Lot 373: 2007 NCR Ducati

This is one of those machines that need to be heard to be believed. It makes music, Italian music of course, but also feeds all the other senses as well as the intellect.

In celebration of the history making Ducati 750SS campaigned by Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling during the 1970s, Ducati North America, in conjunction with renowned exotic bike builder NCR of Bologna, Italy, created a limited edition of specially race-prepared machines dubbed ‘New Blue‘ in homage to Neilson’s ‘Old Blue‘ so named because of its blue and silver paint scheme.

Aboard ‘Old Blue‘ Neilsen (then editor of Cycle, magazine) blazed both his name and that of Ducati into the history books when on March 11, 1977, as a privateer along with ace mechanic Schilling, took the checkered flag at the Daytona Speedway’s AMA Superbike race, scoring Ducati’s monumental first victory at Daytona. The combination of Neilsen, both an accomplished journalist and racer, and his Ducati ‘Old Blue‘ produced that rare magic that left an indelible impression throughout the years and now seen here embodied in ‘New Blue.’

The iconic Italian motorcycle company of Ducati has been building incomparable street and race bikes since 1950. NCR first began tuning Ducati racebikes in the late 1960s, the NCR team winning European events during the 1970s. While Nielsen and his Ducati won at Daytona in 1977, the following year NCR and Ducati made more history by winning the Isle of Man Race with Mike “The Bike” Hailwood aboard a Ducati 900NCR. This milestone victory gave NCR recognition as the leading force by all Ducati tuners and Ducati itself as the Italian motorcycle capable of outperforming even the famous official Honda team. During the 1980s NCR Ducati racers won the 24-hour Spanish endurance event five times and then went on to win several Superbike World Championships. In 2002 NCR under the leadership of the Poggipolini Group began building exceptional bikes for discerning customers. NCR’s own race team won the 2007 Daytona Sounds of Thunder and scored the 2007 European Supertwins championship.

The bike seen here is based on the Ducati Sport Classic Sport 1000S from which NCR trimmed 84 lbs. and then added 30 more horsepower. NCR, excelling in the use of special alloys, achieved ‘New Blue’s‘ weight reduction by incorporating lightweight materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and magnesium throughout the bike’s design and manufacture.

Features include a slipper clutch, six-speed transmission, Zard exhaust, upgraded suspension, steel tubular trellis chassis and manufacturing technologies borrowed from F1 and aerospace industries. In addition to its blue and silver paint scheme, the bike carries a titanium plate bearing the signatures of Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling. Tipping the scales at a nimble 330 lb. the track-ready Ducati NCR100cc powerplant pumps out 116 HP making for a potent power to weight ratio.

Adding panache to the project Cook Neilsen added his own signature to this machine. The bike was first shown in Milan while its North American debut took place in New York on Thursday, January 18, 2007. This ‘as new‘ example is now offered to the discerning Ducatisti and for lovers of Italian ‘music.’