c.1984 Ducati TT1

Frame no. DM600SL 75000007460

Previewing in Los Angeles, California by appointment. Please contact [email protected] for scheduling.

In Ducati's 'post bevel' race history, Tony Rutter's amazing run of four consecutive Formula 2 world titles on the 600-class TT2 ranks very high, just below the Smart and Hailwood glories at Imola and the Isle of Man respectively. It was natural then that a larger 750-class TT1 would follow. This was basically a bored-and-stroked version of the TT2 - 88mm bore and a 61.5mm stroke - which took it out to 748cc. The Verlicchi swingarm was spread to accommodate a wider rear wheel, a move that also necessitated an offset countershaft sprocket to clear the wider-section rubber. At about 130kg (286.3lb) dry, it was very light. A striking red-and-blue paint scheme differentiated the TT1 from the TT2. While the TT1 did enjoy some success in endurance and Formula 1 racing, placed well in the American Battle of the Twins series, and won the Italian F1 championship, it never quite reached the dizzying heights of its 600cc predecessor. A total of perhaps 60 TT1s were built. As such they are among the rarest, most collectible of Ducati road racing bikes, and still rank among the company's most beautiful creations. They are the ultimate extension of the belt-drive Pantah design, and bear the fingerprint of the great Fabio Taglioni, his last involvement with a Ducati racer. The TT1 is also important because the riding public's clamoring for a road-going replica led to the F1 series, which helped upright Ducati's financial ship and set the stage for a whole raft of race replicas to come.

The bike offered is a period correct TT1, believed to have been built at the NCR factory for Ducati race team, has been professionally restored by Althea Racing Team mechanic, M. Tulli.

It is not a factory bike per se but rather a period-correct racer. At that time (mid-1980s) race teams were buying and/or building competitive bikes with the help of NCR. Using frames from Verlicchi and a 750 2-valve, belt drive, air cooled engine from Ducati itself, sent to NCR to modify, said teams then building their own 750 TT1s.

Thus this bike has never had a Verlicchi frame number or factory engine number, as TT1s produced by NCR outside of the Ducati factory (for racing purposes) were not assigned any such registration numbers. The engine surely has NCR's signature build-up to include drilled, polished and lightened straight cut gears, lightened original steel flywheel, machined and polished cam rockers. Big valves and three ring pistons were used sometimes. The clutch basket, although from the later factory dry clutch, is lightened as the factory did it (like on 851 models.) The bike was also known to and serviced by famed tuner Reno Leoni who tuned bikes for racers such as American, the late Jimmy Adamo. This bike was raced by ex-Ducati factory rider Oscar LaFerla in the Italian TT series. It is a beautiful example of a 1980s period correct TT1 750cc road race motorcycle.