History

The Ducati 851 was produced between 1987 and 1992 as a more powerful successor to the Ducati 750 F1. At the time, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer needed to move beyond the air-cooled two-valve designs it had been using, and thanks to funds from its new parent company, Cagiva, Ducati was able to develop its first liquid-cooled, four-valve V-twin engine for use on the 851 and subsequent models. The result was a liquid-cooled 851 cc 90° V-twin engine with fuel injection and the much-needed 4 valves per cylinder setup. That combination produced 93 hp, mated to a chain-drive 6-speed transmission with dual disc front brakes and single disc rear brakes.

This Motorcycle

This particular example, chassis # ZDM1HB6R0LB001306, was purchased by its current owner in October 2021 from Pro Italia Motorcycles in Glendale, CA. While its history prior to that is unknown, the current owner is well-versed in Ducatis and set out to correct the bike to its factory stock configuration and perform any outstanding maintenance as needed. The cracked windshield was replaced, the aftermarket turn signals were replaced with NOS units, the aftermarket steering damper was removed, the aftermarket bar end mirrors were replaced with correct NOS mirrors, the bar ends were replaced with NOS units, the ventilated clutch cover was replaced with the correct cover, the trimmed rear mudguard was replaced with an unmodified one, and the aftermarket seat was replaced with a NOS seat. All of the removed aftermarket parts will be included in the sale, except for the trimmed rear mudguard.

In terms of maintenance items tended to during the current ownership, we know the cam belts were replaced, the engine oil and filter were changed, the battery was replaced, the brakes and clutch were flushed/bled, and all of the electrical and mechanical systems were checked and confirmed to be in working order.

As it sits, this is a cosmetically correct and mechanically sorted example of a pivotal motorcycle in Ducati’s long history. It is a bike with no needs, and is ready to be ridden into the sunset by its next owner. Of course, if aftermarket parts better suit your riding style, they can be reinstalled easily, with the added benefit of having a spare set of OEM parts on hand. The bike’s original tool kit will also be included in the sale. 

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