Q.Legacy of the Ducati SuperSport

[COLOR=#484848][FONT="][SIZE=14px]The [/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR][B]Ducati SuperSport moniker[/B][COLOR=#484848][FONT="][SIZE=14px] has a long-standing history to it when it comes to Ducati. As the Italian giant gears up to commence the next innings of the SuperSport lineage, let us revisit the legacy of the SS brigade. Ducati was always focused on delivering a thrilling and exciting machine to its patrons and every new model that rolled out of Borgo Panigale had something exclusive to offer to the riders. So when the time came to launch a new motorcycle in 1971, with rising competition coming from Japanese manufacturers, Ducati unveiled the 750GT in 1971. It was Ducati’s first air-cooled Desmo V-twin engine on a production machine and in hands of legendary racer, Paul Smart, the 750GT clinched top honours at the Imola 200 race in 1972. The win at Imola instantly propelled the 750GT’s reputation as a winning machine that had the performance and handling to it. Its creator, Fabio Taglioni, was quick to bring out a 750 Sport model complete with clip-on bars, reduced weight and a single seat. With the rising interest in the Sport, in 1974, Ducati unveiled its first 750 SuperSport model. It was lightweight (weighing just a little over 150kg), sportier and boasted performance that could rival any of its competition. It was the only SuperSport to feature a round case 90-degree V-twin motor and only 401 units of it were made. From 1975, Ducati developed a square-case V-twin motor that powered the Super Sport and also added another model, the 900 Super Sport to the product range. Aesthetically, both variants looked the same and more often than not, the 900 Super Sport saw more takers over the 750. In 1978, the 900 Super Sport was once again in the news as former World Champion, Mike Hailwood, won the Isle of Man TT Formula 1 race astride a 900 SuperSport. Following year, Ducati also released a Mike Hailwood replica of the 900 Super Sport, albeit in limited numbers. During the mid-eighties, Ducati was suffering from financial losses and in 1985 it was sold to the Cagiva group headed by Claudio Castiglioni. Under his leadership, the SuperSport model got another lease of life, this time as the Ducati 900SS. One of the most iconic models from the Ducati lineup so far.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]