Anniversary bikes aren’t about outright performance — they’re about emotion, heritage, and how convincingly a brand retells its story.
To celebrate its centenary, Ducati has unveiled the limited-run Formula 73, priced at £15,095 and capped at 873 units. It’s a deliberate nod to the legendary Ducati 750 Super Sport Desmo, the brand’s first production bike with Desmodromic valve timing — itself inspired by Paul Smart’s 1972 Imola victory.
Visually, the Formula 73 does most of its talking. The silver and aqua-green livery, gold tank stripe, bikini fairing, bar-end mirrors, and spoked wheels channel classic 1970s race DNA without feeling like a museum replica. Compared to the earlier Paul Smart 1000 LE, this feels lighter in tone — less superbike homage, more café-racer roadster you’d actually want to ride on a Sunday morning.
Underneath, though, it’s familiar territory. The 803cc Desmodromic V-twin from the Scrambler 800 family delivers 72bhp and 48lb.ft of torque. That’s not earth-shattering in today’s market, especially when middleweight rivals like the Triumph Speed Twin 900 or Yamaha XSR700 offer similar or stronger performance at competitive prices. But outright power isn’t the point here.
What Ducati offers instead is detail. Brembo radial brakes, Bosch cornering ABS, ride-by-wire, traction control, quickshifter — modern electronics wrapped in vintage styling. Add billet aluminium touches and individually etched serial numbers, and it’s clear this is aimed at collectors as much as riders.
The chassis — tubular steel trellis frame, KYB suspension, 808mm seat height — suggests approachable, real-world usability rather than track aggression. It should feel nimble, relaxed, and charismatic rather than brutally fast.
My view? The Formula 73 isn’t the most powerful or the best-value retro twin on paper. But as a centenary tribute, it succeeds in capturing Ducati’s racing heritage in a package that feels authentic rather than forced. For buyers seeking emotional connection over lap times, this might be one of the most meaningful Ducatis of the year.
