If I won the lottery, Ducati 750 GT

[265coupe]

In about 1979 i was a spotty 18 yo apprentice and I lusted after a Ducati V-twin, a mate had a 450 single and I have a big trailee, XT500.

I spotted an ad in the local paper for a car dealer. It listed trade ins for sale. There were 2 bikes included. One said - Ducati

I went there and in a shed out the back was a Ducati round case twin. It looked a bit rough and there was petrol leaking from the carbs. the salesman said he couldn't start it as it was kick start only

So I passed on it. It was $1200 and I was on $125 a week. I would have needed a loan and my old man would have had to go guarantor.

I was only later that I realized the significance of my mistake

The bike was a 74 750SS green frame. Single seat, glass tank and everything. I was sure it had amal concentrics with ticklers, hence the juice everywhere, so it may have been a GT based replica.

I bought a 1981 900SS brand new later and loved that bike for 15 years and 95,000 kms, until I foolishly traded it on a 1996 M900 which I still have

That's my 'missed opportunity' story

[Rough Edge racing]

In about 1979 i was a spotty 18 yo apprentice and I lusted after a Ducati V-twin, a mate had a 450 single and I have a big trailee, XT500.

I spotted an ad in the local paper for a car dealer. It listed trade ins for sale. There were 2 bikes included. One said - Ducati

I went there and in a shed out the back was a Ducati round case twin. It looked a bit rough and there was petrol leaking from the carbs. the salesman said he couldn't start it as it was kick start only

So I passed on it. It was $1200 and I was on $125 a week. I would have needed a loan and my old man would have had to go guarantor.

I was only later that I realized the significance of my mistake

The bike was a 74 750SS green frame. Single seat, glass tank and everything. I was sure it had amal concentrics with ticklers, hence the juice everywhere, so it may have been a GT based replica.

I bought a 1981 900SS brand new later and loved that bike for 15 years and 95,000 kms, until I foolishly traded it on a 1996 M900 which I still have

That's my 'missed opportunity' story

  I also have a 96 M900....Compared to my memory of the two 750 bevel drives I owned....the Monster is much  better all around bike as expected...Keep it long enough and it'll have classic looks..
   All you Guzzi guys need to keep in mind the old 750's are kick start only..They do start easily on one kick when tuned properly but it's an awkward affair to kick for guys used to Brit bikes...

[Brian Harper]

They do start easily on one kick when tuned properly

My theory is one kick per person watching. Alone in my garage it fires on the first kick nearly every time. But leaving a bike meet with 10 people watching me... "Come you #$%^&,FIRE!"

I started it yesterday after a two year slumber with fresh fuel and oil. Half choke, second kick.

[265coupe]

  I also have a 96 M900....Compared to my memory of the two 750 bevel drives I owned....the Monster is much  better all around bike as expected...Keep it long enough and it'll have classic looks..
   All you Guzzi guys need to keep in mind the old 750's are kick start only..They do start easily on one kick when tuned properly but it's an awkward affair to kick for guys used to Brit bikes...


Yeah I hope so, would have been better to keep them all
When my SS got old the 40s had a bit of wear and the off idle response was a bit dicky, coupled with a high first gear I occasionally stalled it at lights. I got pretty good kicking it while astride which was a bit awkward. That bike always seemed to start well and lucky it was light.

I also had Bultacos and Huskys so awkward kickstarters were a way of life..

[canuck750]

Seems pretty cheap, can this be real?

https://omaha.craigslist.org/mcy/d/ducati/6540963281.html

Ducati 1975 860 GT. Runs good. 14,000 miles. Same owner 35+yrs. Needs minor TLC - tires are old. $5,000.00 ob reasonable offer. Cash sale in person only.

[Tusayan]

860GTs are the red headed step children of bevel Ducatis, so it would not surprise me if it were a genuine advert at that $5K price.  What is interesting to my eye about this 860GT is that its a non-electric start version which was relatively rare IIRC, lighter and less problematic.  Ducati didn't get starters figured out well  until the Darmah.

[265coupe]

Single disc front too. All aussie 860GTs had dual discs, dunno about the rest of the world.

