Ducati is in the mood for a taste of nostalgia, and why shouldn’t they, it is their 100th year in business, after all. A new throwback motorcycle, then, combining a modern slant to the familiar Cafe Racer vintage aesthetic, is on order. The new Formula 73 is a modern interpretation of Ducati’s 750 Imola Desmo, the bike Paul Smart took to victory laurels at the famed 1972 200 Miles of Imola race. This was an instrumental victory in the history of Ducati, as it kicked off decades of production-derived motorcycle racing for the brand.
Ducati built the Formula 73 more as a vibe check than anything else. This limited production machine will be limited to just 873 units worldwide, and no doubt will become just as much a collector piece as the similarly-inspired 2006 Ducati PaulSmart 1000LE has become over the last twenty years. The Ducati brand says the Formula 73 has “timeless charm,” “unmistakable style,” and “strong personality.” Usually that’s marketing mumbo jumbo, but the Italians get to make those claims without irk.
Keen eyed riders will instantly peg this machine as having been based on the Ducati Scrambler line of bikes, with a recognizable steel trellis frame and 73-horsepower 803cc Desmodue L-twin engine. Conceptually, there is a lot here that already exists on the Scrambler Full Throttle model, but with lower track-focused suspension, a unique headlight fairing, clip-on bars, bar-end mirrors, and a few high-price Rizoma bits thrown in for good measure. The Formula 73 gets wire spoke wheels and sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires, as well. Some of the Full Throttle’s trim is carried over, as is its standard Termignnioni exhaust.
The RIde
Despite its vintage looks, the Formula 73 is a proper modern motorcycle underneath with all of the electronic rider aids you could ask for. Ducati traction control, corner sensitive ABS, and a quick shift system are standard, as well as a pair of riding modes to fit your desires. Are you taking this one to the track, or the mountain roads, or are you just commuting to work in style? It’s up for whatever you want to throw at it.
Thanks to those advanced electronics, more power from the modern engine, and significant improvements in tire and suspension technology, you can bet that this stock street bike could absolutely wipe the floor with the original Imola 750 Desmo racer. Same rider, same day, same track, this is head and shoulders a faster bike. Probably even more so at a high-speed, long-straight, fast track like Imola.
As with all Ducati limited production models, the Formula 73 features a numbered plate and the model name on top of the steering plate. Each bike will be presented with a certificate of authenticity and a box of pictures and sketches. That’s how you know Ducati wants this thing to go to collectors. People like me would absolutely lose that box within the first week of ownership, but I’d definitely enjoy riding it around.
Formula 73 will begin delivering to European dealers this spring, and will have the option to purchase a matching Arai helmet and riding jacket.
Unlike the entry-level Scrambler underpinning it, which can be had for as little as $10,295 for the Icon Dark model, the Formula 73 comes with a steep price tag. Ducati wants an incredible $19,995 for this machine. Worth it? That’s for you to decide.
The Inspiration
With an L-twin desmodromic motor, the modern entry-level Ducati actually shares quite a lot of its design and architecture with race-winning bikes of decades gone by. While the technology marches forward and Ducati now has most of its high-speed eggs in the V4 basket, there was a time that the L-twin was the bleeding edge of fast.
Ducati showed up to Imola in 1972 as a largely unknown road bike manufacturer. They weren’t building particularly sporty machines at the time, but racing was something of a king maker at the time in a way that it just isn’t anymore. If you could build a fast bike for racing, you could definitely build a fast bike for the street, and Ducati wanted to use racing to gain an international following. The company brought a well-polished seven-bike team to Imola with a brand new engine that absolutely walked the competition and started a revolution within the company.
That’s the history that the Formula 73 is harkening back to. That day at the races completely changed the trajectory of the brand, and it wouldn’t be what it is today without having been first proven in the crucible of competition. Heck, maybe that twenty grand is a bargain if it comes with all that history.
