[Jeff Higgins]

The guy from whom I bought my Ducati 900 Super Sport over 20 years ago was the original owner (sadly, he passed away about three years ago). When he bought the Super Sport, he traded in a Ducati 851, their top of the line water cooled, fuel injected marvel. I still keep in touch with the owner of the shop (his name is Dave) where he purchased the 851 and made the trade for the 900 SS. Dave tells me that when he made the trade, everyone at the dealership told him he was nuts. "You are trading in a surgical scalpel for a stone axe" is what they all told him. "You're right" was his reply. Today, that 900 SS is a much sought after motorcycle, where the 851 is pretty much forgotten. Not in spite of, but [i]because[i/] that 900 SS is the "stone axe" of that class of motorcycle. There is a lot to be said for rugged simplicity.