HARLEY DAVIDSON: WILD CHILD?
DUCATI’S V – OR L – TWINS
Top left: 750 Laguna Seca Top right: Leguna Seca and Montjuich on the road
Bottom left: F1, first of the last ‘raw boned’ Ducatis
Bottom right: 500cc parallel twin. Good looking bike but it didn’t sell
1970s, an Englishman named Tony Rutter
continued with a string of victories in the
1980s. The bike he rode was a limited edition
Pantah TT2. He won four Formula 2 World
Championships on the machine between
1981 and 1984. As far as exotic motorcycles
go the TT2 was one of the most desirable.
Around thirty examples were hand-built,
with Verlicchi frames, Paioli and Marzocchi
suspension, and Campagnolo wheels. It
was also the first Ducati to be fitted with a
16-inch front wheel. I remember this on my
Formula F1. Daunting to look at, but very
effective. With such a long machine corners
became so much easier to deal with.
That brings to a close our look at the
extraordinary career of Fabio Taglioni, one of
the most innovative engineers and designers
in motorcycle history. Whether we shall ever
see the likes of him again is debatable, but,
if not, he has left a legacy involving some of
the finest motorcycles ever built.
76 KIWI RIDER