Careful what you wish for.
I recently sold my Suzuki GSXR-750 race bike. Not that I actually raced it, but it was built as a race bike, making it a very effective track-day tool, and one that made me look quick, too! Aside from a single track outing in 2022 at Brands Hatch (where it went well and I had a great time), it had lain dormant since 2017. Then my friend Dean—who originally built it and successfully raced it to win a Classic Superbike Series back in 2012, asked if it was for sale.
I thought, why not? So off it went to be raced again in a Classic Endurance Series, where I’m sure both Dean and the bike will do brilliantly.
That left a void, alongside a couple of unfulfilled aspirations. I started thinking about another sports bike—something unusual, like maybe a Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans/Rosso Corsa. Something a little more demanding, focused, a bit oddball and unconventional, but also good-looking. Good looks depend on the eyes of the beholder, of course!
But what happened next was entirely unexpected. Chatting with friends, I dropped a casual comment: "So the Suzuki has gone, and I’m thinking it’s time for something Italian, V-Twin, and air-cooled," fully hoping to trigger a conversation about Moto Guzzi. Instead, my good friend Andy popped up and said, "I want to sell my Ducati Supersport!"
That wasn't on my radar at all, but it ticked every single box: Italian, V-Twin, air-cooled. Similarly, the lightweight Supersport is a little off-piste, not run-of-the-mill, and often overshadowed by the WSB-dominating 916 and 999 models. I asked how much, he gave me a price, and I said yes. Probably the quickest bike purchase of my life!
The initial thought was that it would make a nice winter project, turning it into a personalised SuperLight/Café Racer with a retro race aesthetic. But once I got it back home, all of that went straight out the window. It rode beautifully, felt focused and rapid, and it just felt wrong to ‘chop it about’. For now, it’ll just be new tyres, fresh oil and filter, and a couple of tidy-up jobs before booking a couple of track days. I know it won’t be the quickest bike on track, but it will put a massive smile on my face, accompanied by that glorious V-Twin soundtrack. Plus, as the Ducati is road-legal, I'll be enjoying occasional bimbles out to the coast for an espresso and maybe a gelato in the spring and summer. But for now, just some fettling time in the garage !
Update: Well, 2024 slipped by without any track action from the little Duke, but 2025 finally saw us out on circuit! "Duke's First Track Day"