Category: motodoffo

The motorcycle that graces the 2018 Super Tinto label is the Zanella “RK4” 125. An Argentine manufacturer, Zanella was established 70 years ago and became an icon of Argentine industry, employing nearly 1,000 people and selling more than 100,000 motorcycles each year. Zanella originally used 100cc and 125cc engines that it acquired in a licensing agreement with Ceccato Motorcycles in Italy. The key here was that the engines were designed by Fabio Taglioni, the highly talented engineer who eventually left Ceccato to become chief designer and technical director of Ducati from 1954 until 1989. Talioni’s desmodromic 90º v-twin engine design is still used in current Ducati motorcycles. Read more...

The Royal Tinto is a special wine, and only exceptional motorcycles are worthy of being featured on the label. For this reason we chose the 1994 Ducati 916, frequently referred to as “the most beautiful motorcycle ever made.” The Ducati 916 is one of the most iconic motorcycles of the last half century. Its predecessors from the late 80s and early 90s were boxy in all aspects; the 916 was given sharper lines, a thin waist, a racing inspired single-sided swingarm, and the signature design piece: a twin exhaust mounted high and tight under the tail. WOW!

The design of the 916 was a synthesis of form and function. The stylish swingarm was designed to make wheel changes faster during races. The underseat exhausts improved aerodynamic performance and gave the bike exceptionally clean lines.

Making its debut in 1994, the Ducati 916 was admired because of both its designs and its outstanding technical features. At the time of introduction, the 916 earned critical acclaim by winning every motorcycle magazine’s Bike of the Year award for 1994. Not surprisingly, Ducati sold out its entire first year of U.S. inventory before any had actually arrived here.

The MotoDoffo Collection’s Ducati 916 was a very early production model as noted by the Cagiva elephant on the gas tank and other body parts. My favorite part of riding our 916 was the power delivery and the silky smooth gearbox. The way the power translated from the twist of the throttle to the rumble of the engine, combined with the linear and predictable power, made this motorcycle an absolute dream machine. The noisy dry clutch rattling at every stop light draws attention like no other. Needless to say, the cool factor is built in when riding this bike. I was very sad to see this motorcycle go, but we know that this impeccable example of a 916 went to a very good home, where it will be enjoyed and revered for years to come.

The Vincent Rapide began its life back in the mid-1930s, when the company was already well known for its large single cylinder bikes. They introduced a prototype Rapide at the 1936 Olympia Motorcycle Show, a bike that boasted a 998cc, 50 degree v-twin engine. It made 45 horsepower – “rapide” indeed! After World War II interrupted production, the Rapide made a comeback and for a time was hailed as the world’s fastest motorcycle, clocking 110mph.

This piece of motorcycling history features quite a few unique elements, including cantilever rear suspension, a gearbox integrated with the engine, and drum brakes that allowed for quick detachment of the wheels in an age when puncture flats were prevalent. This bike may never live up to the glory of the Black Shadow, but it is nothing short of a gorgeous machine that is fun to look at and even more fun to ride!

So how did this particular Vincent Rapide come into the possession of Marcelo Doffo? Through a rather unusual series of events, as it turns out. Marcelo’s friend and fellow collector, Mitch, had been insisting that Marcelo buy a Vincent. Marcelo was reluctant at first, due to the old history between Great Britain and Argentina. He swore he would never own an English motorbike! Soon enough though, Marcelo relented and admitted that if any English bike was to join his collection, it would have to be a Vincent.

In 2012, a 1951 Vincent Rapide became available through a friend of Mitch, none other than the former President of the Santa Clarita Vincent Owners Club. The day before Marcelo was supposed to pick up the motorcycle, the seller phoned Marcelo with some unfortunate news. It seemed that the seller had previously committed to sell the motorcycle to another interested party. The other buyer had been slow to pull the trigger and complete the transaction, that is until he caught wind that there was another serious buyer.

Marcelo, distraught from the back-and-forth, went out and bought a Ducati instead. And not just any Ducati, but the 2008 Desmosedici RR!

By 2017, Robert, the man who bought the Vincent back in 2012, decided he no longer wanted the bike. Apparently, amongst the paperwork that accompanied the purchase of the motorcycle, there was a printed email containing the conversations between Marcelo and the original seller. Robert expressed to Marcelo that he found the email thread and wanted to offer the very same motorcycle to Marcelo before he put it on the market. Marcelo took this as a sign that it was meant to be and jumped in a truck to go get his Vincent!

With this incredible motorcycle and the fantastic adventure of acquisition, we felt that it was more than deserving to have the honor of representing this year’s Royal Tinto. Makoto Endo’s original rendition of this legendary motorcycle is nothing short of breathtaking, and we know it will decorate workshops and wine cellars for years
to come.