For decades, Ducati has been doing things its own way. Air-cooled V-twins when everyone else chased inline-fours, and Desmodromic valves when conventional springs were easier. It's also a brand that uses racing not as a marketing exercise, but as a proving ground that shaped road bikes you could actually buy.
That stubborn independence is probably why Ducati is so special, especially now, in an era where performance numbers and electronics are starting to blur brand identities.
It's clear to see that Ducati’s biggest achievements didn’t come from chasing trends. They came from committing to an idea and pushing it hard. One of the clearest examples goes back to the early 1970s, when Ducati shocked the motorcycle world at the Imola 200. A 1–2 finish by Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari instantly turned Ducati from an underdog into a serious performance brand. That win pretty much shaped the future of the House of Borgo Panigale.
The bikes that came out of that era raced in the FIM Formula 750 series and eventually led to the legendary Ducati 750 Supersport Desmo. That machine went on to win the 1975 Italian Championship with Franco Uncini, locking in Ducati’s reputation for V-twins with real racing pedigree. This was the moment Ducati stopped being niche and started being influential.
Fast forward to today, and that same spirit is popping up again in an unexpected place. Newly published paperwork from the California Air Resources Board has revealed a 2026 Ducati Formula ’73. On paper, it’s listed with an 803cc V-twin, the same engine used in the Ducati Scrambler, which hints that this new bike will be built on familiar hardware.
But the name is doing most of the talking here. Formula ’73 isn’t about peak horsepower or chasing lap times. It’s a direct callback to the era when Ducati’s racing success defined its identity. Instead of pushing tech for tech’s sake, this looks more like Ducati focusing on something intangible. Heritage, character, and the emotional pull of a story that still resonates more than half a century later.
That's a pretty big deal for riders like us because not every innovation has to be electronic or data-driven. Sometimes the progress is about remembering why motorcycles hooked us in the first place. A relatively simple V-twin. A compact, approachable platform. And most of all, a connection to racing history that's clearly earned, not forced, or worse, fabricated like we're seeing from lots of new manufacturers these days.
There’s also a modern reality baked into it. One version of the Formula ’73 is marked as being built in Thailand, just like many Scrambler models. That’s Ducati balancing tradition with global production, and keeping bikes accessible without abandoning its core identity. It also means that it'll be easier for folks like me living in Asia to get their hands on this special new model.
As of the moment, we don’t know pricing, specs beyond the engine, or when it’ll officially launch. So the exact form factor of this bike is still very much up in the air. Will it be a fully faired retro sportbike? A cafe-style naked bike with clip-on bars? Or maybe even just a regular old Scrambler with a fancy livery? Your guess is as good as mine.
Source: Ducati via CARB
