Duc Dynasty: 1973 Ducati 750 GT

If I say Italian motorcycle, chances are the first word that springs to mind is Ducati.  Sure, there are other Italian brands like Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta to name a couple, but Ducati is what most people think when they think two wheels and Italy – and its just so much fun to say with an Italian accent.  Find this 1973 Ducati 750 GT for sale in Half Moon Bay, CA for $26,000 via craigslist.

Ducati got its start in the 1920’s manufacturing vacuum tubes and other radio parts in Bologna.   In 1950, Ducati teamed up with SIATA to produce a 50cc motorcycle, “the Cucciolo” and Ducati Meccanica was born.  Ducati has changed ownership a few times since, with the Italian Government owning it from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.  Currently, Audi AG has owned Ducati since 2012.

In the 1970’s Ducati released the 750 series bikes.  It was powered by a 750 cc air cooled V-twin using a bevel driven single overhead cam instead of the more expensive desmodromic drive Ducati was known for.  Designed by the great Ducati engineer, Fabio Taglioni, the engine put out 60hp at 8,000 rpm.  Ducati called it an L-twin since one of the cylinders was tilted nearly parallel to the ground.  The 750 came in both a GT, Sport and Super Sport model for 1973. This bike is a GT and is more of a tourer than a cafe racer like the Sport and Super Sport.

This bike is said to be an early 1973 GT, so it would have come from the factory with a fiberglass fuel tank.  Fiberglass fuel tanks were one of those great ideas as they were light in weight, but tend be bad in execution as they begin to leak over the years as gasoline reacts with the tank.  This bike has suffered from that issue and now sports a steel tank from a 1974 750GT.  The original tank comes with, you could have it restored and coated to resist modern fuels or buy a more correct reproduction tank or just put it in a box in the garage and ride it with the current tank on the bike.

Another change for 1973 was the change from Smiths to Veglia instruments.  The seller says the speedo works, but speedo is off and could be rebuilt if you wanted.  I don’t think any Italian car or bike from the 1970’s had an accurate speedometer and I personally wouldn’t sweat it.  This bike is looks to be in a nice, unrestored condition that you wouldn’t be worried about riding it.  It also has had the front brakes upgraded to a twin disc setup and electronic ignition has been added.   It could use a new chain and sprockets according to the ad.

Hagerty has added motorcycles to their valuation tool, and running the numbers for this bike shows it may be a bit overpriced with a 750GT in #3 condition going for $15,000.

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Gianni is Daily Turismo’s Pacific Northwest correspondent and resident Italiano-phile.