Ducati did some strange things in the 1960s, struggling, as it was, to remain in existence. In fairness, many, if not most of the shots were called by its American distributor, the Berliner Corporation, and unlike its compatriot firms, it had to dance to the tune of its owner, the Italian government. The 250 and 350 singles had sold well in the States, but Berliner wanted more – something for the larger capacity market – and they wanted it quick, in the face of a steamrolling assault by the Japanese, particularly Honda. The reasoning was there; in the early part of the 1960s, the Japanese were concentrating their efforts in capturing the lightweight end of the market, and, with a few discountable exceptions, had not yet turned their attention to…
