Lot details
Registration No: ANF813T
Frame No: 900489
Engine No: 900449
cc: 864
MOT Expiry Date: Sept 2013

As was the case with most of the other major Italian engineering companies after WW2 Ducati had to switch production to peacetime products. Rivals Innocenti and Piaggio soon came up with designs for scooters but Ducati, as ever, had their own plans and made a start with a tiny clip-on auxiliary engine, the Cucciolo. This precision engineered 48cc. 4 stroke pullrod, as opposed to conventional pushrod, operated engine sold in many thousands and was the catalyst that set Ducati on the road to their current success in motorcycle manufacture, and by the end of the 1970's Ducati had produced motorcycles of almost every description. One of these, the Darmah, named after the fictional tiger, remains one of the best thoroughbred Italian motorcycles marketed by Ducati up until that time. As you would expect from a touring version of the sought after 900 Super Sports performance model, although the Darmah shared the SS's thundering 90 degree 864 cc Desmo engine, it came equipped with such luxuries as electric starter, slightly lower compression ratio and typical traditional Italian 70's style and design.
The Darmah in today's sale is a 1978 model described by the owner as all good, and looks to be in excellent overall condition. Modified by a previous owner from standard trim to mirror the 900 SS with it's 'cafe racer' styling this bike has also benefitted from other upgrades including uprated suspension, swing arm, kick start and right hand gear change mods, some of which were carried out by the current owner. It has current mot and tax disc, shows 11800 recorded miles and has the original engine and frame numbers. An ideal opportunity for a new owner to experience the unique sound and feel of a Ducati superbike at first hand.