TALKING ITALIAN - DUCATI MADNESS REIGNS SUPREME IN BRUNSWICK HEADS . . . . FOR THE THIRD TIME IN AS MANY WEEKS I RAN INTO THE BLOKE WHO OWNS THIS NEAT AS A PIN '78 860 GTS . . . . NOWHERE NEAR AS COMMON AS THE DARMAH OR THE SS BUT LIKE ALL THE HULKING WOG JOB VEE-TWINS OF THE PERIOD, A BRUTALLY EFFECTIVE BLASTER . . . . WITH THE TURNING CIRCLE OF A B-DOUBLE AND SHIT IN TOWN TRAFFIC . . . . ON THE HIGHWAYS, BELLISSIMO !!!

THIS THING IS QUITE THE KILLER RESTO, DOWN TO ORIGINAL FASTENERS, 32 MM DELL'ORTOS, HEADLAMP BRACKETS, U.S SPEC REFLECTORS, LEGIT SEAT COVER, CLOCKS AND CONTIS, AND ALL DONE WITH THE INTENTION OF USING THE BASTARD IN ANGER AND GETTING SOME SERIOUS MILES ON THE ODOMETER . . . . HAVING RIDDEN QUITE A FEW OF ITS SIBLINGS I CAN SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY THEY ARE A GREAT RIDE, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT PUTTING ALONG IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR WANTING TO DO A QUICK U-TURN IN A NARROW STREET, BUT POINT THE SUCKER AT SOME OPEN ROAD WITH SOME SWOOPING TWISTY BITS THROWN IN AND IT TORQUES ITS 90 DEGREE HEADS OFF . . . . ALWAYS LOVED THE SOLID 'CLUNK' OF THE GEARSHIFT IN CAHOOTS WITH THE MASSIVE LOWDOWN PULLING POWER OF THESE LATER SQUARE CASES, NOT TO MENTION WHAT IS ARGUABLY THE SEXIEST ENGINE NOTE IN THE WORLD OF MOTORCYCLING . . . . LIKE I SAID IN THE INTRODUCTION, BELLISSIMO SIGNOR TAGLIONI !!!