Neither the desirability nor the value of a motorcycle can ever simply be put down to its performance alone, otherwise, a modern superbike would be worth a small fortune and a vintage Harley worth as much as a litre of milk. Sure, rarity plays a part, but what really makes a bike have absurd value is the story it can tell; hence the high price commanded by a T.E. Lawrence Brough Superior or anything owned by Elvis or Steve McQueen. And if you want a story, then this 1974 Ducati 750SS has one of the best ever told. Its accompanying documentation goes back to the day it was sold, it’s been around the world, customised and restored, and had some of the greatest to ever spin a spanner lay their hands on her. All of which makes this rare green framed Ducati, a standout even among its highly sought-after siblings, and it is known simply as “The Woods Bike”.

The tale starts the same as the other 401 green framed Ducati 750SS machines, built under the supervision of Fabio Taglioni, to commemorate the historic victory of Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari in 1972. Those on the assembly line couldn’t have known at the time, but those 401 examples would go on to become some of the most highly prized and collectable motorcycles in modern history. Last week we featured perhaps the only complete original example left in existence, which will go under the hammer this weekend at Mecum Auctions and is expected to sell for over US$250,000.

And yet, this example is arguably worth more, and its story all starts as it joined the 88 other green frames that were allocated for the US market. This machine ended up in Grand Prairie, Texas, where in 1974 it sat proudly on the showroom floor of Storm’s Cycle Sales. It would take until May 1975 before one customer with just the right amount of greenbacks took it away. The sales receipt is still with the bike and shows that the price was US$3,600, which equates to around US$22,000 in today’s money. A steal of epic proportions when you consider that it is worth easily ten times that amount. But that early owner wasn’t thinking about collectables at the time.

Instead with the bike now in California, they watched on as Ducati Super Sports just like theirs started to claim race victories around their home state, and then Cook Neilson took the win at Daytona in 1977. The bike Neilson rode, ‘Old Blue’, prepared by Phil Schilling became an icon, and Ducati owners were falling over themselves to modify their road bikes to achieve the sort of performance those famous racers were pumping out. The owner of this example was no different, with the stock bike taken to Jim Woods at Woods Motor Shop in Glendale, California. This is not just where the bike gets its name but also where it first underwent a serious transformation.

Again the paperwork is all there, with the original owner dismantling the bike, before having Woods carry out the work. Woods was known for his ability to tune the bevel drive engines, and being a So-Cal Hot Rodder, he knew a thing or two about trick paint and bodywork as well. So, the Super Sport was treated to a ‘mild’ engine overhaul and for the first time in its life, those stunning high-rise exhaust pipes. The paint was also refreshed and with the gun and brush still in hand, the traditional green and silver colour scheme was given a Hot Rod touch by adding subtle gold and black pin-striping and Jim’s signature “Eagle” to the fuel tank.

Now, I can already hear the purist’s tears hitting their keyboards as we speak, but can you imagine just how cool you would have been in the late ’70s, to have a Hot Rodded green frame, an exotic Italian machine with genuine race pedigree and looks to die for? You wouldn’t have needed to be Casanova to pull girls, the Ducati would have done all the work for you. Although I must admit, there is no official documentation to back up that part of the tale. What the documents with the bike do tell us, is that the 750SS stayed on the streets of California for years to come, until finally the bike was sold to a new owner in 2013.

They would commission yet another rebuild, one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken on a green frame. And to achieve this, the bike was shipped to Australia, where it would spend six years in the hands of Ducati Whisperer, Ian Gowanloch. The engine was completely rebuilt, with every last component examined for wear, and only the best bits allowed to stay. Ian is like a Swiss watchmaker, his eye for detail is second to none, and his team of engineers screw together some of the most reliable classic engines money can buy. The Dell’Orto PHM40A “hand-stamped” carbs are supplied with the bike, but the recreation of the high-rise exhaust in a picture-perfect manner keeps the “Woods” style intact.

Most original components are present, including the fibreglass, seat, fasteners, lights, switches, levers, and shock absorbers, and the original, non-Woods bodywork was restored by Back To Classics in the Netherlands. All of this means that the Ducati could be returned to its original form if anyone was so inclined in the future. But the balance of restoration and customisation is spot on if you ask me. Smiths clocks looking a million dollars, with suspension built to modern spec, seems to strike a brilliant balance. And when it was time for ‘The Woods Bike’ to change hands in recent times, both buyer and seller relied on the expertise of New York’s Moto Borgotaro to handle the transaction. A highly collectable classic, with So-Cal Hot Rod roots and a modern restoration to die for; the desirability, like the price, is through the roof.

[ Moto Borgotaro ]