Ducati 748s – A motorcycle full of character

Can a vehicle have some kind of „character“? Some claim it can, but after all every vehicle is a simple machine without soul. Nevertheless, I dare to say my faithful Ducati 748s is something special …

Before you read, please note: this post was translated with the help of Deepl.
If you find any errors – please have fun first and then give me a hint.

Scratched plastic, dead insects, dull aluminium, tanned carbon, crumbling anodised aluminium, sticky old grease, pale plastic …

In 26 years and almost 95,000 km, the shine of the Ferrari red paint has gone. Proud engine parts, made in Italy, gleam under oily dust, bear scars from leaking batteries. Tar stains have stuck to the exhaust pipes, their chrome shows the patina of thousands of litres of burnt petrol.

A motorcycle
 with character

When it appeared as the Ducati 916, the motorcycle world literally flipped over. Never before had there been a motorcycle so radically trimmed for sport, a motorcycle so reduced to the essentials, cut like a tailor-made suit. Built by an Italian genius for the race track – and for streetsurfing on open roads.

The 748, the little sister, identical in construction and design, made it easier to ride this icon: less expensive, better handling. Nevertheless, it still is a proud italian motorcycle and demands compromises, too: the seat is high, the handlebars are low, they almost seem to be connected directly to the front axle. Ideal for speeding, suboptimal for travelling.

Nevertheless, I cruised through Europe with my „Ragazza rossa“. The rev counter bears no red zone, as a clear signal to the driver: There are no limits.

A faithful
 soul

My 748s still awakens with the typical whistle of its fuel pump, the aggressive clatter of its clutch, the quiet singing of its timing belts and the dull, petrol-swilling rumble from its two tailpipes.

Of all my motorcycles, the 748 / 916 has the most special sound, still unadulterated by exhaust flaps and catalytic converters: the rattle at idle becomes a furious thunderous echo at five-digit revs.

Countless details of the machine prove the genius of its builder. Everywhere are components that fulfil several functions, that can be replaced quickly, that are built for efficient work on the race track. Where stability is required, the dimensions are surprising, e.g. on the steering head – elsewhere, every gram and every millimetre of expansion was haggled over, e.g. on the super-short foot brake lever.

The best inspiration for MotorProsa –
 mechanical, raw, italian …

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