After the classic 750GT of the 70s, Ducati looked to evolve with a simpler engine. What resulted was the firm’s first ‘square case’ bevel twin: the 860 GT. For all of the bike’s promise, however, it turned out to be a bit of a flop at the time of its debut — Giorgio Giugiaro’s “folded paper” design proved far too polarizing.
Accordingly, Ducati went back to the drawing board and released the much improved 900 SD Darmah in 1977. Along with updating the crankshaft bearings and revising the frame, Ducati also gave the Darmah Desmodronic valves, a left-side gearshift selector drum, Bosch ignition, and an electric starter motor. Together, such changes made the model a resounding success — especially compared to its predecessor.
For 1978, the Darmah was treated to a series of incremental upgrades, including Marzocchi forks, Speedline wheels, and some Silentium mufflers.
As Cycle World put things in its period review: “Judged by this standard, it’s hard to position the new Darmah far from the head of its illustrious class. Class. It’s got plenty of that, along with enough flash to put some of the hairier machines on the trailer. The big load of improvements given to this new offering from Dr. T. and his pals in Bologna make it a contemporary bike in every sense, and Dr. T.’s special project—desmodromic valves—continue to set it apart from anything else on the market.”
This example is VIN: 900344, engine #: 90034DM680. The seller acquired the bike 41 years ago. He is the second owner.
If you’ve been following Iconic on Instagram, you’ll know that Adam recently took a trip to Rhode Island where he met the owner.
The odometer shows 14,595 miles.
Maintenance:
The seller reports that he had the motor built by Reno Leoni in 1983, during which time he added an oil cooler and painted the cylinders black.
Leoni signed the manual.
Additionally, the seller has replaced the chain and sprockets, rebuilt the calipers and master cylinders, added stainless steel clamps, and installed braided stainless steel brake lines.
Modifications:
Derale oil cooler.
Braided stainless steel brake lines.
Cylinder paint.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Metzeler Lasertec tires. Per the seller: “the tires have only covered 172 miles — they still have the nubs.”
The sale includes four keys.
The sale also includes the original owner’s manual, a selection of shop manuals, the original toolkit, a two-into-one exhaust, as well as an assortment of spare and take-off parts.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Bristol, Rhode Island, this Ducati is offered on a clean Rhode Island title with current registration. Have any Darmah stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Additional Information
Location
Bristol, Rhode Island
Year
1978
Make
Ducati
Model
Darmah
Mileage
900344
VIN
900344
Title
Clean
Title State/Country
Rhode Island
Private Party/Dealership
Private Party
Additional Charges
No
Total Bids Placed: 27
Auction has ended.
Auction expired without reaching reserve price.
Highest bidder was: s*****h
After the auction ended, the seller accepted an offer of $15,515 including buyer fees.
Bidder Name
Bidding Time
Bid
Auto
s*****h
July 18, 2023 11:01 am PDT
$10,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
a***n
July 18, 2023 11:01 am PDT
$10,500
s*****h
July 18, 2023 10:59 am PDT
$10,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
a***n
July 18, 2023 10:59 am PDT
$10,000
s*****h
July 18, 2023 10:58 am PDT
$9,750
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
j*****e
July 18, 2023 10:58 am PDT
$9,650
s*****h
July 18, 2023 10:55 am PDT
$8,700
j*****e
July 18, 2023 10:55 am PDT
$8,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
j*****e
July 18, 2023 8:27 am PDT
$6,300
r********n
July 18, 2023 8:27 am PDT
$6,200
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
r********n
July 15, 2023 8:59 pm PDT
$6,100
w*****t
July 15, 2023 8:59 pm PDT
$6,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
w*****t
July 15, 2023 8:54 pm PDT
$5,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
r********n
July 15, 2023 8:54 pm PDT
$5,500
w*****t
July 12, 2023 7:19 pm PDT
$5,300
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
n*****n
July 12, 2023 7:19 pm PDT
$5,200
w*****t
July 12, 2023 8:12 am PDT
$5,100
m******r
July 12, 2023 8:12 am PDT
$5,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
m******r
July 12, 2023 7:46 am PDT
$2,300
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
j*****e
July 12, 2023 7:46 am PDT
$2,200
m******r
July 11, 2023 6:58 pm PDT
$2,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
m****7
July 11, 2023 6:58 pm PDT
$2,000
m******r
July 11, 2023 6:58 pm PDT
$1,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
m****7
July 11, 2023 6:58 pm PDT
$1,500
m******r
July 11, 2023 6:49 pm PDT
$1,100
m****7
July 11, 2023 6:49 pm PDT
$1,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
Continental US: Iconic has several private shipping partners that criss-cross the country for us. Please email transport@iconicmotorbikes.com or fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a quote.
California/Nevada/Arizona We are located in Santa Monica, California 90405. On a case-by-case basis, we can transport motorcycles in our van. Please email transport@iconicmotorbikes.com or fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a quote.
Canada: Please inquire though transport@iconicmotorbikes.com and we would love to put together a custom quote for you with our trusted transport / shipping partners.
Europe and Asia: Please inquire though transport@iconicmotorbikes.com and we would love to put together a custom quote for you with our trusted transport / shipping partners.
