Ducati 239 Mark 3

The Ducati 239 Mark 3 is a roadster built in limited numbers by Ducati in 1974 for the French market. France had announced a higher value added tax on motorcycles of 240 cc and above from 1975, so Ducati cut the Mark 3 engine to 239 cc to qualify for the lower 20 percent rate and tuned it with a different camshaft, a slipper piston, a 30 mm carburettor and a Lafranconi silencer to recover power. The air cooled bevel drive overhead camshaft single made a claimed 22 bhp. A desmodromic version, the 239 Mark 3D, was also sold. Around 400 were built, and the British importer sold the leftover stock until early 1976.