If there’s something more alluring than a sexy new Italian motorcycle, it’s an older sexy Italian motorcycle. If you’re looking for a bike that integrates the look of yesteryear with a machine you can take out without needing a specialist’s attention, this Ducati Paul Smart Supersport LE for sale on eBay is the answer.
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Paul Who?
You might be more familiar with road-racers Kevin Schwantz or Giacomo Agostini. But Englishman Paul Smart’s name was forever etched in Ducati folklore when he won the 1972 Imola 200 race.
Smart’s epic win is significant because it was the first race won by Ducati’s hitherto-unproven 750cc desmodromic L-Twin engine. This success is recognized as the start of Ducati’s race program and the company’s adoption of desmodromic valve-operation technology, which it still employs to this day.
Looking the Part
To honor Smart’s achievement forever, Ducati released the Supersport LE as a limited edition of 2,000 units. This gorgeous motorcycle features an aqua-green frame and silver metal flake paint with Smart’s race number in a white roundel. The Termignoni “megaphone” silencers are imposing.
The gauges with white faces and chrome bezels exude taste and refinement. The modern Ohlins suspension and enormous Brembo disc brakes are a welcome departure from early-1970s technology, even if they differ from the original bike’s looks.
Alas, this Ducati Supersport doesn’t resemble the machine that cemented the company’s future at Imola all those years ago. Rather, it is a spot-on modern re-interpretation of a classic. We think it’s an out-of-the-park home run of motorcycle design.
Desmodromic Valves in Action
Prospective Ducati Supersport owners need to understand the machine’s valve operation. Whereas a typical engine’s valves close when the spring holding them open is relieved, desmodromic valve operation means that the valves open and close mechanically.
The system works beautifully and lends every Ducati motor an inimitable character. Amateur mechanics (even seasoned ones) should step aside and only allow experienced Ducati technicians to work on these systems.
Perfect Condition
Ducati produced only 2,000 of these machines. With 443 registered miles on the clock, it seems reasonable to assume this is one of the best you’ll find. It was hardly used and kept indoors on display for most of its life.
This brings us to the only sticking point: Do you ride this Ducati Paul Smart Supersport LE as intended, with great enthusiasm as those Termignionis bellow? Or since it’s rolled just 443 miles over 17 years, do you preserve its pristine condition by keeping it inside—and only show it off to friends.
That would be a delightful problem to have.
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