Made in the 70's for the demanding U.S. market, about a year after the Ducati 450 "R / T" (road and track) was put on sale in Italy too after undergoing some much needed "additions", i.e. the lighting system,
the dashboard instruments and the silencer.
We must hasten to add that the Ducati "R / T", designed and built keeping in mind the special needs of American races like "Enduro",
can not be considered, and it is not from the same manufacturer, a regular or cross bike, but rather a little 'more complete and powerful "Scrambler" and just below this view must be judged.
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The engine, faithful as in techniques as in aesthetics to the dictates of the now classical Ducati school, is undoubtedly the most positive note of the Ducati 450 "R / T".
It is a single-cylinder four-stroke single overhead cam, driven by bevel gears with shaft, and desmodromic control of the valves. Excellent in supply, even at low speeds is credited with 36 hp at 6,500 rpm.
Good as well the five-speed gear shift, controlled by a single lever on the right with the first upward and the remaining gears downwards; not equally positive the judgment concerning the clutch, proved little resistant to fatigue and inevitable hardships arising from a not so exasperated off-road use of the bike.
Put the engine on is not one of the simplest things and requires a little practice especially with regard to the appropriate use of the decompressor. It is also prudent, whenever the engine is stopped for a break more or less long, remembering to close the two valves of gasoline and put the piston in compression stroke acting on the set in motion levers: this will prevent the gasoline in the tank from slipping into the crankcase and then mixing with the oil causing deleterious consequences easily guessed.
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Although much easier to the handle than the "Scrambler" with which the Florentine Walter Reggioli managed to establish itself in the Italian championship in 1966, Ducati "R / T" denotes not to just easily digest the troubled paths of our regularity races, ill-suited to its size and its excessive weight, which prefers, being completely at ease, the dirt fast enduro –type mold.
Viewed from the front and from behind the Ducati 450 "R / T" shows his strong frame, note the efficient front forks, a 35 mm Marzocchi telescopic hydraulic fork ,the very wide raised handlebars and the wide comfortable saddle. A little too laterally protruding are the pegs and the exhaust muffler.
Easy to read instrumentation anchored elastically to the fork head; beautiful design of the rounded fuel tank well connected to the saddle: nothing to except on an aesthetic level, while on the practical level would have been preferable a greater taper of the rear tank to allow the rider a more natural riding position without forcing him to keep his legs spread apart.
We must therefore give credit to Dall'Ara & his companions of undoubted ability and competitiveness to be able to excel with Ducati "R / T" in our regularity races and not to disfigure even in the challenging "International Six Days" which had taken place last year in England Isle of Man.
For competition use at those levels the Ducati "R / T" have been modified by increasing of 30 degrees the angle of the front fork and were also equipped with a double raised silencer (a muffler for every part) and a center easel instead of the side one unuseful for any necessary replacement of the air chambers pierced.
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Viewed from the front and from behind the Ducati 450 "R / T" shows his strong frame, note the efficient front forks, a 35 mm Marzocchi telescopic hydraulic fork ,the very wide raised handlebars and the wide comfortable saddle.
A little too laterally protruding are the pegs and the exhaust muffler.
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Easy to read instrumentation anchored elastically to the fork head; beautiful design of the rounded fuel tank well connected to the saddle: nothing to except on an aesthetic level, while on the practical level would have been preferable a greater taper of the rear tank to allow the rider a more natural riding position without forcing him to keep his legs spread apart.
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Of excellent workmanship and functionality are the levers Verlicchi with bracelet, characterized by the safety balls at the ends, with comfortable manual logs for the power cables protected by an effective rubber bellows;
below the left knob is the small decompressor lever, while the decompressor is located at the right rear of the engine head.
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The "barrel" knobs, while effective in damping the vibrations of the engine that inevitably come to the handlebar, they are not the type most suitable for a motorcycle and off-road since, due to the excessive diameter, tend to tire the hand and the muscles of the forearm.
Great the throttle semi-automathic opening.
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On the back of the large chrome headlight, the fork legs anchored by two strong attacks, find place, on the left, the key contact ignition (shown with a relative indicator light) and in the center, hidden by the instrumentation, the lever of the lighting switch. The dashboard instrument bears the rate-counter on the left, scaled up to 10,000 rpm, and on the right the tachometer.
