The 125 Bronco is a tubular steel/ full-duplex-framed, base model motorcycle made by

Ducati Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Au ...

from 1960 to 1966, produced mainly for American distributor

Berliner Motor Corporation Berliner Motor Corporation was the US Distribution (business), distributor from the 1950s through the 1980s for several European motorcycle marques, including Ducati, J-Be, Matchless, Moto Guzzi, Norton Motorcycle Company, Norton, Sachs Motorcycl ...

. It was the second to last example, before the

Ducati 125 Cadet/4 Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Aud ...

, of Ducati pushrod technology which began in 1952 with the pressed-frame Ducati 98 models, which themselves had followed the Cucciolo T3, pull-rod (

Ducati 60 The Ducati 60 of 1949-50 was Ducati's first in a 19 model year run of four-stroke, OHV single cylinder motorcycles that ended with the 125 Cadet/4 of 1967. The 60 used the ''60 cc'' pullrod engine of the Cucciolo T3 moped, and a frame ...

) and pushrod ( 60 Sport, 65 Sport, 65T Tourist) design singles. A 1965 Bronco model was advertised for US$379, which would be US$ in 2009 dollars, and touted as "America's most popular and reliable lightweight motorcycle." Bronco versions in (1959–62) and (1959–63) had also been produced.

Description

The bike's single-cylinder powerplant, redesigned for the 1958 125 Aurea, was an overhead valve pushrod engine made visually distinctive by a "Ducati Meccanica" winged laurel wreath and "D" logo cast in relief in brass on the left side aluminum flywheel cover. Mechanically, the new engine used an internal rather than external oil line feeding the upper valve train. The Aurea was styled like previous sporty standard models (

Ducati 125 TV The Ducati 125 T (Turismo) and 125 TV (Turismo Veloce) were single cylinder, four-stroke OHV motorcycles built by Ducati from 1956 to 1960, featuring a double downtube full cradle steel frame and full-width drum brakes. The 125 T sold in London fo ...

, 125 T), but had a 6V battery added to help the flywheel magneto power the lights and horn. For the 1960 Bronco, the Aurea's low, racing-style handlebar was replaced with a more upright touring handlebar, and a smaller gas tank, and smaller 16-inch, knobby tires were fitted. The winged "D" emblem was repeated with a decal on the sides of the tank, along with a decal of a prancing horse (or "Cavallino Rampante") on the sides of the toolbox. After the 125 Bronco and Cadet/4, Ducati made no further refinements of the

OHV An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...

pushrod singles line that had begun with the Ducati 85, focusing instead on the

OHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

bevel drive and desmo

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

, and ultimately twins, that were to become integral with the Ducati image.

Notes

{{Ducati Bronco Standard motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1960 Single-cylinder motorcycles