The Woods Bike
One of the Most Unique Ducati 750SS Green Frames in Existence
History of the Woods Bike
An Original U.S. Delivery Ducati 750 SS
The Woods Bike is also one of the 401 original 750SS’s produced and one of the 88 imported into the United States, and it was delivered new to Storm’s Cycle Sales in Grand Prairie, Texas in 1974. It proudly sat on display in the showroom until it was purchased in May of 1975 for the princely sum of $3,600. The original sales receipt and registration are still with the bike and it has complete, documented history from new.
” Old Blue “ and the California Hotrod Mystique
Cook Neilson’s 1977 victory at Daytona on the Phil Schilling-prepared 750SS/883cc Ducati “California Hot Rod“ took the production motorcycle world by storm, excited hundreds of thousands of Cycle Magazine fans, sparked a big party at the Ducati factory in Italy led by Ing. Fabio Taglioni, and inspired a generation of American Ducati owners to modify their bikes for the road and the track.
(Photo credit: Motorcycle Classics).
A Visit to Woods Motor Shop
Inspired by Neilson’s California Hot Rod Daytona win and many other high profile Ducati victories in California, an earlier owner took this original 750SS to Jim Woods at Woods Motor Shop in Glendale, California. Woods was a well-known developer of racing and street Ducatis and the bike went in for some assembly work, a few performance modifications and a custom paint job by none other than Damon Ritchie. The bike proudly wears these changes today.
The Eagle Has Landed
The Woods Motor Shop’s signature was the addition of a stylized eagle on the tank of of the Ducatis they tuned, raced and customized. While period mods are often lost during restorations, the paint scheme and modifications were retained during the bike's six year rebuild to honor the mechanical talents of the Woods shop, the tastes of its owner and the tradition of customizing these rare bikes in period.
The Woods Racing Heritage
The Woods-prepared Ducati racer pictured here was ridden by Tony Guest in the AMA 'Battle of the Twins' (BOTT) series in the 70’s and 80’s and won both the Road America and Daytona BOTT modified class in 1983. Woods also helped Tony’s friend Kevin Bracken with his Ducati which won the 1982 BOTT at Elkhart Lake. A slightly different version of the Woods eagle is seen here in gold, clinging to the tittle atop the “i’ in Ducati.
Restoration of the Woods Bike in Australia
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
Often compared to a Swiss watch, the beautiful and complicated “movement” of a desmodromic Ducati engine requires attention from the best mechanics in the business to maintain and rebuild. Ian is shown here hard at work on the Woods bike’s original engine.
Attention to Detail
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
In keeping with the watch theme, Ducati desmodromic engines are comprised of a complex array of straight and beveled gears and shims along with a dizzying number of shafts, bearings and associated fine machinery. Every single component of this engine was removed and examined for wear or damage.
Preserving the Past
Ducati Whisperer Ian Gowanloch
Preserving the Past
The prior owner recognized that preserving the custom Woods Motor Shop paint job was important, but he also collected and restored a complete, original set of Ducati 750SS bodywork, should a future owner wish to restore the bike back to stock. We intend to leave the bike in its period Woods livery.
Before, During and After
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
This 45 year old photo of the bike shows it sitting outside of Woods Motor Shop in Glendale, California after restoration and modification. While today it is hard to imagine a 750SS owner altering an original bike, these purpose-built racing machines were often raced, customized and modified in the '70’s and '80s.
Ian Gowanloch Works His Magic
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
A successful vintage motorcycle restoration requires attention to detail, historical knowledge of the marque and great skill, but restoring an original 750SS takes every element of the restoration process to the next level. As with the Woods Bike's restoration, completing it properly often takes several years.
The Finished Product
The Streets of California in the ‘80’s
The Finished Product
Thankfully, for the bike and for us, the prior owner was a detail-oriented and fastidious steward of this historic machine. Extensive research was carried out, difficult to find parts were sourced, and the spares lists offers us the option of enjoying the bike as-is or returning it to its factory configuration.