Beschreibung:

After years of building their brand with small-displacement, high-performance single-cylinder motorcycles, Ducati entered the emerging superbike wars in 1971. Their opening salvo was a Taglioni-designed, 90-degree V-twin of 750cc capacity, in a package designated 750 GT. The field was dominated by the declining Brits with their Norton twins and Triumph triples, and the up-and-coming Japanese, whose Honda four-cylinder CB750 had raised the bar considerably with its electric-starter and low price. The new Ducati was a performer, pulling seamlessly through the rpm range, but so-so fit and finish and the visual oddity of the twin's laydown front cylinder led initially to mixed reviews. A seminal event in Ducati history would overcome the critics' carping. A visionary Italian promoter, Francesco Costa promoted a race at Imola that was meant to be a European version of the famed Daytona 200-miler. Ducati entered hastily prepared prototype Super Sport racers based on the 750 GT and took on all their large-displacement rivals. The untried mounts posted an incredible 1-2 finish with Paul Smart the winner, followed home by Bruno Spaggiari. From that moment, Ducati became the bike of choice for hard-core sporting riders with a taste for exotic mechanicals. It also spawned a generation of SS versions of Taglioni's bevel-drive V-twins. The first of these was the iconic Green Frame roundcase 750SS. In 1975, the 900SS, fitted with the 864cc "square-case" engine was introduced. It remained in production for the remainder of the decade, offered in a variety of specifications and trim levels. The Silverman collection's 900SS is a rare Imola model, like the first 750SS patterned after the race-winning bikes, with special gas tank and paint. The bike wears the number-one option for hard-charging riders, a high-rise exhaust system to give added cornering clearance. The stock low-level pipes are included in the sale. This 900SS Imola offers an opportunity to own a top-of-the-line Ducati from the era when the firm was establishing its reputation as one of the world's elite superbike manufacturers.