Perish the R-word

Regarding the photo of Paul Smart riding my Ducati 750SS at the Island Classic (OBA 57). Thanks for printing that – but then in the caption you used the dreaded R-word! It very definitely is not a replica, but almost certainly the last genuine greenframe bike (chassis no. DM750SS-075022 – so one of the earliest made, in September 1974) still racing. I’ve owned it since 1983 – I had two others before which I raced in 1975-78, but foolishly sold them both to buy a Formula 1 P&M Kawasaki. But I then fortunately realised the error of my ways just in time before prices started spiralling, and bought this one off Gianni Perrone in Italy. It has an honourable Classic racing record, capped by my having won the Daytona F750 race on it in Cycle Week 1997 after finishing second in ’95 to Yvon DuHamel, who gave me a lesson in the art of the draft by wafting past me between the chicane and the finish line on the ex-Dick Mann BSA-3! It’s in WA at the moment because the engine needed