Ducati Goes Retro-Again!
DUCATI GOES RETRO-AGAIN!
ROUNDUP
PIERRE TERBLANCHE IS the right man at the right place. He loves Ducati-its tradition above all-and is particularly inter ested in the events and models related to the early years of the 90-degree V-Twin.
Spanning most of the 1970s, the saga of the bevel-gear Desmo began with the legendary victory at Imola in 1972 and ended with the TT-F1 world title in ’78. Both wins came courtesy of great British champions:
Paul Smart and Mike Hailwood. Five years ago, Terblanche honored Hailwood’s success at the Isle of Man with the MH900e, which was built as a limited edition and sold over the Internet. Now, it’s Smart’s turn.
One of three retro-style concept models unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last fall, the PaulSmart 1000 is the most dramatic and the only faired model. The others-the GT 1000 Sport 1000-were inspired by the 750 GT
and GT-derivative 750 Sport of the same era. Looking more production than concept, all three machines are powered by the same two-valve-per-cylinder, 992cc, Dual Spark V-Twin used in the Multistrada, Supersport 1000 and Monster 1000S. They also share brand-new tubularsteel trelliswork, which borrows elements of its design from the MHe, ST and SS.
Terblanche loves the aircooled engine because
there’s no radiator or related hoses to muck up styling. Fuel-injection is common to all three machines, with the clip-onequipped PaulSmart and Sport also sharing a matteblack exhaust with stacked right-side mufflers. The high-handlebar GT uses similar header-pipe plumbing, but with one can per side and a chrome finish. Instruments belong to the electronic generation, but are contained within traditional dials, with white backgrounds on the PaulSmart and Sport, black on the GT.
Retro looks need not mean a retro ride, as the inverted 43mm Showa forks, Öhlins shocks, Brembo brakes and Pirelli radial-shod, wirespoked wheels suggest. Wheelbases span 56.1
inches, slightly longer than the MHe. The PaulSmart weighs 425 pounds, while the GT and Sport scale in at 423 pounds.
When might we see production versions of the SportClassics? Ducati isn’t saying, but as the PaulSmart in particular demonstrates,
Ducati is all about personal commitments and longstanding friendships. That’s what makes it special.
Bruno de Prato
