Ducati Paul Smart 1000

[Finewest]

I stopped at the 7-11 near my pad tonight and this guy parks next to me on the most beautiful Ducati I have ever seen in person! It is a Ducati Paul Smart 1000. The guy, Tom, told me that there is only 500 of these in the United States and he had to order it from overseas and had it shipped here. $16k and he said it is fast! I told him it looks like a work of art!

Now the funny part. I told him I didn't know what Paul Smart was and he explained that it is named after a motorcycle racer. He looks at my bike and said, with all seriousness, he didn't know what a Veronica is! I laughed and told him it's just a name I gave my ST1300 and Honda doesn't make a "Veronica". :crackup

 

[samal]

yep - its a beauty - this fairing is classic. There is an article in last month cycle world I think about Paul Smart testriding it himself

 

[fitenfyr]

Saw one yesterday myself while I was dropping off my ST for service.
Guy rode it into the dealer. MEAN sounding machine.
I think I want one...
The wife liked it also.
Kind of cool that the Honda dealer is also a Ducati dealer.
They have a butt load of 695's and 919's in there.
Someday.....

 

[dr1954]

Looks like a modern version of the 1974 SuoerSport LOve to have one, but don't think this old body would last long.

 

[Finewest]

Looks like a modern version of the 1974 SuoerSport LOve to have one, but don't think this old body would last long.

That's what Tom the owner said. It was a retro-copy of a older model. And he was about our age! Telling me how he likes to pop wheelies on it!

 

[Vbird]

Love looking at it! Sat on a demo last year at Barber.Seat is good.Pegs are high but fine.Reach to the bars and angle is truly painful just sitting still.

 

[STratus]

That thing is beautiful.

 

[sherob]

Saw one of those out in the Hill country when I was visiting the Lone Star Motorcycle museum... nice looking. Those Duc's don't do well in the mud though... one of his bud's lowsided coming out of Leakey in the muddy road construction. I know I had a nice little pucker factor gowing thru it :

 

[wjbertrand]

Yeah, that's a sweet bike but as it's based on the air cooled motor, it's not going to be anywhere near as fast as the liquid cooled 916 and up Ducs. But that's not why you buy one of these.

I remember seeing Paul Smart win the AMA F1 class race at Ontario Motor Speedway (anyone remember that place?) on a BSA Rocket 3. This was the original 750cc one built in the late 60s early 70s. Finishing in second place behind him was none other than Kenny Roberts on a Vesco prepared Yamaha 350! It was a fun race to watch. Kenny would gain on and pass Paul in the infield with that light nimble 350 and come out onto the main straight with a sizable lead. Paul would then just suck him back in and re-pass him and Kenny would have to do it all over again. Each lab Kenny was getting a little further ahead but couldn't quite pull off the win. Another 5-10 laps and maybe he could have done it.

Amazing to think a little RD350 based race bike could give that big Rocket 3 such a run for it's money. Paul and Kenny were very impressive riders.