Ducati 200 Élite

It’s been too long since we’ve featured vintage Italian machinery. And then I stumbled across this jaw-dropping shot of a Ducati 200 Élite from 1962. To my eyes, it’s the perfect post-War motorcycle, and I’m not surprised to learn that it was a huge success when it appeared in 1958. The 204cc bevel-driven motor is simply a bored-out version of Ducati’s contemporary 175cc thumper—but it was good enough for 18bhp and 144kph (90mph), because the bike weighs a mere 105kg (230 lbs). The Real Classic website has a detailed write-up of the history of the model, reporting that 'The standard...