I went to the Italian Classic Motorcycle Meeting, where a row of rare single-cylinder Ducatis were lined up.

A meeting of Italian bikes, focusing on single Ducatis

On Sunday, May 18, 2025, the Italian Classic Motorcycle Meeting (hereinafter referred to as ICMM), organized by GRUPPO RS, was held in Inage Ward, Chiba City.

This is a meeting for Italian classic bikes organized by GRUPPO RS, a motorcycle enthusiasts group with a 36-year history. It was formerly called the Single Ducati Meeting and held every year during Golden Week, but has now been renovated into a place where enthusiasts of Italian cars, regardless of model, can gather and communicate with each other.

With the exception of the overnight rally event and the end-of-year family Christmas party, events hosted by GRUPPO RS, including this year’s ICMM, are characterized by the fact that no advance reservations are required, there are no participation fees or annual membership fees, and visitors are free to observe, making it easy for anyone who loves motorcycles to participate.

Since the previous meeting was aimed at single-cylinder Ducatis, the majority of bikes were 250-450cc single-cylinder Ducatis such as the Yellow Desmo and Silver Shotgun, but there were also a number of Italian bikes to be seen, including L-twin Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, MV Agustas, Motobi, Vespas, and Aprilias.

Many rare Italian classic bikes will be participating!

On this day, I arrived at the meeting place, the Inage Seaside Park bicycle parking lot, on my beloved Moto Guzzi V11, and although I arrived about 30 minutes earlier than the meeting time, there were already about 20 Italian bikes lined up.

The majority of these are single-cylinder Ducatis. To begin with, the number of Ducatis equipped with air-cooled single-cylinder SOHC engines produced is small. Even if you include Desmodromic and non-Desmo models, which use bevel drive camshafts, the number of single-cylinder Ducatis produced from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s was only around 4,100 250s, 3,650 350s, and 3,200 450s.

Even at a typical Ducati meeting, most of the participating vehicles are L-twin engine models, and it is rare to see a single Ducati, so it is not often that you see so many of them gathered together.

Other rare Italian classic bikes also taking part in the event included the Motobi 175 Catria, Aermacchi Alaverde, Moto Guzzi V65 Polizia (Italian National Police) spec, and Italjet Velocifero.

The venue was not only lined with classic bikes, but also young timers such as the second-generation Ducati SS and Ducati 996, as well as relatively new bikes such as the MV Agusta F4 and Moto Guzzi V7. As the time passed 10 o’clock, more and more bikes began to gather. The majority of the bikes were single-bike Ducatis, but there were also 900MHRs and the first-generation 900SS on display.

We asked a veteran GRUPPO RS participant about the appeal of the single Ducati.

To be honest, I have never ridden a single-cylinder Ducati (although I did own a 400F3 L-twin in the past), and I have very little knowledge about it, so I decided to ask veteran rider Iriki Naito, who served as the first secretary of GRUPPO RS, for some advice on single-cylinder Ducati bikes.

Born in 1947, Naito started riding motorcycles in the fourth grade of elementary school (!) and has continued to ride to this day, with only a few gaps in his life. He used to travel to Italy often for work, where he discovered the charm of Italian bikes. He has ridden a variety of bikes, including rare ones like the Parilla, before finally settling on a single-cylinder Ducati. He says, “This bike is the most interesting!”

Generally, wide-case single-cylinder Ducatis share the same body and exterior, but the ride feel of the engine varies considerably depending on the displacement. Apart from the sticker on the body indicating the displacement, the other way to tell them apart is by the number of fins on the cylinder block, which differ in stroke length: 8 for the 250, 9 for the 350, and 10 for the 450. There is also a marking on the front of the engine (although some models apparently do not have this), so this can also be used to tell them apart.

Each model has its own unique riding feel.

The 250 has a short-stroke engine, which means it makes frequent use of high revolutions, making it easy to ride around town, but it can feel underpowered on mountain passes.

The 350 has a square combustion chamber, which means it produces a flat torque profile, and its displacement is between the 250 and 450, so it seems to have an excellent balance.

The 450 has a long-stroke engine, and with its powerful torque, it is said to be ideal for enjoying winding roads. It also has a strong pulsating feel and is full of the appeal of a single-cylinder engine, but it also has the strongest vibrations of the series. As it is the largest displacement model, it also features a reinforced frame.

According to Naito, “Single Ducatis have a charm that captivates Italian bike fans. Anyone who rides one once will understand that. However, there are only a few of them, and used car prices have risen sharply in recent years, so it’s unfortunate that riders who have never tried one don’t often have a chance to ride one… “

After hearing Naito’s words, I became interested in the single-cylinder Ducati, and after the interview I searched a certain used car website, only to find that there were only two for sale: a 250 Mark III and a 350 Yellow Desmo. It may be common to buy this type of vintage bike from a specialist store, but considering that there were hardly any for sale on major used car websites, it is clear that this is a rare bike that is difficult to obtain.

By the way, the vehicle price for the former was 3.8 million yen, and for the latter 2.45 million yen. It’s certainly attractive, and even passionate Italian bike fans would say, “It’s the best!” and I would like to ride a single Ducati once, but it’s a price that I can’t easily afford.

A GRUPPO RS meeting with a relaxed atmosphere and friendly atmosphere

On this day, around 50 motorbikes gathered at the meeting point, the Inage Seaside Park bicycle parking lot. The people gathered were engaged in lively discussions about motorbikes until 12 noon, when the mini-tour was due to depart. Most of the meeting participants were middle-aged and elderly veteran riders, but there were also a few young riders present. As GRUPPO RS is a gathering of extremely free-spirited motorbike enthusiasts, the atmosphere at the venue was friendly, and everyone was very friendly, even to a first-time visitor like me.

This year’s ICMM was a meeting of Italian bikes, with a focus on single Ducatis, but GRUPPO RS also holds a “Round Touring” event on the last Sunday of every month, where participants set a time for a loop tour with a starting point, intermediate stops, and final destination. No prior application or participation fee is required, and anyone can participate, from anywhere, with any vehicle.

In addition, although advance registration and accommodation fees are required, the event also holds annual events such as the “SPRING RUN,” a one-night tour held once a year, the “U125 RALLY,” which is limited to participating vehicles of 125cc or less, and the “Super Round Rally,” a five-day, four-night long tour held every summer using only public roads.

If you’re interested, first visit the official GRUPPO RS website . It might be a good idea to start attending meetings with the monthly “Round Touring” event. This interview was a lot of fun, and everyone who participated was so nice, so I’d like to attend another GRUPPO RS meeting.