From Paul Smart’s Imola-winning 750 desmo to the little-known 500 GP Bicilindrica, Cathcart explores Ducati’s racing history in a lavishly illustrated hardcover featuring rare photos, technical insights and personal riding experiences.
Ducati’s bevel-drive V-twins went from innovative engineering to Formula 750 glory and few are better placed to tell their story than Alan Cathcart. His new book combines first-hand tests, archival photography and an insider’s account of Ducati’s defining racing era.
The creation of the Ducati bevel-drive V-twins, and the early days of their quixotic evolution into the kings of Formula 750 racing, able to defeat their British, German and Italian rivals as well as the latest and greatest from Japan in top-level competition, are recounted in this latest book by Alan Cathcart.
In it, the noted British racing journalist not only records the technical evolution of Ing. Fabio Taglioni’s unique designs, but also crucially tells us what they were like to ride via his own hands-on experience from the hot seat. This one-of-a-kind book features track tests of legendary motorcycles like the Ducati 750 desmo on which Paul Smart claimed victory at Imola in 1972, as well as its little-known predecessor, the Ducati 500 GP Bicilindrica.
Cathcart not only records the technical evolution of Ing. Fabio Taglioni’s unique designs, but also crucially tells us what they were like to ride via his own hands-on experience
Alan Cathcart also recalls his own half-century of racing one of the 401 examples of the 750 SS customer version of Paul Smart’s bike, which lends passionate authenticity and insight to his descriptions of this model. And also included in this volume is an interview with the late Paul Smart, who, together with Bruno Spaggiari, was the hero of Ducati’s historic triumph at Imola in 1972.
Published by Edizione FBA Motoitaliane this large format (30×23cm) hardcover prestige volume, printed on high-quality paper with the text in both Italian and English, is richly illustrated with an array of full page photographs. Many of them have never published before, revealing little-known details of these legendary bikes, and include period photos of them in action.
It’s 152 pages long, available in a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies and is a book which every Ducati enthusiast should have in their library. It costs €49.00 ($79.00), plus shipping costs, and is available for order now via the publisher’s website www.motoitaliane.it
