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1979 Ducati 900SS  -  no longer for sale
* Genuine 7600 kms (4750 miles only)  - almost incredible but true *

 Frame #087830   Engine # 088151

You are looking at one of the nicest original unmolested Ducatis I have come across. The history of this Ducati 900 SS with its remarkably low mileage is fully documented. It was imported into Germany in 1979 by Fritz Röth, then Ducati’s German import and sales agent in Hammelbach, Germany. Onward sales of the new bike was effected on April 6, 1979 by motorcycle retailer Helmut Eberlein of Kassel, today an appointed concessionaire of Ferrari Classiche.

First owner was a young chap of 22 who enjoyed riding this beautiful Ducati for no more than a month, when he surprisingly was conscripted to military service. Sadly, he sold the bike back to Eberlein on May 8, 1979. Four short weeks of motorcycling fun were over for him.

It did not take long for the Italian beauty to find another groom. Just one week later, on May 15, 1979, a 42-year old motorcycle enthusiast purchased the bike and had it registered. This guy rode this Ducati 900 SS for two summers only:

From May 15 through October 24, 1979,
from April 18 through October 30, 1980, … 
and another month from April 6, 1981 through May 5, 1981.

Why this? He had previously owned a BMW R 90/6 before the Ducati, and his wife continuously protested against that new Italian sports bike lacking a pillion seat – she refused staying at home while her husband was motorbiking on Sundays. As he had sold his red BMW to the writer of this story, he looked for another R 90/6 to please his wife, found a pretty black one, purchased it, and put the Ducati into his heated and air-conditioned garage. There it sat for some decades – of course after filling engine, transmission, gearbox and front forks with fresh oil and the brakes with fresh brake fluid. Valve clearance was checked and corrected by an experienced classic Ducati mechanic. Fuel tank and carb float bowls had been emptied; brake levers, kick starter, wheels, suspensions were occasionally moved … in order to prevent corrosion or other deterioration. The odometer read exactly 7.294 kilometers then and did not move on for 35 years.

The meticulous owner even purchased a new dry YUASA battery for some later day to come … when he eventually would put his Ducati back on the road again – simply because YUASA was the battery brand originally used by Ducati in those years.

That day actally never came. It was not that he disliked his beloved “Grandma Duc”, but over the years he had fallen in love with so many other and older bikes such as Zündapp KS 601, BMW R 51/3, NSU TS 601, Standard Rex OHC 500, AJS, Saroléa, Adler, Triumph, Norton and so forth.

In 2012 when the owner was 75 he realised he would never ride his Ducati again due to certain health problems. So he decided to sell the bike to me, the present owner. I have known the former owner since 1977 and witnessed the history of all his bikes, so I can confirm that the history of this Ducati is exactly as described here.

It took me some years to start working on the Ducati due to time constraints, but now the beautiful Italian Signorina is back on the road again and running well, turning people’s heads all the time.

Work done:

• Fresh engine, transmission & gearbox oil (Castrol Classic SAE 50)

• Fresh front fork oil

• Fresh brake fluid, bleeded brakes, cleaned brake discs, checked brake shoes

• New Dunlop Arrowmax tires & tubes fitted and wheels balanced front and rear. The original ex factory OEM tires from 1979 with still quite a lot of profile on will come with the bike for those who want them.

• New crankcase breather hose of soft rubber instead of hardening PVC

• New rubber grips

• New NGK spark plugs

• New fuel tubings

• New banjos (metal instead of plastic) for fuel tube connection on carbs

• Replaced all rubber parts and gaskets in the carbs

• Installed new diapraghms in both acceleration pumps

• Cleaned air filters

• New oil filter

• Lubricated control cables

• Machined two vacuum gauge studs with M5 threads to fit into inlet ports for carburetter synchronization

• Synchronized carbs by means of a U-pipe pressure gauge

Passing the extensive technical test at TUV  - which is compulsory in Germany prior to immatriculation of a motor vehicle -  was an easy job, given the “like new” condition of this bike that impressed the testing engineer. The only trouble he had when he gave the Ducati a try was “Gosh, that bike’s got a turning circle like a truck!”

