Ducati built a Harley, who knew?

[Canuck750]

I took a long ride through the countryside today on paved backroads and came across a small car show at the intersection of two area highways in the parking area of a gas station. I needed to fill up and it was a nice opportunity to look at a variety of cars from the 30's to 80's.

While I was filling up a guy about my age (early 60's) comes over to chat, he likes the 860 Ducati GT I am riding and tells me that back in the early 70's he bought a used Harley Davidson single that was built by Ducati, he says it even said Ducati / Harley Davidson on the gas tank and the motor looks exactly like the 860's bevel twin with (his words) the 'vertical cylinder cut off'.

So I politely explain that the single cylinder bike he is describing is an Aermacchi / Harley Davidson, either a 250 or 350cc 4-stroke single, and that HD bought controlling interest in Aermacchi in the 50's, had the Italian bikes restyled for the American market and that they are quite popular.

He looks at me like I am from Mars!

He says that may well be but his bike was a Ducati marketed by Harley Davidson and he is pretty sure it was a 450cc.

I smile and nod my head, and tell him I would love to get a chance to see it, alas turns out its long gone, too bad, I always wanted to see a unicorn in the flesh.

Gotta admit, the Aermacchi looks a lot like a Ducati Bevel with "the vertical cylinder cut off"



Squint and it could be an Aermacchi

[cliffrod]

That sounds like a crazy uncle up in VT, telling me about the "600 and 800 cc" Ducati singles they used to ride as we stood next to my 450's one day.  "No, hell,  we had the big ones, lots bigger than than these little 450s.  They probably didn't sell them everywhere, just around here."  My effort at rebuttal was useless.

Sometimes all you can say is, "Is that right?" and just let the expert win...

[john fish]

You're a patient, patient, man.  I've been told that:

Moto Guzzis are made in Czechoslovakia.
BMW doesn't make motorcycles anymore.
BMW made an automatic motorcycle in the '70's.
"I went 150 mph (for some reason, it's always 150 mph) on a Virago."  There's been multiple variations on this one regarding the bike but it's always 150 mph.  Sometimes it's a Honda Ascot. 
"One day, you'll move up to a Goldwing."  I told that guy that i'd rather have an Accord. . .

[moto-uno]

  I believe HD bought into Aermacchi about a decade later ( splitting  hairs maybe ) .  Peter

[Perazzimx14]

You're a patient, patient, man.  I've been told that:

Moto Guzzis are made in Czechoslovakia.
BMW doesn't make motorcycles anymore.
BMW made an automatic motorcycle in the '70's.
"I went 150 mph (for some reason, it's always 150 mph) on a Virago."  There's been multiple variations on this one regarding the bike but it's always 150 mph.  Sometimes it's a Honda Ascot. 
"One day, you'll move up to a Goldwing."  I told that guy that i'd rather have an Accord. . .

Several times in recent weeks I've gotten "you don't see a lot of them?" in reference to a BMW or "I didn't know BMW made motorcycles."

And yes 150 is the magic number. When this comes up I get out of the conversation ASAP.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Not 150.. a guy told me his big Burgman did 160 on the interstate one time..

[Lannis]

Several times in recent weeks I've gotten "you don't see a lot of them?" in reference to a BMW or "I didn't know BMW made motorcycles."

And yes 150 is the magic number. When this comes up I get out of the conversation ASAP.

It was different speeds in different eras ....

People's 250s from the 1960s would always run 100.

350s would do 110.

Brit 650 twins would always do 125.

Sportsters would always run 130.

Various 70s and 80s 500s would run 150.

Today, you're just a baby if you don't claim that your extended swingarm Busa or Ninja with the jet kit/map and slips ons has seen 225 .....

Always been like that.   Matter of fact, we had a whole thread about "Stupid things People have said About Motorcycles" where we had hundreds of such examples a year or two ago ...

Lannis

[kirby1923]

I was east of the I-10, I-20 split(on I-10), in TX eastbound cruising at 95 mph on my rockster when I came up on a rider ahead on something..couldn't tell what it was. So I bumped it up to 100 and closed in on a Burgman scooter making miles at about 90! Fl tags.

So pass or what.

Decided to back off a off a bit and follow. He kept up the speed(35 miles or so) until an exit came up that had facilities and peeled off.
He waved and I waved back...

:-)

[wirespokes]

So what is the top speed (now that you've brought it up) of the Aermachi/Harley?

[Lannis]

Gotta admit, the Aermacchi looks a lot like a Ducati Bevel with "the vertical cylinder cut off"

What a clean looking engine.   For those of us who work on our own bikes, look at what you'd have to do to get to anything on the engine to work on it.

