Ducati 350 Desmo
Moto Borgotaro in collaboration with Union Garage NYC put on a one-day motorcycle event in Brooklyn, NY showcasing some of the best examples of the original Italian sporting bikes of the 1970's.
DUCATI 350 DESMO
This “silver shogun” 350 Desmo production model produced just 27hp, but the megaphone exhaust was a popular upgrade to gain a few extra ponies. For the discerning Italian motorcycle enthusiast looking to zip smartly along country roads with full use of this plucky 350’s extra-wide power band, the Desmo 350 was just right. That it had the same silver-flake finish as the Imola-winning 750SS made it all the sweeter.
When Paul Smart threw a leg over the 750SS at Imola in 1972—incidentally, his first time on a Ducati—he said all he knew about the company was that it made “out-of-date singles.”
At the time, he was making rent by racing Kawasaki two-strokes, so the nuances of Taglioni’s vast catalog of elegant variations were probably lost on the fast English throttle jockey.
To be fair, a Ducati single from the early 60’s shares the same basic silhouette as one from the late 70’s , but the Desmo valve technology built into this one gave it some considerable extra oomph over earlier versions.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID GENAT & JAMES TYLER REED
OWNER: THE STUART PARR COLLECTION