1974 Ducati 750 GT

"Unlike a good proportion of modern big bikes, the Ducati is a totally balanced machine. It's dominated by the throbbing V-twin motor, yet you feel that the bike has been designed as an entity, with all other components matching the engine's performance." Bike magazine.

Designed by the legendary Fabio Taglioni, Ducati's first road-going v-twin - the 750 GT - arrived in 1971. Lacking the resources of larger Far Eastern rivals, Ducati had made the most of what it already possessed to create one of the all-time great post-war motorcycles. A 90-degree vee, the engine looked like two of the Bologna firm's bevel-drive overhead-cam singles on a common crankcase (which in essence it was) though the coil valve springs represented a departure from Ducati's traditional hairpins. The 90-degree layout made for exceptional smoothness and a lengthy wheelbase, a handicap more apparent than real, which failed to stop the fine-handling Ducatis notching up a succession of wins in Formula 750 events, commencing with Paul Smart's famous victory at Imola in April 1972 that really put Ducati's new v-twin on the map.

A 1974 model first registered in 1975, this 750 GT has had only two previous owners and is believed by the vendor to have covered a mere 2,032 miles since it left the factory. The Ducati belonged to the vendor's late father, its second owner. He was a Ducati obsessive, adding this 750 GT to his collection in 1975, and was forever making 'adjustments' to the bike, a habit that lasted until his death. It was always under restoration; the vendor never saw the Ducati on the road and it lived as a frame and engine in the garage between numerous assorted machines. Before his death the vendor's father had the engine rebuilt at DTS (Wakefield) at a cost of £5,000.

After the vendor's father's death, most of his machines were sold but it was decided to keep the 750 GT and finish the renovation in his honour. The rebuild was commenced by local restorers East Restorations and completed to factory specification by Made In Italy Motorcycles at a cost of £6,000, which included a new seat, fresh paintwork, and Conti silencers. Freshly MoT'd, the Ducati was back on the road in 2022 after some 40-plus years laid up. Made In Italy then drained the fluids and made the bike ready for professional storage where it has remained until now. Unfortunately, the family is no longer in the position to keep the Ducati, hence the regretful decision to sell.

Accompanying paperwork includes the following:
• An old V5 registration document
• DVLA registration number correspondence
• Made in Italy Motorcycles Ltd receipts
• MoT certificate (expired 2023)
• An expired tax disc (1980)
• Haynes workshop manual
• Original Ducati workshop manual
• Copies of marque related technical literature
Offered with key