Vehicle Description
1974 Ducati 750 Sport
VIN: DM750 5752990
Engine: 755799 DM750
At first glance this bike appears to be a factory 1974 750 Super
Sport built by Ducati to celebrate their stunning victory at Imola
in 1972. That race replica bike was one of the most significant
Ducatis ever produced. Legendary from day one, they would be the
only round-case Super Sport, and the only round case 750 with
desmodromic valve gear. Having built only 401 examples, the 1974
750 Super Sport is frequently referred to as the "Holy Grail" of
Ducatis.
In 1991 Australian motorcycle racer, Gavin Martini, didn't just
want a 1974 750 Super Sport, he wanted the ultimate one. So he
contacted fellow Australian Ian Gowanloch, to build him the ideal
Green Frame using the best period racing and street parts
available. Gowanloch is a legend in the Ducati community having
worked for Ducati starting in 1971, and then starting his own
Ducati business in 1978. Over the years he would build thousands of
engines, and amass the largest collection of Ducati parts in the
world.
Together Martini and Gowanloch spec'd out the bike to be an SS, but
took liberties to improve on the factory configuration. Having been
around the bikes for decades Gowanloch knew the factory 750 SS had
quite a few imperfections that he wanted to avoid. He began with
the frame, opting for the factory competition chrome-moly Sport
frame instead of the mild steel frame found on the SS. The next
change was the flawed Scarab front brake system which was known to
leak fluid, and also to lock solid when they were overheated. He
chose instead to install superior dual front Brembo brakes, and
then place them on the rear of the forks to centralize mass.
Gowanloch observed that "the SS engines are stunningly complex to
put together, and with the time constraints of factory construction
most were poorly assembled." Fortunately he had no such time
limits, and spent over two months using his many years of
experience to assemble "one of the best engines I ever built." "For
all of its race bike looks," he adds, "the SSs were slow. This bike
certainly is not."
Having one of the largest collections of Ducati parts in the world
comes in handy when building a bike like this. You can find every
period piece you need, and you certainly don't need to be forced to
buy aftermarket parts. This bike is built from the best period
Ducati parts Gowanloch had on his shelves. He made sure that ever
piece was of the optimal design and condition. From the suspension
to the brakes, transmission to the engine internals everything was
the best of the best.
This bike has never been restored, and is exactly as it was built.
It has been maintained in that condition all its life by Gavin
Martini and Ian Gowenloch. In 2008 it moved into the collection of
new owner in New South Wales, Australia. During his ownership it
was ridden only three times for less than 200 miles in total. He
would go on to enter the bike in the Ducati Owners Club of NSW's
2011 Concours d'Elegance where the bike was awarded the Blue Ribbon
for the Best Historic Ducati.
Is this bike one of the 401 factory 1974 750 Super Sports? No. What
it is, from a riding standpoint, is even better: a race replica
built for a racer by a Ducati master to be the best SS in the
world. So while the remaining factory bikes sit in collections,
this bike can unashamedly gobble up miles just as Paul Smart did in
1972, and maybe ever faster.