Ducati Mototrans 500 Desmo

The Ducati Mototrans 500 Desmo was a 497 cc air-cooled parallel-twin motorcycle built in Barcelona by Mototrans under licence from Ducati from 1978 to 1983, an evolution of the troubled 500 Twin. It was presented in 1977 with desmodromic valve actuation to cure the valve spring, tappet and timing chain problems of the Twin, and it added an oil cooler to fix the Twin's lubrication weakness. Its two-valve-per-cylinder engine had a chain-driven overhead camshaft and a five-speed gearbox, and the makers claimed 47 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and a top speed of about 160 km/h. Because of the Twin's poor reputation it sold badly. It was finished in metallic orange, later in grey with orange and black trim.