1975-1979 Ducati GT/GTE/GTS

No designer ever got hired to keep things as they were. But some makeovers are more successful than others. And hiring an auto specialist to re-envision a motorcycle has rarely gone well. Just ask BSA-Triumph about the 1969 Rocket 3 and Trident with their shoebox gas tanks and ray-gun mufflers — a product of Ogle Design, the style house that also penned the Reliant Robin three-wheeler!

Georgetto Giugiaro’s restyling of Ducati’s graceful 750 GT to create the angular, origami-inspired square-case 860 GT was also one of those “what were they thinking” moments. For some years, it was tough to give away an 860 GT, and even the square-case 900 Super Sports struggled for acceptance; while the earlier round-case 750 GT, S and SS soared in popularity — and value. And that’s a shame, because the 860 GT and its offspring are sprightly, competent machines sharing much of their technology with other revered Ducati bevel twins.

Des-no

Except the desmodromic valve operation system, that is. All the 860 models used spring-return valves like the 750 GT and 750 Sport, while the 900 SS and later Darmah models used the more exotic desmodromic system. So what was important about the 860 GT?

By 1974, revisions to the model range were needed to bolster Ducati’s position in the U.S. market. First, to maintain its relatively modest performance in the face of tighter emission and noise regulations, a capacity boost was required. Ing. Taglioni was asked to modify the bevel drive valve operation for easier (therefore faster and cheaper) assembly.

The 860 also got a new more robust chassis with larger diameter splayed downtubes, and the engine cases forming the lower run of the frame. A new swingarm with eccentric adjustment at the pivot was added. Marzocchi supplied the dual rear shocks and Ceriani the front fork. Both wheels ran on 18-inch Radaelli steel rims with a single Brembo front disc brake (dual disc optional) and rear drum.

Most noticeable from the outside of the engine, apart from the new “square” cases, was the elimination of the central points’ housing between the two bevel shafts, with ignition now Ducati Elettrotecnica. This allowed room for an external by-pass oil filter. Gear shift and brake levers were swapped side to side as mandated in the U.S., courtesy of a somewhat vague crossover linkage. Carburetion was by two Dell’Orto PHF32A pumpers. And the 860 was always intended to have electric start, even though the launch model was kick-only — until January 1975. That month, the almost identical electric-start 860 GTE arrived.

So how was the 860 received? While noting the GT’s limited availability in the U.S., testers seemed unphased by Giugiaro’s cosmetics. Cycle World’s tester appreciated the sophistication of the GT: “A grand touring bike … built to go fast … without a lot of fiddling … that will propel rider and passenger down the road in comfort.” The 860 GT “opens up a new dimension for Ducati and the potential customer.”

GTS

Regardless of reviewer enthusiasm, sales of the 860 GT and GTE were underwhelming. A change of management at EFIM, Ducati’s government-sponsored owner, prompted Ducati to revise styling and update the specification. The resultant bike, the 860 GTS featured electric start and dual Brembo front disc brakes as standard, (though still with the drum rear). The styling changes were minor (lower seat, revised gas tank shape) but achieved a more organic and flowing look. However, the trapezoidal side panels and angular engine cases remained, and the bulky starter housing hardly enhanced the engine’s looks.

It was also becoming apparent that Ducati’s brand was really about its desmodromic valve operation, which the 860 lacked. And despite a name change to 900 GTS and minor changes to the specification (Marzocchi forks replacing the Cerianis for example), the GTS faded away, supplanted and eventually replaced in the catalog by the desmo-equipped 900 Sport Darmah. Said Rider’s tester in its defense, the GTS is “A great motorcycle … a vibrationless, true-handling, quiet, stable, precise mother of a bike.”
Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the 860 GT is Giugiaro’s distinctive logo, still in use on the 2022 Scrambler Tribute Pro. MC

1975-1977 Norton Commando 850 Mk3

• Claimed power: 60hp @ 5,900rpm
• Top speed: 94mph (period test)
• Engine: 828cc air-cooled OHV 4-stroke parallel twin, 77mm x 89mm bore and stroke, 8.5:1 compression
• Weight (curb, half tank): 522lb
• Fuel capacity/MPG: 3.2gal (Roadster), 6.3gal (Interstate)/46mpg
• $1,995 (1975) /$5,000-$15,000

The 850 Mk3 Commando Roadster and Interstate were Norton-Villiers-Triumph’s last kick at the can before owner Dennis Poore pulled the plug in 1977. The Commando finally got electric start, but still had only four gears, while brakes were upgraded to disc front and rear. The Isolastic drivetrain mounts were now vernier adjustable replacing the awkward shim system, and the right-shift, left brake foot controls were reversed. The engine got a stronger bottom end and larger intake ports for more mid- to high-end power. A larger airbox and “black cap” mufflers helped meet U.S. noise regulations, and a new dash and handlebar controls completed the makeover. The package was available in Interstate (touring) and Roadster versions: just the gas tank, seat and side panels were different.

All this came at a cost: curb weight for the Interstate went from 446 pounds to 522 pounds according to Cycle World’s scale, adding two seconds to its standing quarter time and robbing it of nine terminal mph. And underneath the remodeling was the same 25-year-old OHV parallel twin and separate transmission. Cycle World’s tester called the Commando “an intriguing blend of carefully updated antiquated design (the engine) and innovative technology (the frame), adding that the ’75 Interstate was “a motorcycle that entertains … and we all know that it takes a real (their italics) motorcycle to entertain. Norton still makes a real motorcycle.”

But by 1977, the Commando was out of time, and owner NVT was out of money.

1974-1979 Moto Guzzi 850T/T3 Interceptor

• Claimed power: 68.5hp @ 7,000rpm
• Top speed: 123mph (period test)
• Engine: 844cc air-cooled OHV transverse L-twin, 83mm x 78mm bore and stroke
• Weight (curb, half tank): 506lb
• Fuel capacity/MPG: 6.2gal/44mpg
• $2,900 (1978)/$5,000-$10,000

Lino Tonti’s lightweight dual cradle frame allowed Moto Guzzi to produce first the 1972 V7 Sport and then the 850 Le Mans of 1976. But it also formed the basis of the less glamorous 1974 850T and (for its three disc brakes) the T3 of 1975, which eventually replaced the “loop” frame models in cruiser and police roles.

The drivetrain followed Guzzi’s signature layout: a transverse air-cooled OHV V-twin with 5-speed transmission and shaft final drive. Cylinders were bored to 83mm for 844cc, and the alternator spun on the crankshaft, like the V7 Sport. A 35mm front telescopic fork and dual rear shocks provided suspension, while the wheels ran on 18-inch Borrani alloy rims with a single 300mm Brembo front disc brake. For 1975 the 850T3 added Tonti’s linked braking system with the foot pedal operating one front disc and the single rear, while the hand lever operated a second front disc. Choice components, a very tunable engine and Tonti’s sweet-handling chassis meant many Ts and T3s were customized as sport bikes and café racers. (Motorcycle Classics, February 2011)

Summing up, Road Rider called the T3 “One of a very few machines … which have that intangible combination of feel, sound and personality which can endear them to those riders who believe that motorcycling is more than getting from one place to another.”