Ducati 750GT

The 90 ° V-twin / L-twin designed by the genius Fabio Taglioni was already a bombshell. Here in the Netherlands there was a black and white spy photo in the then WeekBlad Motor. Everyone shivered.

The Ducati 750 GT was the first fat Duc

About 1972 copies were made between 1974-4000. It's an Italian motorcycle. Italians don't take numbers very seriously. 4093 748 cc 750 GTs were made. Or 4133 pieces. Those are not huge numbers for an engine that had to save the factory. Because Ducati is Italian. So at any given moment in history just before, during or after a financial crisis. So then too.

The Ducati 750 GT: Actually more important than the SS models

The American market was the most important market for almost all motorcycle brands. Because after Honda had made motorcycling socially acceptable (You meet the nicest people on a Honda) the largest buyer circle of all time was born.

Made for the USA

Of course, the USA was once also the absolute market for the British twins that were fast and well-managed. But manufacturers from others had already taken over that dominant position by the early 70s. With Honda at the forefront. But the Americans were also quite fond of the single-cylinder at the time. Ducatis that helped create what is now the reborn Scrambler generation.

But 450 cc had become too light

A fifty-four was still a heavy motorcycle in the 1971s. But in 650 Honda, BMW and even more, more or less important motorcycle manufacturers, made motorcycles 'from 750 cc'. The XNUMX cc class had set the new standard. And to play with that, Ducati had to come up with a clever plan. That thinking was complicated by a lack of resources. There was no money tree on the factory site. That is why a design was made with the 'top floor' of the single-burner as the starting point.

A fantastic bike

Within six months of the sketches (August 1970), a driving prototype was ready, which would determine the face of Ducati. Model shown was a 750 cc 'round crankcase' with king-shaft driven overhead camshafts. The base of the engine was two single cylinders on one crankshaft, Siamese connected at a 90 degree angle. Advantages of this engine design were: the primary imbalance is perfectly balanced, the construction had a low center of gravity and narrow block construction, had good cooling also of the rear cylinder, and the basic design was cost effective due to the use of parts from the single cylinder series. That the wheelbase became a bit long was due to the long L block, but the Duc steered fine.

That first V- or L-twin was one without a Desmodromic valve control. And of course the first models (including Spanish Amal carburettors) had their teething problems. But they will be out by now.

Ducati 750 GT, pay attention to the designation: the GT750 is a completely different bike from a completely different brand!

55hp at 7800rpm. So about 4100 Ducati GT 750s have been made. The offer is accordingly. Funny as it is, that we now have three (almost) for sale. Pay attention to originality when purchasing. With Ducati, engine and chassis numbers must be nearby, they do not have to be identical. The 750 GTs are less sought after than the S or SS models.

So 750 GTs have been upgraded to S or SS types.

Conversely, this is not the case. And in the current market picture, prices are disproportionate. From € 16.500 for a nice copy / a good restoration project, people no longer scare. They must be enthusiasts. Because when such a machine is reborn, it will have cost much more than it will ever be worth ...

Because a classic dealer once said it aptly: Your restoration is my profit.

Oh yes: I bought my Ducati 1986 GT in 750. In Weesp. For a boy who worked in a motorcycle shop and sold the motorcycles 'from home' that his employer was afraid to sell. The Duc had blown red with white stripes and shifted poorly. I bought 2.000 guilders, replaced a feather and had the engine sprayed 'during working hours' by an acquaintance who worked at NOS set construction.

I enjoyed the thing a lot and traded it for three Ducati single-cylinders two years later.

Also read:
- Project Imola Ducati, Baines
- Ducati GTS 900
- Ducati Pantah. A real Ducati
- The Ducati Darmah: a touring motor with Karma
- The Ducati 900SS. For people who could not pay 851