Ducati 900 Super Sport

Some bikes become legendary, others become second nature. That this happens is no coincidence, but a consequence of the mix between style, sturk, and "performance". We've taken a look at Ducati's superbike from the late 70s, more specifically the legendary 900 Super Sport.

There are motorcycles, and then there are "motorcycles", and there is the latter. It is low, long, narrow and snappy. The power plant hanging under the gas tank oozes power, and the sports hood that surrounds the headlight is ready to plow through the air resistance. The "motorcycle", which is closest to being "state of the art" is the Bologna racer Ducati 900Super Sport. For most people, the 900SS was a dream when it was new. With today's price tag, the dream has not become more real, on the contrary. But, as is the case with a few selected motorcycles, they become legendary thanks to a combination of design, performance and historical roots. Motorcycles that can be associated with names like Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood are rarely or never found on finn.no. They change hands more quietly, or at international auctions where the buying group is not very large, but rather those who like oil on their fingers.

900 Super Sport, an unexpected success

Ducati's strongest trump cards in the battle for customers in the 1970s were the two 750cc GT and Super Sport. Both were sporty in design, equipped with a 90-degree v-twin, and with a price tag that put the 750 Super Sport in particular in a class of its own, the class for the "well-maintained" in terms of the content of the wallet. Both of the two Ducati models were exclusive, and they were produced in a modest volume compared to the Japanese competitors in particular. However, the quality was not quite in line with the price tag, but for enthusiasts it was of no significant importance, because what it lacked in reliability it more than made up for in design and handling. In the mid-1970s, Ducati decided that the 750cc should be joined by a 900cc bike, and based on the 750 Super Sport they designed an almost identical 900cc bike. The most striking difference between the two models was the engine block. The 750 Super Sport had a so-called "roundcase engine" while the 900 had a more square engine block, hence the name "Squarecase". Thus the stage was set for the legendary 900 Super Sport, a bike that surprised both customers and not least the management at Ducati . The sales apparatus in Bologna lived in the belief that a 900-cubic meter would only sell marginally. However, the model put the predictions to shame and demand for the 900 Super Sport completely exceeded production capacity. For various reasons, Ducati did not take the signals and let the production of the 900 Super Sport remain modest.

Technical data Ducati 900 Super Sport 1979:

Engine: 2-cylinder 4-stroke V-twin, 90-degree

Displacement: 864 cc

Power: 72 hp at 7000 rpm.

No. of gears: 5

Front tires: 3.50 x 18

Rear tires: 4.25 x 18

Front brakes: double discs/Brembo

Rear brakes: single disc/Brembo

Electrical system: transistor type, 12 Volt.

Tank: 18 liters

Weight: 210 kg

Top speed: 220 km/h