Motorcycle Investor mag Subscribe to our free email news
Ducati Silver Shotgun (by Ian Falloon, Feb 2022) ![]() Falloon
brings us the lowdown on the legendary 450 Desmo Single cylinder
motorcycles were once the mainstay of the British
motorcycle industry but
Edward Turner’s Triumph Speed Twin ended that reign. By
the 1960s most British
singles were consigned to the scrap heap but in Italy
the single cylinder still
dominated. The reason for this
was Italian motorcycle industry grew out of small
capacity motorcycles
initially created to provide mass transportation in a
country devastated by
war. Ducati began in 1946 with
the 50cc Cucciolo and over the next decade their single
gradually expanded to
100, 125, 175, 200, and 250cc. By the mid-1960s it was
at its limit at 350cc
and a new wide-case Ducati single was displayed at the
Cologne Show in
September 1967. This revised engine allowed for the
capacity to be eventually
increased to 436cc and also allow Ing. Fabio Taglioni to
make his dream a
reality. To create the first production engine with
desmodromic valve gear. In 1969 the 450
(actually 435.7cc) became available, and featured a new
crankcase, cylinder,
and cylinder head castings to accommodate the 86 x 75mm
dimensions. Shortly
afterwards a desmo 450 appeared, at the time the
spearhead of Ducati’s line-up
alongside the cosmetically identical 250 and 350. To aid starting the
450 desmo had a slightly lower 9.3:1 compression ratio
and new Dell’Orto VHB 29
square-slide carburettor, and while it was more powerful
than the 250 there
wasn’t much difference between it and the 350 in
outright performance. Until 1970 the desmo
and regular valve spring Mark 3 were virtually
indistinguishable, but in 1971
the desmo single was given a makeover to become one of
the first factory café
racers. A gaudy metalflake
silver paint scheme was provided for the fibreglass
petrol tank, side covers
and solo seat, and rear-set footpegs to complement the
clip-on handlebars.
Later the little desmo acquired the nickname “The Silver
Shotgun”, this
actually coined by “Two Wheels” in a 1974 owners’
report. More improvement was
evident with the running gear. Borrani 18 inch alloy
wheel rims replaced the
previous steel type, and the front brake became a
Grimeca double-sided single
leading shoe instead of the rather weak single leading
shoe that had been
fitted from 1957. The forks were considerably uprated
from the previous spindly
31.5mm units, with a new type of 35mm Marzocchi fork
with exposed staunchions. Only the barest
concession was made for street legality, with a large
white Veglia tachometer
dominating the instrument layout. But the 450 desmo was
still a single. Although it was incredibly light at
around 130kg it was no
powerhouse. On a good day you might see 160km/h but the
vibration ensured you
didn’t hold it for long. And this was not a bike to be
riding after dark as the
6 Volt Aprilia headlight provided illumination similar
to a candle. But get one on a
smooth twisty road and these can be one of the most
satisfying vintage sports
motorcycles to ride. The 750s and 900s with their long
wheelbase and slow
steering are renowned for their stability and heavy
handling, especially on
tighter roads. Not so a desmo single. Compared to a Ducati
bevel twin these were light, short and agile. They were
not particularly stable
on bumpy roads either as I found out to my detriment
about 25 years ago. So what is the appeal
of the Ducati single? For years they lived in the shadow
of the 750 and 900 but
now a good desmo single is worth significantly more than
some of the lesser
twins. The desmo single, particularly the 1971-72
“Silver Shotgun” represented
the end of an era for sporting Italian motorcycles. These bikes were
expensive to manufacture so they were not built after
1974. With their loud
exhaust and open carb they made no concession to noise
and emission controls or
civility and there was nothing unnecessary on the little
desmos. This was
minimalist motorcycling and the 450 desmo represents an
era that will never
return. ------------------------------------------------- Produced by AllMoto abn 61 400 694 722 |
ArchivesContact
|