When you hear the name Ducati Cucciolo, 99% of AutoPro readers would have no idea which Ducati motorcycle it is and will probably have to Google it to find information and images. However, this is the motorcycle that brought Ducati’s famous name after World War II with 200,000 units delivered to customers, a huge number considering the manufacturing technology of that time.
The name “Cucciolo” is an Italian word meaning “puppy” and is named after the unique sound of the bike’s engine. With a 49cc engine and a cute small exhaust pipe, the sound it produces is like the adorable bark of a puppy, which is the reason why Ducati gave it this strange name.
The next challenge is to make this “vintage” motorcycle run. Vintage bicycles usually don’t have a handle clutch like nowadays, so to make the bike easier to operate, a brake and clutch lever have been modified. The taillight is uniquely made with a small LED bulb placed right under the seat, while the battery is put inside a neat brown box.
To give the bike a neat look, all the brake and wire cables on the bike have been redone with the aim of optimizing the cleanliness for a vintage bike with many wires like this. The fuel tank is reshaped and completely stripped of the old paint, then repainted with the same paint color and logo as the original Cucciolo produced in 1952.
The owner of this Cucciolo is Mr. Del Thomas, who has 6 Ducati motorcycles in his collection, most of which are special edition or extremely rare vintage models. And all of them are chosen by him to ride, not for display like most collectors today, and that is true passion. This Cucciolo will be displayed at the Barber Vintage Festival by its owner before being added to the collection.