1943 Cucciolo

[IZ]

I usually have my name tag attached to a Ducati lanyard at work.  Today, I went into a client's room to do a cognitive eval.  As soon as I walked in the door, the first thing I heard was "Do you ride a Ducati!"  
Me..looking rather suprised..said "Yes, I have 2..well, I HAD 2 Ducati Monsters up until a few months ago."  
"Well, I rode a Ducati too..a 1943 Ducati Cucciolo! It was kind of a green-silver color."
Me..  
So, this frail 79 y/o woman proceeds to tell me the story of how she came to own the bike.
"My brother came back to Oklahoma from the war and wanted to buy a motorcycle to get him back and forth from our farmhouse into town.  So, he went out and bought a Harley-Davidson.  One day he was riding home with his friend and they hit some rocks in the road.  They both flew off and his friend was killed.  My mom..being the overbearing mother she was, made my brother destroy the bike.  So my dad went into town and brought back this Cu.. Cucc..I can never pronounce it right.  The bike's owner gave it to my dad because he claimed it never worked.  So, my dad..being the tinkerer that he was..took the bike and fixed it for us.  My brother and I took turns riding that bike into town for a couple years."
Me.."What did you think of it?"
"Well, I liked riding it but I never knew if the damn thing would get me home or not!"
Me.."That's an all too familiar story lady."  

The woman claimed she had the bike for 25 years before someone hunted her down to buy it.  Her husband also had 4 Harley's in the garage when he died that she sold those as well.  The woman didn't know much about the Harley's but she remembered that he did have a 1948 Shovelhead.  

So I pulled up an image of her old Cucciolo.  She almost broke out into tears.  We looked at the old bikes and some of the newer models too before I left.  I really can't wait to hear more of this woman's stories tomorrow!  

[Kopfjager]

 

[Autostrada Pilot]

Very, very cool.  Cucciolos are just cool.

[Pedro-bot]

Eval over.
Cognition seems fine. 

[8Ducatis]

This is my Cucciolo. Restored a few yaers ago.

[IZ]

Nice! I thought that was a pic from the factory. 

[DucatiSTi]

Cool story and cool bike.

Here is a pic I took at the factory:

[IZ]

The same one I have from factory 

[Nero-92]

That would be one cool bodacious young lady you have there watch her.

[DucNaked]

Cool story.

The 48 Harley was probably a Panhead don't think they made the shovels until the mid 60's. 

[IZ]

Cool story.

The 48 Harley was probably a Panhead don't think they made the shovels until the mid 60's. 

That was probably it. I don't know Harley's. She may have said Panhead.

[Autostrada Pilot]

The same one I have from factory 

Me too.  Once of my favorite "bikes" there.

[Jimmy6tring]

Great story! Thanks for sharing

[Grampa]

Was it a IZ_ picture?