Rare Ducati 450 R/T Desmo Resurfaces

American Demand

Before the advent of fine Japanese dirt bikes, builders strengthened road-going motorcycle frames, enhanced the suspension, and slightly detuned the engines. This was about making them survive off-road punishment. All-out speed was less important.

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The Ducati 450 R/T (Road/Trail) Desmo primarily exists due to demand from the American market. In 1969, American riders on the older Ducati 350 TSS won the first Baja 500 off-road race. As a result, the factory felt pressure to produce a machine for the US market that could compete with BSA, Triumph, and others.

Advanced, Flawed, and Highly Collectible

Typical of the Italians at the time, the engine is a work of art. It’s extensively finned to aid cooling. A tube visible on the right side contains a shaft that runs from the crank to drive the overhead camshaft via bevel gears. This engine could be displayed as a jewel.

The camshaft operates two rockers for each valve, one to open the valve and one to close it. No springs are involved. This is called Desmodromic valve operation, and it is where the “Desmo” part of the Ducati’s name originates. It’s complicated, exotic, and wonderfully Italian.

The 450 R/T’s frame is also elegant. But it was fragile in the hands of seasoned off-road riders, who sometimes cracked the tubing. The engine’s location—too far back—caused handling issues. Ultimately, the suspension wasn’t up to controlling such a wild engine in a fragile frame.

From a Prized Collection

Brandon Schuman of Premier Auto, an eBay seller, spotted this machine in a sale in upstate New York. The collection of rare dirt bikes included a Harley-Davidson MX250, although most of the bikes in the collection were Italian.

Schuman acquired five machines from the sale. In no time, the Ducati was up and running. He said:

It required some minor servicing and adjustments in the hands of our in-house technician, and it was running like a charm. Until fairly recently, the previous owner was still ripping it around his property.

The Ducati was complete and original. But at the time of listing, it still sported its original, damaged front fender. Schuman said:

Only a few hundred of these made their way to the US, so the odds of finding a fender were slim. But we found one on eBay.

With a replacement fender acquired, the 450 is an exhaust silencer away from being complete.