DUCATI 500SL Pantah (1980-1981) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Ducati Pantah was an Italian motorcycle with a 90-degree V-twin engine manufactured by Ducati from 1980 to 1986. Compared to its predecessors with a bevel-gear OHC engine, the Pantah was the first Ducati motorcycle fitted with a belt-driven camshaft engine.

The bike was introduced at the Milan Bike Show in 1979 and released into the market under the 500SL designation. The last one in the series was named 600SL and ended production in 1986. The bike was light, with a short wheelbase and a trellis frame that became a Ducati trademark feature.

Visually, the bike packed a roundish upper fairing with a round headlight, a large windscreen, a single seat with lumbar support, side-mounted rear shocks, a dual exhaust system with a silencer on each side, and six-spoke aluminum wheels.

Underneath its fuel tank, the 1980 Ducati 500SL Pantah had installed a 497cc air-cooled four-stroke V-twin engine managed by two Dell'Orto carburetors, delivering an output power of 45 hp with a peak force at 9,050 rpm.

Suspension-wise, the motorcycle packed a 35 mm Marzocchi telescopic fork on the front end and twin adjustable shock absorbers on the rear, providing optimum suspension performance and handling.

As for the braking performance, the bike was handled by two 260 mm discs on the front tied to dual-piston calipers and a 260 mm disc on the rear with a single-piston caliper, offering optimum stopping power.