68 bhp, 748 cc OHC V-twin engine. Wheelbase: 2,210 mm

As a Ducatisti, if you were going to build a tribute bike, this is it! It is a copy of the 750 Desmo that Paul Smart won the inaugural 1972 Imola 200 race on and put Ducati on the map. With that win, a little company showed it had the technology to beat MV Agusta, Honda, Norton, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, BSA, Kawasaki, Laverda, Suzuki and BMW. The rest, as they say, is history.

Paul Smart out-rode Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read, Tony Jeffries, Walter Villa, Percy Tait, Ron Grant and Don Emde and his teammate Bruno Spaggiari, among others. The Ducati factory gifted Paul Smart the bike after his victory, and it is unlikely that it will ever be for sale.

This recently constructed replica of the 1972 Imola 200 Miles-winning 750SS is offered in excellent condition with the fibreglass fairings painted in the correct shade of silver metal-flake paint. The wheels are Borrani alloys, and a correct-type Veglia competition tachometer is mounted to the handlebars. The paintwork is excellent, and the work is understood to have been carried out to a high standard, complete with correct details on the fairings. The carburettors are twin Dellorto units.

When considering the values of ex-Works 750SS models today, of which only a handful exist, this faithful recreation offers superb value for the money, not to mention a very exciting riding experience!