60+ hp, 500 cc SOHC single-cylinder engine and five-speed transmission.

The new bevel-drive single that was launched in September 1967 brought desmodromic valve gear to production Ducatis. The wide casing enabled the displacement to be bumped up from 350 cubic centimeters to 436 cubic centimeters. Bruno Spaggiari tried hard, from his debut at Rimini in March 1968, but even at 450 cubic centimeters, the 50 horsepower desmo singles were no match for the multi-cylinder Benellis, MVs, Lintos, and Patons. Ducati then turned its attention to the 500-cubic centimeter V-twin engine.

From the Altinier Racing stables, this GP racer has a very special single-cylinder racing engine of 500 cubic centimeters (92x75) and is not a standard 450 road machine converted for racing. Only a handful of engines were factory modified to this displacement, with a five-speed race-ratio transmission, dry clutch, twin spark, and electronic ignition.

With a super-light Chrome-Moly frame and other special racing parts, including an alloy petrol tank, this Ducati is a highly competitive bike, weighing only 243 pounds. It has won many races in Europe in the hands of Altiner Racing’s Italian Championship rider Oreste Zaccarelli.