A legendary Ducati motorcycle, in a rare edition from Italy once upon a time, put up for sale with very little mileage

It is often said that Ducati is a kind of Ferrari in the motorcycle world. And just as the Ferrari models of the 80s remained legends of design and performance, surpassing everything that could be surpassed from the models of that time, Ducati motorcycles had equally dominant performances, eclipsing other makes and models. And today we are talking about a Ducati model that has been considered to this day as one of the most brilliant that Ducati and Italy have ever produced!

It's about the 750 F1 model, a model that was inspired by the excellent performance of those from Ducati on sports circuits, in motorsport dedicated to two-wheeled vehicles. The model was launched in 1985 and used a 748 cubic cm version of the Pantah engine, previously used by Ducati. It was a V2, air-cooled, 4-stroke engine with desmodromic valves, an engineering signature of Ducati engines of the time.

The bike had the same bore as the one in the race, sharing much of its construction. It had large intake manifolds, high-performance carburetors and ultra-strong camshafts. Thus, it revs easily at 10,000 rpm and develops 95 HP at such revolutions!

In 1986, Marco Lucchinelli had a phenomenal season on the Ducati 750 F1, and the race at Laguna Seca was downright legendary. And that made Ducati to launch three special editions, with engines with reinforced crankshaft and pistons, dedicated to the model's racing successes. In 1986, the Montjuich version was launched, a brutal one at the limit of legality for public roads, produced in 200 copies. Then, in 1987, the Laguna Seca limited edition was launched, produced in 296 units, after which the Santamonica followed.

Today we are talking about an example from the Laguna Seca edition, the version that remained as the most balanced between the seasoned racing elements and the utility for everyday use. The kind of motorcycle that is brilliantly engineered, with racing performance, but compatible with real-life roads.

The exhaust was a bit quieter than the Montjuich, and the tank was made of steel, not aluminum like the extreme edition. The rims were OSCAM aluminum, and the brakes were from the Golden series, from Brembo.

Although, apparently, the motorcycle was a more civilized one, all those who got to ride it at that time described it as brilliant, a phenomenal racing motorcycle, which surprised you how it could remain as sublime even in a "civilian" pose. And as only 296 such motorcycles were produced, they remain true legends, hard to find, and whoever manages to find one, gets a superb collector's item. Well, we are talking, as he said, about one of the absolutely brilliant motorcycles that Italy has produced in its entire history.

The example we are talking about today is one of the 296, and it has reached today with just over 17,000 km covered in its entire history. It has its entire biography documented, owned by consummate enthusiasts, the last of whom purchased the motorcycle in 2016. And now, it is to be put up for sale at an auction, which will take place in March in the USA, on Amelia Island. And the estimated price for the sale of this motorcycle is not very high — only between 10 and 15 thousand dollars, for such a rare, collectible copy! Of course, the de facto price can be higher if many collectors will fight for it, but the motorcycle is a real treat for anyone who is passionate about these classic Italian goodies!