber carb is rejetted) is a better bike for much less. I’ve had the pleasure of owning both. The reserve on this Pantah will probably be pretty steep, seeing who the seller is.