So why am I offering this amazing classic motorcycle for sale at all? After having done some 200 kilometers on the Italian dream I have to admit that for a guy approaching sixty a Ducati 900 SS is somewhat too demanding. My cervical spine won’t allow me to sit on a bike in racing position – or to put it bluntly: My neck aches like hell, I need to sit upright.

The Veglia odometer shows mere 7,543 kilometers = 4,715 miles now.

The bike is mostly original. There are three minor deviations from the works specification reflecting the former owner’s personal taste:

1. The gas tank is a British made aluminium tank with larger capacity, somewhat broader than the series steel gas tank. It is shiny and clean inside. The Ducati decals on the tank are obviously not original. The tank and fairing have been painted in a blue shade slightly lighter than the original blue which is still present on the front mudguard and on the rear end of the seat. The rest of the bodywork and the frame carry their original paint which shows normal wear from minimal use. The DESMO decal on the rear end is cracked and should not be touched.
2. The rear swing arm is chrome plated.
3. Rod-type front flashers protuding through gaps in the fairing have been replaced by small oval flashers bolted directly to the fairing. The former flasher gaps in the fairing have been laminated, so they are closed now.

The bike starts right up, idles easily and revs nicely without any mechanical noise. All electrical units like lights, horn, and generator work perfectly. Brakes and clutch are in good order and work well. This fine Ducati 900 SS is ready to go and is a pleasure to ride, with lots of torque and power. Fast and smooth, feels new.

Frame, forks and wheels are in perfect condition. Road holding, on-center feel, directional stability are excellent. If you take your hands off the handlebars, the bike will run straight on. The bike has the original Borrani aluminum rims with spokes, they run perfectly true. Marzocchi forks, Brembo brakes, Tommaselli twistgrip, CEV switches, and Veglia gauges. Contactless ignition and generator system are original Ducati Elettronica.

This Ducati has the original Lafranconis and Dellortos PHF 32 with air filter boxes as homologated for Germany. The quarter-bent (rear) respectively U-bent (front) rubber hoses between carbs and filters are in very good condition, without any cracks or hardening. A set of nice looking and pretty loud conical Conti mufflers belongs to the bike and will fit the same exhaust pipes and brackets. Picture 006 shows the bike with these Contis. The engine has NEVER been run without air filters; so internal wear should be close to zero. Also the engine has NEVER been disassembled, repaired, or tampered with. Underneath, the engine case still carries its lead seal from the Ducati factory. All nuts and bolts are fully original, no hexagon damaged.

A 900 SS in this super low mileage condition is a rare find. The bike comes with its original warranty certificate of 1979, the original owner’s manual (in English), and two sets of keys for ignition (CEV), steering lock (Neiman) and gas cap lock (Telford). An original Ducati 900 SS workshop manual book (Italian, English, French, German) is also part of the deal, as is a printout of Ducati’s spare parts catalog.

This gorgeous Ducati 900 SS is located between the cities of Bonn and Koblenz in the West of Germany, about 70 kms south of Cologne. The bike is offered to be sold ”as is and where is” with a German / European Union Registration Certificate in my name as the 3rd owner of this bike. Rated power output in the Registration Certificate is 50 kW (68 HP) @ 7000 rpm, top speed 210 km/h = 131 mph, weight 210 kgs.

I have described the bike to the best of my knowledge. The work outlined above I did personally over the past few months. I am a mechanical engineer with practical knowledge as a mechanic, knowing how to operate lathes and milling machines as well as how to build special tools, have restored several rare vintage, post-vintage and post-war motorcycles from scratch and take pride in doing every work on a classic bike as meticulously as required. The buyer may rest assured that no backyard botcher has ever put his hands on this wonderful bevel Ducati. However there is no warranty expressed or implied. It is a 37 year old motorcycle.

Terms of Sale

Asking 36,900 US$ or 33,240 EUR at the present exchange rate of 1.11 USD per EUR.

You get the bike as you see above, with a German / European Union Registration Certificate and all other documents mentioned.

Payment terms: Cash in EUR upon collection of the bike.
Alternatively: International bank transfer into my account prior to collecting the bike.

No Longer For Sale