A CAFÉ RACER FOR A NEW GENERATION
In the 1970s, sport riders were modifying their street bikes with some of what they saw being used on the race track, like clip-on handlebars, rear set footpegs, and “fast” colours. This was done just as much for the “look”, as for increased performance. In the end, motorcycle haunts of the time were filled with individualism and non-conformity expressed in trend-setting styles and experimentation with performance enhancement. The Café Racer style was born.

The Ducati Sport1000 captures the bold style of the early bikes. Starting with the traditional monochromatic colour themes of yellow, red and black, each bike also has a contrasting racing stripe across the fuel tank and tailpiece. All three colours are complemented with a classic black frame. With a solo seat and clip-ons, the Sport looks low, lean and ready for a ride in the twisties. The clip-ons on the Sport have, however, been raised about 20 mm compared to the Paul Smart for a slightly more relaxed position.

The Sport1000’s suspension features a 43 mm upside-down fork by Marzocchi. Suspension by Marzocchi was also the choice on the original 750 Sport Ducati of 1971, and the brushed aluminium forks of the new Sport look as great now as they did back then. Rear suspension is handled by a Sachs single shock, which can be adjusted for pre-load, compression and rebound damping, in conjunction with an elliptical 60 mm asymmetrical swingarm.

The Sport1000 has inherited yet another outstanding feature from the original Ducati sport bikes: reduced overall weight. Tipping the scales at just 179 kg (395 lbs), you can feel how light it is whether you are going at top speed or simply parking. The limited weight is a distinct advantage of the Sport1000 when accelerating, cornering or braking. It's the Café Racer style of the Taglioni Sport 750 with modern Ducati performance.