In every motorcycle manufacturer’s history, there is an event that changes everything, something that creates a before and an after, something that will define the brand and the image it will have for the rest of its activity. Ducati has a strange story. Founded in 1926 in Bologna, the Italian brand was at the time specialized in the production and improvement of parts for radio transmission. During WWII, their factory was occupied and then destroyed by the Allies in 1944. The Ducati family had to start all over again and they did so with small engines, especially for a bicycle. From there, Ducati produced a few single-cylinder motorcycles until the 60s arrived and the need for bigger engines arrived. In June of 1971, Ducati released the famous 750GT equipped with its “L-twin” engine. One year later, a race prepped version of the bike was ridden by Ducati pilots at the Imola 200 – this is the event that changed everything for Ducati. Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari took 1st and 2nd place and put Ducati at the top of superbike market. This was also the birth of Ducati’s Super Sport bike series. In 2006, the brand decided to release a limited edition as a tribute to that race at Imola with the Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE.
The bike doesn’t really look like the original 750GT, but it definitely adopts a vintage racing look with modern sensibilities. Thanks to this bike, Ducati was a pioneer in the concept of bike “re-creation”, even though Kawasaki for instance had already created a couple of Eddie Lawson Replica bikes. Equipped with a desmo 992cc L-twin engine that develops 92 hp, this bike is able to reach a top speed of 129p mph. It comes with an elliptical “GP” style swingarm that permits the black exhaust system, an advanced air-cooling system and fully adjustable Ohlins suspension. Check out this Cycle World article about the bike to get more information.
The bike presented here is a very nice Paul Smart example. Showing only 1,299 miles, the bike had new OEM tires and a Zard full exhaust system installed in 2017. A new fuel pump and a battery were also put in at the same time. The original OEM exhaust is included in the sale as well.
Find this Ducati Paul Smart for here on Craigslist in Los Angeles, California for a price of $26,995.