I never got the styling either. I guess they thought it was a good idea at time.

Later there was the 350/500 non desmo parallel twins (GTLs?)and the TL600 pantahs. What were they thinking.

From the sublime to the ridiculous!

[canuck750]

860GTs are the red headed step children of bevel Ducatis, so it would not surprise me if it were a genuine advert at that $5K price.  What is interesting to my eye about this 860GT is that its a non-electric start version which was relatively rare IIRC, lighter and less problematic.  Ducati didn't get starters figured out well  until the Darmah.

An early bevel for $5K sounds pretty appealing, orphaned red head or not.
I know the styling was not most peoples cup of tea when it came out but it has grown on me in a 70's kinda way. It reminds me of when FORD bloated out the Mustang for 71' I hated it having owned a 65 2+2, now I like the big wedge of the sports roof Mustang, those sharp angular lines shared on the Ducati side panels remind me of another era, my coming of age time period.

[Tusayan]

An early bevel for $5K sounds pretty appealing, orphaned red head or not.
I know the styling was not most peoples cup of tea when it came out but it has grown on me in a 70's kinda way.

I knew a guy who had a non-electric-start 860GT very similar to this one, but in original orange paint, back in the early 90s.  An 860GT was inexpensive in relation to other Ducati twins even at that time and he liked it.  Its for sure true that avoiding the starter on a GT is a good thing.  You still have weak charging and funny ignition of the pre-1977 models, but solutions have been generated for those issues as they are common or very similar to other pre-1977 Ducati twins.

As a side note, they also made a very few 900GTSs with Darmah bottom ends, with the same electrical and gear shift upgrades as a Darmah but using valve spring heads.

[LowRyter]

This would be my choice - Darmah SD 900!! :1:

went by Don's shop here in OKC today and saw that one parked in front.  It looked showroom new.  Probably better looking than new to be honest.

I immediately offered the owner $1200 for it.   

[F-22]

How do the desmo bevel twins compare to the standard ones? Were they really that better? I know the belt-drive twins have very narrow cams, since the forces are much smaller than in a conventional setup, and there is almost no power loss for opening the valves, but did it actually make a big difference back then?

Also, were the standard ones adjusted with the screws and locknuts, or did they all have shims?

[Tusayan]

The desmo engines made more power than the valve spring engines - a 750 GT and even a 750 Sport is a quite mildly tuned device, a 750 SS is much faster, also because of bigger carbs.   Another difference is that the valve spring engines wear out their valve guides notably faster.

[canuck750]

A couple more interesting Duc's for the dream list

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-Ducati-Other/263732367319?hash=item3d67ac8fd7:g:hYcAAOSwJdBbEs7a&vxp=mtr



https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Ducati-Other/123177133231?hash=item1cadede4af:g:PsMAAOSwTodbGFa3&vxp=mtr

[JJ]

I really, REALLY like this one...but $15,000 and RESERVE NOT MET?!?    19 bids...however, so someone wants it...

Beautiful machine...but in the "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" category!!  :1:

[canuck750]

I really, REALLY like this one...but $15,000 and RESERVE NOT MET?!?    19 bids...however, so someone wants it...

Beautiful machine...but in the "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous" category!!  :1:




[/quot

I agree, if the description is accurate it’s a pretty special bike but the price, not cheap!  And still bidding it up. Beyond what I can pay for one.

[RinkRat II]

 Well I didn't win the lottery and Turin beat me to the one on Craigslist so I spent some of my retirement money on this one..........

                                             



     1991, Serial#38 out of 60 Imported that year. I'm still breaking it in at only 14,000 miles. I'm pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it is for a guy 6'1",
          after all the horror stories I've heard about the belts and valve adjust, if you take your time, no big deal. I'm glad my search ended with this one!

        Paul B        

[F-22]

Don't have any photo, but I have a Cagiva Frieccia stored somewhere at the back of the garage. It looks exactly like the Paso, and is quite wicked for a 125cc bike. Moto Morini Dart 350 and 400 also had this same styling, but those were mostly a really neat white colour (they look much better in person than on photos).

