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The word “chrome” immediately pops to mind for many riders when they hear the word “customize.” Mark Young of Guilford, CT went a different and less costly route when personalizing his vintage Ducati 860 GT. The bike lacks side covers, which he deems “ugly,” and has a small block of wood taped to the brake pedal. He’s added K&N cone air filters and applied period-correct silver duct tape to secure the foam cushion that rests on the seat.
The result is an attractive bike that looks properly used. It suits the owner perfectly. “I had a Ducati Bronco when I was in high school so I always had a soft spot in my heart for Ducatis,” he said over the weekend, recalling that he bought the 1975 Ducati 860 GT in 2000 after spotting it in an ad in the “Bargain News.”
RIDE-CT and RIDE-NewEngland caught up with him on the road at Toymaker’s Cafe in Falls Village, CT and he was happy to talk about his Ducati 860 GT. “I was riding a Yamaha (XS) 650 at the time. I just decided I wanted a big Ducati. I happened to see that one,” Young said.
Three years after acquiring it, he had the motor and the gearbox rebuilt. While it’s “a bit primitive,” it has proven reliable. He’s ridden it to the vintage festival in Mosport, ONT. Last season, he put 1,000 miles on it, the number a reflection of the fact that there are other bikes in his garage. He’s also has a 1965 Ducati Bronco, the 1981 Yamaha XS650, a 1966 Ducati Scrambler and a 2000 Honda VFR 800, which is his regular rider.
Another “mod” on the Ducati 860 GT was the addition of a gas tank from a Ducati 860 GTS, not that a spectator can tell the difference as the receptacle is hidden beneath a hulking tank bag.
“Th 860 GT had an ugly, squared-off tank,” Young explained.
To his five-bike collection, Young recently added a sixth bike – a 1971 Moto Guzzi Ambassador that had been sitting under a tarp for 30 years at another home in Guilford.
“I made the owner a low-ball offer a couple of years ago (that wasn’t accepted),” he said. “It was rough. I kept thinking about it.”
Eventually, the owner relented. “I went up a bit. She said, ‘OK.’ The owner I got the bike from was actually a client,” said Young, who works as a land surveyor at Waldo & Associates, LLC.
He must know something about wheeling and dealing. His first bike was 250cc Suzuki T10, which he traded for the Ducati Bronco and $100. He got the cash.
