Miscellaneous Cool Italian Bikes

[junior varsity]

E10? That'd be nice, but isn't E15 just as prevalent now?

I'm afraid we digress.

[Rock Store]

In 1973 cycle world tested a 750ss,to their amasement their was a fly embedded under the resign,in the clear fuel stripe, that fly & machine became "Legend".....Cook Nielson,s preproduction 750ss also carried this distinction......!
later...RS

[ducatiz]

E10? That'd be nice, but isn't E15 just as prevalent now?

I'm afraid we digress.

10% is the Federal limit, except for E85.  I have never seen E15/15% ethanol.

[flynbulldog]

In 1973 cycle world tested a 750ss,to their amasement their was a fly embedded under the resign,in the clear fuel stripe, that fly & machine became "Legend".....Cook Nielson,s preproduction 750ss also carried this distinction......!
later...RS

Close but not exactly:

In 1974 Cycle magazine (not "cycle world") editors Phil Schilling and Cook Nielson got two of the original, yet to be released, SS 750s and decided to go racing.
Their escapades with racing the Ducatis became legend – they went on to win the 1977 Daytona 200 on a modified ‘74 750 - "Old Blue" (at that time it was called the "California hot rod"). One of the photographs published of the bike build showed the fly entombed in the fiberglass tank - and the legend of the fly grew from there.

I got an email directly from Cook Neilson during my restoration and search for historical tidbits:

As I recall, the first 750SS that showed up at Cycle Magazine was the one with the fly in the fiberglass. Back then, the fuel tanks had sight gauges on both sides of the tank; the fly was cast into the sight gauge on the right side of the tank, clearly (and embarrassingly) visible to Phil and I and all our friends. As the years rolled by, all of our fuel tanks were repainted in one scheme or another. So somewhere out there the fly still exists. I don't know if Dale Newton's estate still has it, or if Fred Fitzgerald (the current owner of Old Blue) has it, or if somebody else has it and doesn't know. In any case, diligent searchers will have to sand the tank down to reveal the original sight gauges. Happy hunting! --cook neilson

The fly on the tank of my 74 750 special is a small nod to Phil, Cook, Old Blue, and the Ducati racing heritage.

[1KDS]

cool story man, and really f'n cool bike!

[junior varsity]

Belt drive head, converted to bevel for use on old bevel race bike



http://www.ducatimeccanica.com/kevin_race_engine.html

[DucHead]

Beautiful bike flynbulldog.   

...and your neighborhood is pregnant dogin' too!!   

[Travman]

[1KDS]

Demm, the other italian bevel

[1KDS]

[1KDS]

[1KDS]

[1KDS]

That's all I got for DEMM, but here's a cool guzzi shot

[1KDS]

We need a drool icon, I know this has been posted on the forum, but it hasn't in this thread

[1KDS]