Specifications: 499 cc SOHC Desmo V-twin, five speeds.

At the end of the 1970s, Ducati was in trouble. The vertical twins weren’t selling, so management went to designer Fabio Taglioni to see if he had any ideas. He handed them plans for another ground-breaking V-twin, based on his 1973 Armaroli DOHC Grand Prix racer.

The new bike was the belt-drive camshaft 500-cc V-twin Desmo Pantah, and its racing version, the TT2, would win four Formula 2 world championships between 1981-84. Taglioni’s new engine was smaller and quieter than the outgoing bevel-drive twins and was fitted in a trellis frame. The belt drive would be a feature of Ducati engines from that day forth. The Pantah’s electronics were by Nippon Denso, brakes were by Brembo, and its top speed was about 120 mph. The bike on offer is in good original condition with two-into-one exhaust, and many collectors prefer the early, smoother fairing.