Custom Bikes Of The Week: 8 March, 2020
A beastly CB750 from Belgium, a vintage Ducati worth over half a million dollars, a Honda Dominator with geometric bodywork, and an Enfield GT650 from Tasmania.
1965 Ducati 125 cc four-cylinder Grand Prix racer This glorious vintage machine is the only one of its kind in existence, and it’s about to go under the hammer at Bonhams with an estimate of between £400,000 and £600,000. It was originally developed to race in the 125 GP class, but by the time it was finally complete, it was already outdated.
Fabio Taglioni, who?d been hired by Ducati in 1954 to oversee its racing and development programs, designed the 125 cc four. He’s the guy that designed the iconic 100 Gran Sport, and pioneered Ducati’s ‘desmodromic’ valve actuation system.
Development on the bike started somewhere in the late 50s or early 60s, but Ducati’s financial woes (and subsequent withdrawal from racing) pushed development back. So when it was finally released, it was no longer cutting edge. It was tested, but never raced.
The prototype mysteriously ended up behind the Iron Curtain, in pieces. But somehow, famed motorcycle engineer and designer, Giancarlo Morbidelli, managed to track down the motor and frame?in two separate countries. Mr Morbidelli and his team reunited the motor and frame, and then painstakingly pieced the rest of the bike together using period correct parts and a custom-built fuel tank.
The bike now runs again, but spends its time on displ...
-------------------------------- |
|
Bob Jobs: The Bike EXIF guide to bobber motorcycles in 2024
28-04-2024 08:38 - (
motorcycle )