The Ducati 250 Scrambler was the third model in Ducati’s line-up to use wide engine crankcases. Packed with a 249 cc SOHC single engine and mated to a five-speed transmission, the 1972 250 Scrambler became one of the most sought-after bikes of its time.
The 250-cc engine is often considered to be the smoothest of the entire Ducati Scrambler range, despite not carrying a decompression lever to assist in starting.
This dark yellow and black example, which was up for bidding at the 2012 RM Auctions in Monaco, is described as a very nice original with good paint and chrome and would complete the set for a buyer seeking one of the most favored Ducati models of the 70’s.
Expected price for the 1972 Ducati 250 Scrambler hits between €4,000 - €6,000, which is around $5,000 - $7,500 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was right in the middle at $6,818.
The Ducati 250 Mark 3 first made its appearance at the 1967 Cologne show and it only took a year before the bike was being prepared for production duty.
Before receiving Taglioni’s celebrated Desmo engine, the 1967 250 Mark 3 featured a 249 cc SOHC single engine that’s mated to a five-speed transmission. In addition, the 250 Mark 3 also featured a host of other features, including a 10-to-one compression ratio and a Dell’Orto SS1 29D carburetor, allowing the bike to hit an impressive top speed of about 89 mph.
As far as the model is concerned, the one that was offered at the RM Auctions came with its original blue and gold paint. Some signs of fading have appeared on the bike, but not enough to warrant any concern. Finally, the bike also has a set of attractive Borrani alloy rims, Marzocchi forks, and Smiths gauges.
Put them all together and you have an estimated bid price for the bike at around €3,000 - €4,000, which is around $3,800 - $5,200 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was $3,788.
The Ducati 85 belonged to another range of entry-level OHV pushrod Ducatis that was not only the picture of lightness, but was also as economical a bike as anything in the market back in those days.
It featured an 85cc OHV single cylinder engine that was mated to a four-speed transmission. The engine may not mean a whole lot from the Ducati perspective these days, but in a time when power was a lot more subdued, the 85 Sport carried enough ponies to be a serious player.
In terms of design, the 85 Sport, or this model in particular, was finished in blue and silver, and is an original model that may be in need of some restoration work. As it is now, the 85 Sport might need some few tune-ups, but once finished it could make for a head-turning classic bike on the road.
The Ducati 85 Sport was expected to fetch around €2,000 - €3,000, which is around $2,500 - $3,800 based on current exchange rates, when it went up for auction in Monaco by RM Auctions. Actual selling price was $2,273.
The look of the Ducati 50 Sport SL1 might not tickle the taste buds of today’s generation, but back in the day, this road-runner was a bonafide stud on the road.
The 50 Sport SL1 was one of the last 50-cc Ducati Sports ever built. Quite frankly, the SL1 was one of the most elegant of this variant, boasting of a design that became popular in its time. On top of that, it also carried a moderate 50 cc single cylinder, two-stroke engine that was mated to a four speed transmission. It also weighed only 100 lbs, which means that it was capable of hitting a top speed of 50 mph. It also had twin fuel fillers on the petrol tank, a full year before the 350 Desmo Mark 3 would have the same feature.
The 50 Sport SL1 that was auctioned off at the 2012 RM Auctions ended up being bid on feverishly by a number of bidders. It was sold at a price of €10,530 ($13,500), well above the listed auction price range of €2,500 - €3,500 ($3,200 - $4,500).
There was a point in Ducati’s history when it actually offered budget bikes at, well, budget prices.
Back in the 50’s, one of those bikes was the Ducati 85 Turismo. This particular beauty was catered to entry-level buyers, with powertrain options ranging from 48 cc to 125 cc.
As for the 85 Turismo, the bike was, for all intents and purposes, a simple and economical machine that became known for its commuting and short-distance runs. It was powered by an 85 cc OHV single engine that was mated to a three-speed transmission.
Design-wise, the 85 Turismo was a stud on two wheels. To ensure its appeal despite the simple powertrain options, Ducati designed the bike with an ode to its more expensive SOHC counterparts.
The model that was sold at the 2012 RM Auctions was a very tidy older restoration finished in red with a white tank and good paint and chrome. It was sold at a price of €1,755 ($2,255) which was below its listed bid price of €2,500 - €3,500 ($3,200 - $4,500).
More photos of the Ducati 85 Turismo after the jump
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Talk about a bike that was designed to be "bare as bones."
If that phrase needed any more explanation, you only need to look at the Ducati 250 Sprint. This is a bike that came with a minimalist design, as well as Ducati’s new 249 cc SOHC single wide-case engine that was mated to a five-speed transmission.
