Ducati 750 Imola racer & Bruno Spaggiari - 1972 Imola - motorcycle racing photo For Sale

A superb andrare photo of the magnificent Bruno Spaggiari (nr. 9 Duc) withthe legendary Ducati 750ccdesmodromic V-twin factory racer on his way to 2ND place in the veryhistoric and very famous 200 miles race of Imola in 1972.This historic photo was taken on the 23rd of May 1972. That day a crowd of 70,000 people sawPaul Smart on the #16 Ducati win the heavily battled 200 miles race of Imola. Smart’s team mate BrunoSpaggiari finished 2nd on the #9 Ducati. He is seen on the photo, which wastaken during that epic race!

The Ducati 750 Imola Desmo is one ofthe most famous bikes in the world. It is best known, and, of coursenamed after, its victory with Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari in the 200 mile race at Imola in 1972 – one of the mostspectacular in racing history. Much has been written about the fantasticfinal lap, which saw Smart and Spaggiari side by side almost all the way to thefinishing line, but how this race changed the destiny of the Italianmanufacturer has been relatively unexplored.

The win at Imoladefined Ducati’s future approach to racing, with the manufacturer focusing itsattention almost exclusively on production-derived machines. However, beforeexplaining more about the importance of Paul Smart, Imola and the legendary“number 16 Ducati 750 Imola”, we must take a step back in time.

In 1972 CheccoCosta bought the 200 Mile formula to Italy and Ducati prepared eight bikes to beridden by Paul Smart, Bruno Spaggiari, Ermanno Giuliano, and AlanDunscombe. The bikes had production frames and engines, but wereprepared, as usual, in a very short time. Most of this work, however,probably still goes unnoticed, as it was concerned with the smallest details:wherever possible, each part of the bike was painstakingly filed down andlightened. In addition, new Dellorto carburetors with 40 mm choke tubes and accelerator pumps arrivedjust in time, providing a perfect supply of fuel for the big twin-cylinder,which delivered 80 hp at 8,500 rpm. At Imola, Spaggiari reached thefinish line with his gas tank almost empty and so could not snatch the victoryfrom Smart.

The Imola racersfeatured Ducati’s famous 4-stroke longitudinal split 90° V twin engine. Thecrankcase cylinder and cylinderheads were cast in light alloy; the cylindershad cast-iron liners. Bore and stroke was 80 x 74.4 mm. Cylinder capacity was 747.95 cc. Theracers had a compression ratio of 10:1. Ducati was already famous for itsdesmodromic single overhead camshafts, driven by bevel-gears. It was alsopresent on the Imola racing machines. Each head had two valves. The air cooledengine featured wet sump lubrication. Two Dell’orto PHF 40 carburetors withaccelerator pump fed the fuel mixture in the combustion chambers. A twin-plugcontact-breaker ignition system was present. The Imola racers had a five-speedgearbox and primary drive by gears, final drive was by chain. A wet multi-plateclutch was also present. The engine delivered a power output of 82 hp at 9,000r.p.m. Enough for a topspeed of 156.25 mph (250 km/h)!

Underneath somemore information on these incredible machines:

Frame - chassis:Duplex open-cradle tubular-steel frame

Frontsuspension: Marzocchi telescopic hydraulic front forks with raked pins

Rear suspension:Swinging-arm rear suspension with two Ceriani 310-mm shocks

Front brake:Twin 280-mm disks with Lockheed calipers

Rear brake:229-mm disk with Lockheed caliper

Front tyre:Borrani light alloy rims, Dunlop KR Tires, 3.25 x 18

Rear tyre:Borrani light alloy rims, Dunlop KR Tires, 3.5 x 18

Fuel tank:Fiberglass fuel tank with 24 liters capacity

Length: 2,018 mm

Wheelbase: 1,530 mm

Rake: 60 mm

Weight: 360 pounds (163 kg)

Amazingly, theseDucati 750cc desmodromic V-twin machines were totally new, it was the firsttime they had their race outing. In a long battle Smart and Spaggiari beat theheavy competition of MV Agusta and Giacomo Agostini, three works Moto Guzzi’s,four works BSA and Triumph Triples, three works Norton’s and 2 works Honda’s…An astonishing feat for a new roadracer! It was an amazing day in Ducatihistory and it brought once again well deserved fame to Fabio Taglioni’sextraordinary desmo V-twin design!

The Ducati 750‘s were often used in production based racing on both sides of the Atlantic. In the early 1970’s, long distance racingwas extremely popular in Europe,especially Italy. These events were responsible for thequick gaining popularity of the heavier sports motorcycle, like the Ducati 750SS, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport, the Benelli 650 Tornado, the BMW R 90 S Daytonaand the Laverda SFC 750; but also the Japanese sports motorcycles like theKawasaki 350, 500 and 750 triples, but also heavy four strokes like the HondaCB 750 Four. Riders that would make world fame, like Franco Uncini and MarcoLucchinelli, all participated in these races before they made the steps to theGrand Prix World Championship racing scene.

Today, theDucati Sport Classics models like the PaulSmart 1000, the Sport 1000 and the GT1000, pay all directly tribute to the Imola era and the wonderful Ducati bikesthat came from it!

The Imola 7501-2 is regarded as the most classic victory Ducati ever scored. This historic non period photo shows Bruno Spaggiari (9) on his way to fame during that race. It is rareto obtain a photo like this, therefore it is printed in a nice large format ofapprox. 8\" x 12\" (20 x 30 cm). It is great the way it is, and wouldlook gorgeous when framed.

We have morephotos listed on of Bruno Spaggiari , Paul Smart , Ducati and other brandswith various riders. Please check out our sales and take advantage ofour shipping discount! You can also always contact us with requests.

Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos youbuy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!

All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.

(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for purposes only)

No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.

All items always sent well protected in PVC clear filesand board backed envelopes.

They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!

First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the sale ends.