The brake steering is a fiction type, while on a motorcycle of this kind would perhaps have been preferable an hydraulic shock absorber. |
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The budget of the irons is not among the richest, and the two are virtually unusable stunted levers for the dismantling of large claw tires, in addition to the User's manual is in English. |
As has become more widespread on all the off-road motorcycles, also Ducati “R / T " has its rubber plate-holder.
Once disassembled the two lateral wings plate, made of ABS, battery can be accessed, on the left. Battery is fixed to the frame by means of a usual rubber band; located on the right side there is the air filter cartridge connected to the carburetor by means of a rubber sleeve whose attachment to the filter box, however, is somewhat approximate.
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The gearbox control, single lever, is located on the right side with the first upward and the other four gears downwards; note also the long lever of the control rod of the clutch protrudes from the engine crankcase: in this way you geta smoother functioning and a faster replacement of the flexible cable in the event of breakage.
On the left side is placed the control lever for the rear brake, the footrest can be folded sideways and held in place of "work" by strong springs.
The machine is delivered with the side easel only, but bears attacks even for the central one.
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On the right side of the crankcase is located the ignition switch protected by a cover with an efficient tubular gasket rubber.
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To adjust the load of the clutch springs is sufficient to remove the flap oval on the left side of the crankcase.
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With easy access is found the engine oil filler cap with functional dipstick fitted with indices of the minimum and maximum level.
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The chassis of the Ducati "R / T" is a double-cradle with pipes of reassuring diameter, the motor has a supporting function because it combines in the bottom the front pipe to the double-cradle triangulated rear. For the protection of under carter of the engine there is a robust steel plate that we would have preferred perforated to allow the evacuation of any sludge deposits.
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The "R / T", in view of its chief destination as offroad bike, is also equipped with a crown 50 teeth (that replaces the touristic 35 teeth one) and with the relative piece of chain for mounting.
The front wheel is provided with a sturdy alloy hub of 160 mm diameter equipped with fake air intake; rims Borrani are alloyed too, on which are mounted shell type Pirelli Spain.
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The exhaust muffler is fake megaphone type: good for what concerns the performance but the same can not be said for its accommodation which is too exposed to touch against the obstacles in off-road applications. Almost useless the presence of skimpy chain cover of clear touristic extraction.
The boxed attacks of the shock absorbers, adjustable to three positions of load, allow you to choose to your liking, depending on the conditions of use, between four different angles of inclination.
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The elegant architecture of the engine, some internal parts and a design that clearly illustrates the famous Ducati desmodromic distribution.In photographic details, the two rocker arms and the spring for the exhaust valve, the combustion chamber with the hole for the spark plug and the one for the decompressor, the bevel top, the robust crankshaft with screw cap to purge impurities centrifuged through special ducts to the outside of the flywheel and the piston at concave sky with deep recesses.
 
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The disinclination of the fork, which consequently leads to an excessive heaviness of the front axle, and the muffler low, which is subject to easy bump against the natural obstacles of the land, are in fact two of the main impediments of Ducati "R / T" in off-road use.
The driving position is good only for people of above average body size as the height of the comfortable saddle is significant, and does not allow others to easily put their feet on the ground to solve those sudden critical situations so frequent in the off-road march.
Quite tiring is the guide in the demanding fields both for the weight of the means and both for its considerable wheelbase; only on muddy land, things in proportion improve, because, thanks to the good pull at low engine speeds and to the large clawed rear wheel of 4.00' section, you get a decent drive that allows you to get off the hook quite easily.
The braking system is up to the task and perhaps far too exuberant with regard to the rear; the waterproofing is not the best and after any fords the brakes need to be brutally driven to overheating to regain their original efficiency .
At power supply provides a 29 mm pan concentric carburator Dell'Orto UHB breathing through a functional cartridge filter placed laterally on the right to which is connected by a rubber bellow whose fixing is not, however, very efficient.
The access to the carburator for the usual adjustments, or for the replacement of the control cable, is certainly not the most practical because, even removing the side protection plate, you'll have to work in a very narrow space in contact with the frame tubes and the filter housing box.
But don't let yourself be impressed by all these more or less pignolesche observations, the Ducati 450 "R / T" as a “Scrambler” vehicle has all the credentials to play an honest service enlivened by the excellent performance of the engine which, thanks to desmodromic control of the valves is able to bear with impunity outside-speed and flickering without sad consequences.
Michele Verrini
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