The 250 Sprint was built for sprint racing and hill climbing, with the latter being a popular form of racing back in Italy during the 60’s and the 70’s. Back then, the Ducati single engines were a popular choice amongst enthusiasts. The 250 Sprint not only came with that powertrain, but they also had a significantly larger Dell’Orto PHF32AS carburetor and twin spark plugs. To save weight, the seat and tailpiece were made from fiber-glass, as was the fuel tank. In addition, the bike also came with rear-set foot-pegs, clip-on bars, and a fly-screen with a Veglia tachometer whereas the wheels came with Borrani rims.
Despite carrying an estimated auction price of about €8,000 - €12,000 ($10,300 - $15,400), the bike was only sold at a price of €4,095 ($5,250) at the 2012 RM Auctions in Monaco.
Before the Ducati 175 broke into the scene, the Ducati 125 Sport was the quintessential early Ducati single. Fast forward to today’s time, and the now classic bike has become the perfect machine for vintage events anywhere, including the Motogiro d’Italia.
But back then, the Ducati 125 Sport was in a league of its own, weighing only 221 pounds and featuring a 124 cc SOHC single engine that produces 10 horsepower and mated to a four-speed transmission. The 125 Sport was capable of hitting a top speed in excess of 70 mph, and when combined with a design that’s as streamlined as any Ducati bike ever built, it was the perfect on-the-road companion for all those merry joy rides.
This particular 1955 Ducati 125 Sport - CN: DM125S/7564 - comes with a two-tone red and white paint finish complete with a distinctive scalloped fuel tank, signature clip-on handlebars, and fully restored chrome finishes.
Expected auction price at the RM Auction sin Monaco was around €3,500 - €4,500, which is around $4,500 - $5,800 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was $4,545.
It’s hard to imagine that Ducati has been building bikes for as long as they have. But for all those years in production, you’re bound to get a number of models that have become classics in their own right.
Take the 1973 Ducati 450 Desmo Scrambler for example.
With the anticipation of Ducati’s desmodromic valve gear back in the late 60’s, coupled with the success and popularity of the Ducati Scrambler, it figured that the two would somehow be tied-up together to create a completely new bike. That’s when the Ducati 450 Desmo Scrambler was born.
With the technology being fitted into the bike, the 450 Desmo Scrambler became a must-have purchase for Ducati enthusiasts back in the day, in large part because of the bike’s impressive performance credentials, highlighted by a 16.6-second time through the quarter-mile. On top of its performance characteristics, the 450 Desmo Scrambler was also fitted with an individual speedometer and Veglia tachometer rather than the headlight-mounted unit sometimes seen on 250-cc and 350-cc models.
The model that was auctioned off at the 2012 RM Auctions in Monaco carries the chassis number DM450S/466142. It’s an unrestored model in good condition with a two-tone, black-and-yellow finish with a 436 cc Desmo single engine mated to a five-speed transmission.
Bidding price for the bike was expected to hit €8,000-€10,000, which is around $10,400 - $13,000 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was $12,121.
The Ducati 900 S2 was built on the joint platform of the 900 Darmah SS and the 600SL Pantah, with the latter supplying the body work of the bike.
The reason for doing so centered on Ducati’s decision to rationalize its production lines at that time. To their credit, though, they still managed to make a bike that not only looked good, but performed up to the standards of its predecessors.
The Ducati 900 S2 is powered by an 864 cc SOHC Desmo V-twin engine that’s mated to a five-speed transmission. It was also offered with either electric or kick-start options, as well as being fitted with 40-mm Dell’Orto carburetors.
Aesthetically speaking, the 900 S2 was also the picture of attraction - the bike was given a bevy of color options, including bronze with yellow, orange and red stripes, or red and black.
The Ducati 900 S2 that was present at the 2012 RM Auctions is an original model, one that was once displayed in a museum. Expected bidding price for the bikes go for around €5,000 - €7,000, which is about $6,400 - $9,000 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was $5,303.
The Ducati 450 Mark 3 was born when the wide-case engine was first introduced in 1968. Not only did this new technology pave the way for bikes like the Scramblers and the Mark 3 Sports to become legendary bikes, but it also gave Ducati plenty of options on where to use this new engine.
In the case of the 450 Mark 3, its arrival in the market in 1969 provided customers an opportunity to enjoy the wide-case engine, not just with the 450 cc, but in either 250 or 350 cc displacements altogether.
But this is all about the 450 Mark 3, which not only came with the aforementioned engine, but also carried an extra gusset along the top tube like Spaggiari’s racer, which featured a wider chain and sprocket and slightly longer Marzocchi forks. On top of that, the bike also featured a new type of Dell’Orto square-slide VHB 29 carburetor while the bullet silencer was replaced by the cut-off Silentium type. In the end, the Ducati 450 Mark 3 became a bike that not only looked the part of a true hardcore cafe bike, but also performed like one too.
The model that was offered at the 2012 RM Auctions in Monaco is an original - CN: DM450M3/700368 - with a Rosso Rubino paint and some splashes of patina, which shows its age. The expected bid price was around €3,000 - €4,000, which is around $3,900 - $5,200 based on current exchange rates. Actual selling price was $6,818.
