A genuine TT2; whatever next?

Here's one to stir things up at the local Ducati owners' club: what constitutes a genuine TT2? One of the 40-odd built at the factory? But what about the bikes Tony Brancato was licensed to build and sell as TT2s with the factory's blessing? Or a Pantah 600 in a genuine Verlicchi TT2 frame (meaning the monoshock frame - Verlicchi made the standard Pantah frames as well.) The waters run deep, and there's more in issues 2 and 5 of Benzina


The problem is that even the factory's own works TT2s were built in a corner of the Borgo Panigale premises, starting with a 600 Pantah engine taken from the production line. Did anyone write down the engine numbers? Have a wild guess. Frame numbers? The people who know keep that to themselves to foil the fakers. The truth is that it is very, very easy to fake a TT2 which might be why Cagiva Alazzurras (which shared the later 650 Pantah engine) have all but disappeared.

The one in the pics is genuine however, and probably the best documented and most traceable TT2 in existence. It was used by Massimo Broccoli for a debut win at Misano on 29 March 1981 and went on to scoop the 1981 Junior Italian TT F2 Championship. It is therefore the one and only TT2 with fully documented racing history. As a 1981 bike it might be only one of half a dozen built that year. Featured in the Ducati Official Racing History book, and having spent much of its life in the factory museum you are looking at The Real Thing. Price is 60,000 Euros (c£50k) which is a lot for a TT2 given what they have been making, but then you know you've got one of the most important Ducatis ever built. The bike is hidden away in Italy, but is for sale via Made in Italy Motorcycles. Go on...