WEDDED BLISS
The other evening, I was lounging in my garden, sipping a San Miguel and admiring the sensuous lines of the bike parked under the magnolia tree. I bought it brand new in 1974, this Ducati 750 GT. This is the model that launched Ducati on its trajectory to become the Ferrari of the motorcycle world, so to say it’s an iconic machine is an understatement.
The GT is still a visual feast. It was designed in a period when the engine rather than the bodywork was the main styling focus – think of the earlier Vincent Black Shadow or Brough Superior -and this engine is a beauty. The alloy bevel tower on the forward cylinder looks like something off a 1930s aero engine. I polish it, lovingly, for many a happy hour.
Two days earlier while riding the Ducati across London on the westway dual-carriageway at a speed I can’t admit, I observed how much nicer the 750 is to ride than the new(ish) Aprilia Pegaso 650 I also own. The Ducati benefits from low-down torque compared to the buzzy Yamaha-based engine; a broad comfy seat; the perfect riding position with pressure taken off wrists and back at 70mph; creamy gear changes – no need for the clutch on fast up-shifts -and smooth, positive handling compared to the twitchy, highly-strung younger Italian bike.
Then there’s the rich, basso profundo rumble from the 750’s unrestricted exhausts, compared to the emission-controlled asthmatic wheeze of the Aprilia. Of the many things I adore about the old Ducati, I think it’s that engine torque I love the best.
Modern riders don’t know the pleasure of real torque delivered by big cylinders and small valves – doesn’t matter what gear you are in, just open up the throttle and off you stonk. Peaky modern engines are fine swapping gears on motorways but a bit dull everywhere else.
