Four stroke, single cylinder, SOHC, shaft and bevel gear driven, 2
valves per cylinder
Capacity
174.5 cc / 10.6 cu in
Bore x Stroke
62 x 57.8 mm
Compression Ratio
8.5:1
Cooling System
Air cooled
Induction
Dell'Orto SS1 22.5A carburetor
Ignition
Battery and coil
Starting
Kick
Max Power
11.9 kW / 16 hp @ 9000 rpm
Clutch
Multi wet plate, wet
Transmission
4 Speed
Final
Drive
Chain
Frame
Single cradle tubular frame
Front Suspension
Hydraulic telescopic fork
Rear Suspension
Swingarm, dual shocks
Front Brakes
Drum
Rear Brakes
Drum
Front Tyre
2.50 -18
Rear Tyre
2.75 -18
Farne won the Class 4 lightweight race at Daytona with his 175cc
(F3) Ducati of which he said: :a low, lean, hard little machine with
an enormous double-scoop front brake. The motorcycle was so
purposeful, so elegant, so perfect. Raw, green lust streaked my
desire for a machine like that."
With production of the overhead camshaft singles well underway for
1958 the Formula 3 superseded the Marianna (the Gran Sport's
nickname) as a catalogued production racer. The F3 was first offered
as a 125 and 175, and from 1960, a 250, and was still largely
Marianna based. Almost nothing, however, from the production street
bikes was used in the F3.
The frame was quite different, being lower and lighter, with a lower
steering head, shorter 35mm steel or aluminum Marzocchi fork legs,
and used a shorter swing arm. Although the F3s were genuine factory
racers they suffered through being too expensive and were penalized
by the 4-speed gearbox. Amadoro brakes (175mm front and 260mm rear,
and magnesium castings on this machine) were typically installed,
usually with air scoops, both front and rear, and laced to 18in
rims. The motor was a twin-cam (bialbero bevel drive, over-square
62x57.8mm 4-stroke single using sand cast crankcases and a 4-speed
gearbox with straight cut gears. 16 horsepower was quoted at
9000rpm. And they raced exceedingly well. Farne set off to conquer
the USA in early 1959 on a factory 175 winning the 250cc class at
Daytona a month after arriving. Franco Villa took over in 1960 and
continued the successful promotion of Ducati's OHC singles for
importer Berliner.
Production of all three capacity F3s together was very small,
perhaps less than 100, with perhaps only as few as a dozen 175s.