Ducati 851

Following Cagiva's takeover (or partnership with or investment in Ducati?) in 1985(?) Ducati at last received the vital cash injection necessary to fund their much needed technological advancement. The first Ducati bike produced with Cagiva's elephant motif on the petrol tank was the 851, so called because its engine was an 851cc twin. Designed by Massimo Bordi this bike was the successor to the 750 F1 and featured four-valve cylinder heads and water cooling (the F1 had two-valve heads and air cooling) plus a whole host of other improvements. Typically, Ducati enjoyed racing success with this model, ridden by Marco Lucchinelli and Raymond Roche. The 851 ran from 1987 to 1992 and in 1991 the engine was enlarged to 888cc and the Ducati 888 was born.

At around the late '80s I joined some ad agency where I had quite a big company car package. Being more interested in bikes than cars (though I do like cars as well) I had a word with the agency's finance director who allowed me to have a small car as well as some motorbike instead of the usual flashy adland car. Probably thought I was nuts, but did I care? Nah. Say hello to a new Mini Cooper and a Ducati 851 (dual seater, of course). I was penalised something rotten for this package by the taxman, but did I care? Nah. Ran the bike in gently then set off for a two week trip to Florence, two-up. Wasn't exactly the most practical bike for touring, or the most comfy for her ladyship, the pillion in a million, but it was fun to ride, especially through Italy. I remember pootling slowly through some country town or village then passing the 'speed restriction ends' sign and giving it some welly while wallowing in the music of the bellowing exhausts. Sheer joy. Then was stopped by a couple of cops. Pleaded insanity due to being a Brit - well, to be more exact, English/Scots/Irish. Cops fully understood that anyone giving a Ducati the full beans on a quiet road should be complimented on their choice of motorcycle and then sent off on their merry way. At least that's how I saw it. They probably couldn't be arsed to do loads of paperwork when they didn't speak English and the Brit idiot didn't speak Italian.