A little piece of two-wheel Heaven
Greetings, all! May your O rings be sealing and your carbs free of mysterious crud. The skies have used all the rain up and its nearly riding time – hopefully.
The traditional use of an editorial greeting is in fact to ramble on about what’s in the magazine that month. Always thought that’s boring and lazy, but this month we’re following the protocol, instead of the usual mardlin’ about the goings on of the Classic Bike Guide clan.
This unusual conformism is because we have a guide to the Ducati 916. Oli and I wondered how it would be received; too modern for some, to others it’s the reason they got into biking. Oli won the day after working out that the 916 is 30 years old this year, yet the Rocket Gold Star was just 29 when Classic Bike Guide started. And selfishly, for me, this is personal.
The 916 pushed my ball rolling down the slippery slope that is motorcycling. Having played with my brother Dan’s Honda MT5 and buying a ropey Suzuki ZR50 with no rear brake linings, a test was quickly achieved when it was so easy that a fish with a dodgy fin could pass. When you’re that age, the world is huge, and a blast along the twisty, bumpy 10-mile road to a nearby town on my more-than-I-could-manage Kawasaki KR1 250 was enough, especially when Chris Clarke Motorcycles was there. And Chris sold Ducati.
Evenings I’d just puff away, staring through the window, trying to work out what the models were – ‘Dukes’ wore subtle model names – something in common with Brit bikes. Then on a Saturday, I could go in, try some helmets on, and pretend I could afford a red stallion. Clarkes drew bikers aplenty and there were regularly unusual Italian bikes to see. But one day, there appeared a 916.
It shone out. It was stunning, like nothing before. Tiny, I first thought it was a 250, and I remember all the other new bikes looking bloated and old-fashioned around it – including the Aprilia RS250. People just stared like it was art. Many fell in love, and many bought one. I fell in love. Yet for a kid, it was unobtainable. There have since been many a Ducati in my life, but all just a substitute. The 916 ruined other bikes – like racers peaking at the same time as Fangio, Hailwood, Senna or Rossi, its rivals didn’t stand a chance.
The price, Ducati’s financial woes and takeovers, haphazard quality, non-existent comfort and endless limited editions only added to the ether surrounding the V-twin. And to most, those looks haven’t aged. Even if the 916 isn’t ‘your era’, we hope you enjoy. I’ve missed the boat to own one but will never forget that first 916 I saw; it was the cement to a lifetime career in motorcycling, for which I’m very, very grateful (“Erm, I’m not” – your bank manager).
And to please those who prefer their steeds more mature, we are featuring the stunning restoration by Jake Robbins of a Brough Superior SS100. Not usually our world, but it’s beautiful, and it’s interesting to see the issues are just the same as when restoring anything!
Enjoy,