Ducati 98 Sport / SS
 

Designed by newly arrived engineer, Fabio Taglioni, formerly with Mondial, Ducati's first overhead-camshaft single - the 100 Gran Sport, nicknamed 'Marianna' - appeared on the racetrack in 1955 and immediately proved unbeatable in its class. The Gran Sport's overhead cam was driven by a vertical shaft and bevel gears, and this method was carried over to Ducati's twin-cam (bialbero) and triple-cam (trialbero) racers, the latter featuring Taglioni's famous 'desmodromic' method of valve actuation that dispensed with springs. Incorporating a four-speed gearbox, the Gran Sport engine was carried in a simple single-downtube frame and acted as a stressed member.

Capitalising on the Gran Sport's successes, Ducati introduced further developments of Taglioni's racer in 125 and 175cc capacities, while at the same time adapting it for volume production. This 'civilising' process involved enclosing the valve springs and using helical rather than straight-cut gears for the bevel drive, while to keep costs down, the crankcases were now die-cast. Otherwise, the design remained faithful to the original Gran Sport concept. The first such roadster - the 175 Sport - appeared towards the end of 1956, with 175T, 125 Sport, and 100 Sport versions following soon afterwards.

Apart from the Italian Grand Prix, the most important motorcycle races in Italy at this time were the long-distance events, held on public roads, such at the Moto Giro d'Italia and Milan-Taranto. Hence even competition-orientated models like the Marianna had to have lights and a horn, as required by the FMI (Italian Motorcycle Federation) regulations. Almost all the Italian manufacturers contested these events, victory bringing with it much valuable publicity. Ducati's overhead-valve racers had been outclassed by the Laverdas in 1954, but from the time of its arrival the Marianna proved unbeatable in its class.

Built in 1953 to join the ranks of the Ducati 98 N and the Ducati 98 T OHV, the 98 Sport became an immediate success in the market, despite its modest performance capabilities. At the heart of the Ducati 98 Sport is a 98 cc OHV single cylinder engine that’s been mated to a four-speed transmission. The powertrain was capable of producing 6.8 horsepower with a top speed of 56 mph. Those numbers may not mean much compared to the bikes Ducati has in its line-up today, but back then, that was enough to make the 98 Sport one of the most popular bikes the company’s range.