<-=- Club Bevel Heaven -=->

The time has come to make my GT look better.

Can anyone suggest "correct" colour codes?
I have Ian Falloons restoration guide, but any info on with of the different stripes, etc. is very welcome.

A final question: Is the headlamp supposed to be chromed or painted? If painted, what colour?

Best regards and TIA

Ola Roll

Hi Ola,

If your 750 GT is a '73 model as you say, it should have an Aprilia headlight unit. Rim and bowl of this headlight unit were always chrome plated. I also happen to have a '73 electric starter 750 GT and it always featured a chrome plated headlight unit.

On 860 GT/GTE/GTS, 900 GTS, later Aprilia headlight units were used and these ones had indeed crinkled matt black bowls of different shape than the earlier chrome plated ones, though rims were still chrome plated carried forward from the 750 range.

I will come back to you one of these days with black/white stripes width.

Safe riding!!

Nico

All the later (74-75) 750 GT headlights (and identical Aprilia headlights used on 1975-1979 GT or GTS models) I've seen had satin black (smooth low gloss) paint on them. That paint 'might' have left the factory shiny black, but it always looked smooth - not crinkly.

When RESTORING any bevel twin - somehow obtain a copy of Ian Falloons Twins restoration book, (currently out of print). It has 99% accurate, good info. (There is also a Mick Walker twins restoration book out but I've not read it).

This forum is a good place to get info. Many members have good knowledge or reference materials. DO NOT rely on memory, looking at other restored bikes (might be wrong), and do not believe everything you are told. Better to learn as much as you can from many places (especially by looking at many unrestored bikes) and then decide what is the answer.

No harm if you "restore" using incorrect parts or paint as long as it looks good to you (and someday a potential buyer) and you don't tell others it's correct that way.

Ola,

Further to my earlier message here is some dimensions of stripes on '73 GT for all to see. Dimensions are in mm and the colour sequence is white-black-white. So:
Front mudguard: 1,5 - 15 - 1,5
Fuel tank: 3 - 33 - 3
Side covers: 3 (white line only, over and below 750 badge).
Some additional comments. I measured the exact dimensions of stripes on the original mudguard and sidecover, pictures of which I had e-mailed you personally the other day. These parts have their original (faded of course) colours. For the fuel tank however dimensions are a guesstimate, though comparing with pictures in Falloon's books and Ducati publicity photos of the times, I should not be very much out of the correct.
You would find unbelievable that the white stripes on these original front mudguard and side cover are... hand painted, yes, hand painted. So they are not perfectly straight, plus that depending on the angle and pressure that painter applied, the white stripes are varying in width along their length. For instance the 1,5 mm lines on the mudguard reach 2 mm in some points and towards both ends are becoming closer to 1 mm. But you would be correct to say that the average width is 1,5 mm.
How to paint your parts:
You should not expect to find somebody to hand paint the white stripes for you. I'll tell you however how we tackled painting of my '73 750 GT. First we painted the basic colour (metallic bronze in my case). Then we painted the black wide lines on mudguard, tank and side covers, just 1 mm wider than they should. Then we applied self adhesive white tapes (stripes) in 1,5 and 3 mm widths, so that the black part enclosed was respectively 15 mm for the mudguard and 33 mm for the fuel tank. As for side covers, you should see some pictures to determine how wide you should paint the black stripe. I cannot give you dimensions as width is varying due to the complex shape of side cover.
Finally don't forget to apply an early yellow with red surrounding MADE IN ITALY sticker on the fuel tank.
After all the above, we sprayed a clear gloss lacquer over everything.

Good luck

Nico

Ivan,

I checked my NOS Aprilia headlight bowl and you are right: it is satine or smooth low gloss black as you described it and not crinkled black as I had written (probably I was confused with the Bosch headlight bowl of a 900SSD I'm restoring presently).
However I cheched in the usual sources (Falloon's and Walker's books) and I saw 1974 750 GT with both chrome plated and black headlight bowls and looking further at 860/900 GT/GTS I found at least one Ducati publicity photo showing a 860 GT with chrome plated Aprilia headlight bowl.

Happy riding

Nico