WHILE the motorcycle specialist press has been banging on (quite rightly) about Ducati’s 1098 flagship, the company has been quietly extending its range of bikes with models that are more within the price range of most of us, none more so than their Sports Classic 1000 Mono which was loaned to me from Motoline Ducati down in Ashford for an all-to-brief experience.

It is retro but bang up-to-date in technology and fittings. This particular model's paint scheme was in the style of the Desmo models of the late 1970s-early 1980s of Burnt Orange with the Ducati letting in black – ah nostalgia!

The spoke wheels and twin single-sided slightly upswept exhausts just added to the throw-back days of Ducati emerging onto the world bike scene fresh on the back of Maidstone rider Paul Smart’s amazing win at Imola – beating the world's best.

Ducati's current wave-ride is an absolute roller-coaster winning both the 2007 MotoGP title and the constructor's championship with the awesome young Australian rider Casey Stoner piloting the Italian company to their first win in current times – a record that breaks the 37-year-long domination of the Japanese stranglehold of the championship – and Ducati are going to make the most of this publicity producing bikes that appeal to most.

Gone is the kick-start that some of the original Desmos had; being replaced by the electric start which had no problem at all starting this 997cc 90 deg, V-twin, air-cooled 4-stroke unit.

The twin single-sided exhausts on tickover were, by Ducati standards, fairly quiet but once on the open roads gave a growl that improved on the overrun at around 4-5,000 rpm.

This model was the single-seat (also available as a dual-seater) and again, by Ducati standards, was really comfortable.

The riding position is stretched across the beautifully-painted tank (so a tank protector would be necessary to protect the paint from scuffing) to a set of bars, initially I thought they were wider than most at 27 inches and by the time you added the handlebar mirrors on each bar the width increased dramatically to some 381/2 inches which made for a pain at times if filtering through traffic.

If it were mine, I'd junk the nearside and have just an offside mirror. That aside, the handling was typical Ducati – just point and the bike went!

Suspension and braking are excellent with a single rear Sachs fully adjustable shock unit; Brembo's are used all-round and need no introduction, suffice to say they work extremely well.

This particular bike, being air-cooled, is somewhat lighter than others in the Ducati stable, having done away with radiators and all the ancillary plumbing, and as such handles and steers more like a 250cc bike.

The response from the 45mm fuel injector is instant and to the unwary could catch you out as the bike propels itself forward very easily.

The six-speed gearbox is well suited to the 90-degree engine although top gear could only really be used as an overdrive on anything other than ultra-fast A road and motorways and the familiar clutch rattle of the marque is gone as they have gone to oil-filled units.

Maximum legal top speed of 70 mph showed around 3,800 rpm in sixth but this model is not about flat-out riding: it's more of a fun bike and this it gives in bucketfuls and begs you to keep finding the next set of bends.

The dials are pure retro – white-faced analogue and not lcd as most bikes. Unlit roads were no problem as the single unit headlight gives a long, penetrating, wide beam. There is just a single trip, total miles and oil temperature readout set in the dials, this model comes with a factory-fitted immobiliser as standard.

The seat height comes in at 32.5 ins (825mm) and didn’t appear to be a problem touching terra firma if necessary at short notice. The plastic-composite tank holds a total of 3.32 galls (15.1 litres including .77 gall - 3.5 litres reserve). This new model comes under the revised dramatic reduction in Ducati’s servicing costs so shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to have properly serviced; it also comes with a standard two-year unlimited mileage guarantee.

FACTFILE

Ducati Sports Classic 1000

Mono 90 deg air-cooled V-twin; 997cc, 4-stroke.

Transmission: 6-speed oil clutch.

Dry weight: 394 lbs (179 kg).

Wheels: 17in rims.

Warranty: Two years unlimited.

Dealer: Motorline Ducati, Hilton Road, Ashford, Kent. Tel: 01233 648686.

Price: £7,495 otr