Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128402
Smart and Con.-'-cI for .... fin.... Ihw(and .... bar) ln FIorwnce, Italy. the minimalist, no-frills, all-thrills machines of the mid-1970s - bikes that are meant purely for riding enjoyment, with special attention paid to all the bits, pieces and details. Really, there's nothing tacked on that doesn't need to be there. While these bikes may at first appear to be fashion accessories for the image conscious, I quickly discovered while riding the bikes through the Tuscan countryside outside of Florence, Italy. that poseurs they are not. PAUL SMART 1000 LE Two blasts from the past that can hang in thepresent By BLAKE CONNER Ducati considers the Paul Smart 1000 LE the flagship of their SportCiassics range. It is, after all, a modern interpretation of one of the most storied bikes in Ducati's history - the Super Sport 750. The Paul Smart 1000 LE is a limited-edition bike of which only 2000 copies will be made (at least initially), but 1000 of those are reportedly coming stateside. According to Ducati, a PHOTOS COURTESY OF DUCATI Fast-forward to the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show and the unveiling of Ducati's three concept bikes - the Paul Smart 1000 LE, Sport 1000 and GT 1000. The response was overwhelming - not only from the motorcycle press, but from consumers as well. Classically styled motorcycles with a modern motor, chassis, electronics and components - that was the recipe for these modem c1as- sics. Unlike the ultra-exclusive (and -expensive) Pierre Terblanche-designed MH900e which was sold exclusively online - the SportClassics are bikes that you can waltz right down to your dealer and purchase. The Paul Smart 1000 LE will retail for $13,995, and the Sport 1000 will go for $10,995. The goals set forth by Terblanche and his team of designers were to bring back 1. This is a view of the Paul Smart 1000 LE's dash. Note the engraved Limited Edition fairing bracket stays. 2. The Paul Smart 1000 LE comes with Ohlins suspension front and rear. Out back is a single shock on the left side of the swingarm. 3. The chrome-spoke front wheel features twin 320mm discs with twin two-piston Brembo calipers. standard version will be available in 2007. The LE edition features top-of-the-line Ohlins suspension front and rear, and chrome-spoke wheels, in addition to the sweeping bodywork painted in the metallic-silver and sea-green painted trellis frame reminiscent of the original Super Sport 750s. The Paul Smart 1000 LE is a looker and it's hard not to stare at it. Especially when the row of Paul Smart IOOOs were parked in front of the ultra-luxurious Grand Hotel Villa Cora in Florence... where they looked right at home. The bike was never meant to be an exact replica (rather more of a tribute), but it's a good-enough facsimile to impress Mr. Smart, who was at the unveiling with the motorcycle press. You could tell he was deeply moved, not only by the bike, but also by the honor of having his name on it. The Paul Smart 1000 LE (as does the Sport 1000) features the signature Ducati