This thread is basically how Rain Man would have been if he was into Ducatis instead of collecting baseball cards and watching "Jeopardy" Joking aside though Stu - it's incredibly interesting and the thoroughness of your research is impressive. The email traffic between you and Ducati has been fascinating too. Any further developments on that front? Are they any closer to confirming it is what you think it is, or have they pulled the shutters down on you?
@Exige Regarding the confusion about the 10 digit frame number...it seems to me that there is really one more digit on the frame :flushed: Up to now we thought it is ZDM0101016 but having a close look at the "marking points" filled with paint it could be that the right number is a different one, could be ZDM01010103 alsopenmouth: Do you have some more shareable information for me about the other three pre-series bikes you are aware of?
Thought so so you have number 3 bike of the Pre Production prototypes, I think circa 30 were made in total. It would be worth you buying the Ducati book '999 Birth of a Legend' by Alan Cathcart and Marc Cook. There is a good deal of information I there. I have a copy receipt of two of the bikes sold to a London Ducati Dealer in 2007 and also a copy of correspondence from Ducati to Bonham's auction house regarding the 2 bikes shown on the invoice. 4 of these bikes ended up as GP lookalikes for promo work along with my original proto (which is how mine sneaked out of the factory from R&D).
I'll dig the info out you need but remind me towards the weekend - I will have to photocopy as they are hard copies I have. Drop me your address on the PM thread
What a fantastic read! I thank you @Exige . Made a dull 'back to work' day almost bearable! Any new info come to light since your last post?
No, the bike is just sat in pride of place in the house - not yet fully stripped it but will one day. I will have another go with Ducati sometime as it wasn't nice for them to confirm and then refuse follow up in writing after promising to do so - I have all the emails leading up to this as well as some carefully worded ones after I was told they were not allowed to put it in writing where they clearly did not deny that it was the 1st hand built prototype. I gave them every opportunity to deny it but they decided to say no more With the frame number and all the other evidence I am now 100% that the bike is what I thought and enough circumstantial email and proof to prove this beyond doubt (and of course the verbal confirmation too) - so well happy with my find - thanks for your interest
