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Cult bike Ducati 750 F1

Dream of a motorcycle

Just sold to Cagiva, Ducati gave birth to one of the most beautiful motorcycle dreams in 1985 with the Ducati 750 F1. Because only those who have the strength to dream also have the strength to live.

The situation was damned dark, even if today – defying the truth – it is presented differently: The brothers Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni had D.ucati took over primarily in 1983 in order to have an engine supplier for future Cagiva models on hand, not to bring the traditional company new fame. It was clear that the unprofitable vertical shaft Ducs should run out soon. Would the smaller engine with toothed belt-driven camshafts still be fueling Ducatis in five years? Probably not.

Cult bike Ducati 750 F1

Dream of a motorcycle

In 1985, fans got the F1 replica

In order to be able to get into long-distance racing, among other things, other racers emerged, the Ducati 750 TT1 and Ducati 750 F1, with larger bore and stroke. Both did well, the former even won the 1983 24 Hours of Montjuïc (in Barcelona). That was enough to fix the fans. Just like in 1972, when Paul Smart immortalized the 750 SS during the 200 miles from Imola, they wanted a commercially available offshoot – and in 1985 they got the F1 replica. Its tubular space frame is similar to that of the racer, has a smaller structure than the Pantah and is therefore even more stable.

For the first time on a series Duc, the swing arm, which is mounted in the engine housing on the Pantah, is supported against a central spring strut. The battery sits enthroned at the very back of the rear frame of the Ducati 750 F1, which is why the seat hump is a bit bulky. The rest, however, is sporty elegance in its purest form. The full fairing is very close, the tank fits into the mesh frame.

Despite the performance deficit, the Ducati 750 F1 has accomplished its mission

The 16-inch front wheel with its three elegant double spokes keeps the motorcycle in a crouched position, while the low-cut handlebars keep the rider in good shape. Strolling around and city traffic is a pain in the ass, and it is not until the country sprint that the joy of the almost agile handling, the good brakes and the firm suspension elements grows. A full tank of 192 kilos may disappoint in view of the racing weight, but it still cuts a fine figure on country roads. The engine of the Ducati 750 F1 is less convincing.

Although it sounds confidently from its Conti two-in-one system, it bakes small rolls on the dynamometer: the two-valve engine delivers a full 63 hp, which led hobby engineers to assume at the time that it had probably reached its limits. In fact, it only needed larger carburettors and valves as well as a modified combustion chamber shape – as proven by the racers with up to 95 hp. Despite the lack of performance, the Ducati 750 F1 has fulfilled its mission, because the enthusiasm for the racing car and its series-produced offshoot prompted the Castiglionis to focus their business activities on Ducati as early as the end of 1985.

Technical data and further information

Zerha / Archive

The Pantah also had a tubular space frame, but it was only in this form, shown in the F1, that it entered the Ducati genome.

Technical data Ducati 750 F1 (year of construction 1985):

Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, 748 cm³, 51.5 kW (70 PS) at 8000 / min, 71 Nm at 6000 / min, five-speed gearbox, lattice frame made of steel tubes, weight 192 kg with a full tank, front tires 120/80 x 16, rear 130/80 x 18, tank capacity 22 liters, top speed (lying) 202 km / h, 0-100 km / h in 4.4 seconds.

Scene:

In the early 80s, when Ducati only produced a few thousand motorcycles annually, fans nourished themselves from the successes of the 600 and 750 cc racers, which were able to show the Japanese time and again and thus saved the myth about this dry spell. Above all Tony Rutter with four Formula TT2 titles as well as various Italian works drivers from Walter Villa to Marco Lucchinelli caused a sensation. The production racers, which are extremely popular today, were created in small series. However, those of the Replica and their various special series have little in common with their insane engines. Nevertheless: only produced from 1985 to 1988, the Ducati 750 F1 is already one of the (expensive) Ducati classics.

Further information:

The TT1 and TT2 racers have been widely recognized by Ian Falloon, Die Ducati-Story, Motorbuch Verlag, 29.90 euros. The website www.ducati-tt.de is really excellent

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