Italian exotica

Good looks (mainly), great sounds (probably) and real ownership appeal, we all want an exotic Italian bike in the garage. Here are eight tempting options…

£14,950

Motoguzzilemans

º If you want a ’70s Italian sportsbike purely to look at and polish, buy a Ducati. If you want one that’s just as stylish and full of character but robust enough for the rigours of modern riding, buy a Moto Guzzi. It’s the classic Le Mans that collectors and brand aficionados still get all frothy over, and this 1978 Mk1 is about as good as they get. Restored in Italy using original and genuine parts, it’s a flippin’ peach. Take pride of place at the local classic meet, then strap on a tailpack and thunder to the South of France for some winter sun. Proper motorbike.

£11,000

Bimota YB10

º The trouble with modern classics is they never quite live up to expectations. Their performance and feel depends on how well they’ve been cared for, which is why they are never like they were back in the day. Unless you buy this YB10. Released from a private collection this is a never used, completely fresh bike. And it’s ready to ride. So that’s a 145bhp Yamaha FZR1000 engine in a handbuilt Italian chassis with exquisite components (that weighs 30kg less than the donor FZR), all for the price of a Suzuki GSX-S1000F.

£POA

Ducatigp03

º Win every trackday you sign up for (if you can pass the noise test) with Troy Bayliss’ Motogp bike from the 2003, Ducati’s first year in Motogp. It’s powered by a 989cc ‘twin pulse’ 90-degree V4 with over 230bhp, and was the bike that got the Italian firm’s first Motogp win; Troy’s teammate Loris Capirossi took an identical bike to victory at Catalunya. This bike has been rebuilt and is ready to ride. Which you should – it was made to be used (hard), not sat in a collection. The dealer is coy on pricing, but the number will definitely have six figures.

£14,950

Ducatihailwoodrep

º ‘Actually officer, I don’t think I’m Barry Sheene... I think you’ll find I’m Mike Hailwood.’ Based on the 900SS, minty examples of Ducati’s original Hailwood Replica are fetching close to £25k. That’s the sort of money where you get all precious and don’t ride the bike. So we’d save £10k and buy this bevel beauty instead. It’s a Mille rolling chassis with an earlier 900 engine from 1980 and in full MHR specification, including the non-electric start 900SS clutch cover, Dell’orto PHM40 carbs and even the right Conti tyres. Ace condition and ready to ride. And that’s the point.

£17,950

Benellisei

º Impressed by Honda’s CB500 Four launched at the end of 1971, Benelli realised they needed to up their game to match the Japanese. The easiest solution would be to copy the CB’S engine... so they did. Then they realised they could beat Honda at their own game by grafting extra cylinders on, and created the world’s first six-cylinder production bike. The Sei makes 76bhp, is super-smooth and lighter-handling than looks suggest. Has decent ground clearance too. This ’78 bike is in immaculate fullyrestored nick and sounds sensational.

£18,000

Mondial Piega

º Cross-breed a Honda SP-1 with the flashiest Bimota you can think of and that’s the Piega. Small Italian firm Mondial agreed a deal to use the V-twin from the VTR1000 (apparently because Soichiro Honda had asked Mondial if he could buy one of their GP championshipwinning 125cc race bikes back in 1957), and slotted it in an über-fancy chassis with carbonwrapped swingarm. They planned to build 200 but went bust after 100 or so were completed. This one is brand new and unused, and the same price as it would have been back in 2002.