Most Significant Ducati in the last 50 years

J

jefro

New member
Hi All,

Question/poll to get the grey matter turning over, What do you think is the most significant road bike that Ducati has produced over the last 50 years? and why?
You can take 'Significant' to mean related to Ducati in terms of their evolution or progress as a motorcycle maker.
I have my choice which I will post at the end so as not to influence anyone.
 
The 916 was an obvious game changer but I think of more significance, although it didn't seem so at the time, was the Pantah 500SL. This was the first Ducati with cam belts and all Ducatis since, until the Panigale and the V4s, have evolved from it.
 
916 in terms of its iconic status, on and off the track. Its what I (and many others) fell in love with as a teenager.
Monster in terms of its conception, as a 'parts bin' Frankenstein's 'monster' and how it possibly helped save Ducati.
 
Ducati Monster. Without the volume of sales of the Monster Ducati would not have survived, therefore none of the models designed or built after the introduction of the Monster would exist. Yes, the 916 is the iconic model which everyone raved about but it was the Monster which made the money to support the production of the other models.
 
The grAnd father of modern Ducati and first of the belt drives the Ducat Pantah and one of the best looking the Ducati TT2.
 
And the winner is.....

Thanks for all your views, all valid for one reason or another but I would argue that the most significant Bike in the last 50 years is the 750 GT from 1971. The grandaddy of all Ducati L twin bikes, including, 916, 851, Pantah, Monster etc etc, the very first production Bike which bought Ducati into the world of large capacity motorcycles for the very first time using a 90 degree L twin configuration. Any Production L twin Ducati you now ride started here.
Anyone who ones a 750 Bevel, ( I'm biased) will know they are great bikes and the 50 year anniversary of said engine is next year, hopefully 2021 will be better than 2020 and we can organise a non socially distanced get together to celebrate!
 
I did consider the 750GT especially in light of the historic 750SS win at Imola in 1972 which subsequently boosted sales and gave Ducati another 11 years before the Cagiva takeover in 1983. Although the 750 was the first L-twin, the bevel engines had a relatively short production life, whereas the descendants of the Pantah are still made to this day, 41 years on.
 
I'll go with Pantah, still the most Japanese Ducati I have owned for reliability and sheer pleasure of Ownership. Commuted from Edinburgh to Glasgow on it for 6 months. Wish I'd sprung the £1500 for Sports MC frame kit at the time.. It was the grandfaither of all.

next? 750SS? Bruno Spaggiarri's 350 desmo? mighty Cucciolo?
 
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