Ducati 860SS replica

One of the strangest episodes in Ducati racing history took place in Australia in 1975. At the time, production racing Down Under was dominated by Kawasaki Z1s. So Ducati’s Australian importer created an ‘860SS,’ a machine custom-built to win at Bathurst, Australia’s most famous racetrack. Looking for all the world like a regular 750SS, it was packed with higher-performance parts including Imola-spec cams and a close-ratio ‘box. Ridden by Kenny Blake, the 860SS did its duty and beat the Japanese machines. Blake became a local hero, and Ducati’s street-cred went up a notch. But then came the protests; after all,...