[RinkRat II]

  Wow F-22! Thanks for the info on those, now I'll have another bike to keep an eye out for!





    Paul B

[canuck750]

Sold for $19,275.00, yikes, I am going to have to sell a kidney!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Ducati-Other/123177133231?hash=item1cadede4af:g:PsMAAOSwTodbGFa3&vxp=mtr


[/quote]

[huub]

Sold for $19,275.00, yikes, I am going to have to sell a kidney!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Ducati-Other/123177133231?hash=item1cadede4af:g:PsMAAOSwTodbGFa3&vxp=mtr

that is actually remarkably cheap... wonder what was wrong with it!

[JJ]

Sold for $19,275.00, yikes, I am going to have to sell a kidney!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Ducati-Other/123177133231?hash=item1cadede4af:g:PsMAAOSwTodbGFa3&vxp=mtr

Sell a kidney indeed...   It must be nice to have that level of disposable motorcycle income...so you can just..."LET IT ROLL" as needed!!

[JJ]

...and speaking of winning the LOTTERY... ...you can rest assured I would have a GODET-Egli-Vincent in the stable if that blessed event ever happened!! :1:

[Rough Edge racing]

Sell a kidney indeed...   It must be nice to have that level of disposable motorcycle income...so you can just..."LET IT ROLL" as needed!!

 It's all relative I suppose, many here think nothing of buying a new truck or car at 2 or 3 times the price of the Ducati above...On the other hand a 70's Ducati offers about the same performance as a properly tuned Tonti frame Guzzi.. Not the same exactly but still an Italian big bore bike

[jas67]

I know this is an older thread, but, seems to have posts from a fair number of bevel twin owners, so, I thought I'd ask my question here.

As some of you may have seen in my other thread, I was finally able to procure a 750GT!

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=101458.0

It does not have Boranni high flange rims, though, a fair number of those I see pictured on the 'net, and elsewhere in this thread do have them.

The deal on the bike was to include a pair of them (bare rims), but, they were not sent with the transporter.   I'm going to contact the seller, and hopefully have them shipped.

So, my question is, what rims were on these bikes from the factory?    I don't want to take apart the wheels I have to put the Borannis on if they're the original wheels (in that case, I'll just procure a pair of hubs to build them on).

Thanks!
Jay

[antmanbee]

Going by memory from many years ago, my GT 750 had steel wheels with I think a 19 up front and a 18 in the rear.
My 900GTS had steel wheels too but with 18 at both ends.
I bought it third hand and I doubt the wheels were ever changed out.
I would put the Boranni's on it if I had them. Just disassemble and save the spokes and wheels and use the hubs.
Are hubs easy to come by?

[Tusayan]

The type of rims on GTs varied by year/batch. Some earlier batches had Borrani shouldered rims but the last (1975-ish) batch had cheaper steel rims.  Looking at old adverts should provide info.

The type of aluminum rims on jas67’s new acquisition do not look original to me.  I’d guess these replaced steel rims supplied on this bike from new.

[geodoc]

My '73 750 GT basket had the original Borrani on the back, but a non-shouldered aluminum one on the front (19"). I looked into the re-popped Borranis from Italy and found that the shoulders are a little less tall (or were) than on the originals so might have looked a little odd (I seem to recall that Borrani Italy got into a bit of a legal tussle with the "Made in Italy" stamp on the rim where as it turns out, the extrusion was made in China. No idea where Morad rims are made). I decided in the end to replace it with an Akront / Morad rim from Woody's Wheels in Colorado. They look fine. The rest of the bike has so much to drive the rivet counters crazy that it's not an issue from an originality stand-point.

https://woodyswheelworks.com/




.

[Scout63]

Bumping this thread since I’ve been riding my 77 860GTS a lot recently and just love it.  I can’t tell if it’s just because it’s the bike I’ve been riding or if it is really this good. I removed the electric start and airboxes and installed a gear gazer, Sachse crank mounted EI, Contis and K&N pods.  Other than being a little loud, it’s a total hoot to ride. I recommend snapping these up before they get stupid expensive like round cases and SS models.