BUYERS’ GUIDE: DUCATI 750/900SS
Few Italian dishes feed the senses like Ducati’s Desmo supersports models – they’re all about passion and dedication
You don’t have to sell a kidney to buy one, but it might help...
Ducati created an icon by releasing a limited number of road-going ‘replicas’ of their 1972 Imola winning V-twin racer for the 1974 sales season. The 750SS became an instant legend for its combination of race-bred handling, blistering speed and drop-dead gorgeous styling. And, with rarity adding to its allure over the last 57 years, it’s no wonder Ducati’s Desmo racer for the road has become one of the most coveted machines in the classic world.
Unfortunately, that has led to prices spiralling out of reach for most riders, with mint examples changing hands for over £150,000. But the dream of owning a bevel-drive Desmo Duke is more achievable if you go for the 900SS, which was launched in 1975.
Prices of 900s are less stratospheric. They’re never going to be a cheap option, but you can still find a decent 1978-on rider for around the £20,000 mark. That’s still a lot of cash, but what you get with a 900SS is something special.
First-year 900s from 1975 are the most sought-after; just under 250 were produced, making them even rarer than the first-year 750SS. The frame is the same as the 750, but the engine is based on the (then new) squarecase engine. The spirit of the 750SS certainly lived on in the 864cc bruiser, though, with only the minimum of concessions to civility needed to make the bike road legal diluting its race track heritage. That means no indicators, a single racing seat, right-foot gearchange, silencers in name only, big 40mm carbs – and nothing so effete as electric start.
For the following year, Ducati toned down the big SS (a little), offering the option of 32mm carbs to make the power delivery a little more tractable and fitting a cross-over shaft to take the gearchange to the left. UK bikes got a steel fuel tank in place of the glassfibre original, too. For 1977, Ducati relented and fitted indicators, although it wasn’t until 1978 that they fitted a
‘THEY’RE NEVER GOING TO BE A CHEAP OPTION, BUT YOU DO GET SOMETHING SPECIAL’
decent Bosch ignition system and a stronger crankshaft to address the numerous failures of the early crank and far too snappy advance of the old Ducati ignition.
Because of that, if you want a bike to ride rather than as an investment, a 1978-on cast-wheel model would probably make the most sense – and be a little easier on your wallet as well. From then until the end of 900SS production in 1982, the main improvement was the adoption of Nippondenso switchgear for 1979.
The cast wheels on later bikes might not have the classic style of the spoked wheels on pre-1978 bikes, but all variants of the 900SS share the impeccable handling, grunty power and raw feeling of the original. And all have that feelgood factor in spades.
If you can afford one, you almost certainly won’t regret owning one. With the 900SS, you really do pay your money, but you can at least take your choice, too.
THE RIDE
This is the reason why you buy a beveldrive SS Duke. Sure, they look gobsmackingly gorgeous, but it’s the ride that makes the 900SS a standout classic. Starting one up from cold is not for the faint of heart – stirring five litres of cold oil into action requires a hefty swing of the kickstarter – but once the engine is up to operating temperature, first-kick restarts are easy enough. And once you’ve got it started, the experience can really begin.
The engine pulls like a tugboat – and if you don’t crack a smile when the
revs build and those Contis start to bellow (you really should go for an SS equipped with Conti ‘silencers’), you’re probably lacking in the soul department. There’s plenty of urge from the bottom of the rev range and once you get the SS rolling on a fast, sweeping A-road, you’ll rarely have to drop below top gear to keep that grin on your face.
When you do have to use the gearbox, the earlier six-dog type does demand a slightly slower change, but the payoff is more positive engagement. And with that abundance of low and midrange power, you won’t need to be tap-dancing on the gearlever anyway. Top-end performance is above par for a ’70s sports bike, with a top end nudging 130mph if fitted with those free-breathing Contis and 40mm Dell’orto carbs. The later Lafranconi and Silentium silencers sound a little more subdued and knock a fraction off the performance, although not enough to spoil the experience. They do give a slightly smoother power delivery and a more predictable tickover.
Braking performance is top of the ’70s class and the handling is simply sublime – pick a line and the Ducati’s super-stiff chassis sticks to it. The steering is not the quickest in the world – probably due to the SS’S 60in wheelbase – but the reward is absolute stability on fast corners and rock-steady tracking in a straight line.
Fit the best, stickiest, modern tyres you can find and enjoy.