Disconnect the header, the control cables, and the fuel line, take off two engine mounting bolts, and the engine falls right into your hands.

Ah, the good old days.

Lannis

[Ncdan]

Well I e been told the correct pronunciation for our beloved Moto Guzzi is “ Moto GutSEE”

[JJ]

You're a patient, patient, man.  I've been told that:

Moto Guzzis are made in Czechoslovakia.
BMW doesn't make motorcycles anymore.
BMW made an automatic motorcycle in the '70's.
"I went 150 mph (for some reason, it's always 150 mph) on a Virago."  There's been multiple variations on this one regarding the bike but it's always 150 mph.  Sometimes it's a Honda Ascot. 
"One day, you'll move up to a Goldwing."  I told that guy that i'd rather have an Accord. . .

When you run into "experts" like that...best just to keep silent and move along...

[twowheeladdict]

When someone asks me how fast have I gone, or how fast will it go, regarding whatever bike I am on at the time, I say the speed limit.  That pretty much shuts them down. 

[MotoG5]

In all honesty I havent taken many of my bikes over the years over 100mph. Just no reason to and very risky on public roads. My measure of a bike being fast enough is that it is capable of passing a semi rig on a two lane road in a reasonable distance. Pretty subjective but how I see it. So when I am asked how fast will it go I just say fast enough to get the job done.

[QuattroValvole]

It's a good thing that none of us will ever get old and lose some of the details regarding something we were involved with casually 50+ years ago! 

[Tim Henry]

It was the heritage duck tail

[nick949]

Not 150.. a guy told me his big Burgman did 160 on the interstate one time..

It's all true Chuck, I've done it myself.  But the fella was probably a Canadian and his speedo was reading in kilometres per hour. They will do 160+ - just not Mph.

Nick

[cliffrod]

Along with his legendary fast and huge motorcycles of yesteryear, My same crazy uncle had (and probably still has)  an 82 corvette 99% smog-laden stock with a bad speedo that stuck around 55-60mph, then immediately jumped & bounced to 90 mph when it moved again even though it was going nowhere near 90mph at that point..... 

Took me for a ride to show me how unbelievably powerful his Vette was when the powerband kicked in.  He was quite proud that his Vette would go from 55-90mph instantly without jerking your head & pulling you back in the seat like my 428PI Galaxie would do when it actually went from 55-90.  After taking him for a ride in my car, he explained the differences by saying "You see, a Vette has way more sophisticated power than your old Ford.. That's what a real powerband does."

All I could say was, "huh, Is that right?"

[pressureangle]

[Canuck750]

That is one sexy Aermacchi, when you compare it to a stock HD Aermacchi Sprint its like night and day!!

[wirespokes]

Did Tonti have a part in designing the Harley Aermachi? I know he worked for the company before going to Guzzi.

[Canuck750]

Did Tonti have a part in designing the Harley Aermachi? I know he worked for the company before going to Guzzi.

Not sure if he worked fro Aermacchi but he did design and build the 'Linto" which used a pair of Aermacchi cylinders and heads on a custom crankcase.

[cliffrod]

Lots of ??? there.  Looks like aermacchi cases- which were all for a pushrod drivetrain, including the ER and CR series bikes- mated to a Ducati bevel drive twin front cylinder. **

If that's a real running riding bike and not just photoshop, it would not be a cheap or simple build.

Edit **including ohc head (whether desmo or spring valve) and bevel drive for tach.

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

When someone asks me how fast have I gone, or how fast will it go, regarding whatever bike I am on at the time, I say the speed limit.  That pretty much shuts them down.

[centauro]

When someone asks me how fast have I gone, or how fast will it go, regarding whatever bike I am on at the time, I say the speed limit.  That pretty much shuts them down.

...."The older I get, the faster I was"......., some wise man on this forum said, some years ago.

Must be a mid-life thing, it seems....
When people see me on my Vespa PX 150, and ask how fast will it go?  My answer is: fast enough to get in trouble, and it depends on the wind. And that will be the end of the conversation.

[Shorty]

I think Mr Harley was Mrs. Ducati's back door man on this one:       

[Canuck750]

I think Mr Harley was Mrs. Ducati's back door man on this one:       

I raise you one Moto Morini Excalibur, has to be the ugliest Italian HD interpretation ever!

[john fish]

I call and raise. 

[Canuck750]

I call and raise. 

I FOLD!

that is so fugly I like it!

[Howard R]

Ducati built a Harley?  Why yes, yes they did.  Made two of them, in fact.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducati_Apollo

Image taken from Wikipedia article.

(The article does have Guzzi content, actually Berliner content.)