What Model Duke had this engine side cover ???

MartinMille BANNED · Post by **MartinMille BANNED** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:05 am

Hi All

I found my project bike and I have a question if you have a look at the side cover someone in the past has added a oil return as you can see in red, the other hole with the yellow arrow I assume is a factory hole that has been plugged with someone other then a plug

My engine

Normal SS engine

As you can see from the picture above, the area with the yellow arrows is completely different

From what I have seen none have the oil filler on that side of the engine , the engine number tells me its somewhere around the 1982 mark

But what duke did the engine come from ?

wdietz186 · Post by **wdietz186** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:35 pm

Possibly a Mille? Or a late S2. Maybe somthing from the dark days of the late 80s? I've never seen anything like that on the stuff here in the states.

MartinMille BANNED · Post by **MartinMille BANNED** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:02 pm

Yeah have not seen anything like this before either its not of a Mille as I own one of them and the S2 had the same engine and they were both electric start only
Sorry for the poor image I don't have the bike yet.
You can see the oil filler has a proper raised part and it is part of the casing and not an add on welded bit
My Mille dose have a filler cap just like that (on the other side of the engine) and this made me wonder if the engine might even be a super late SS900 engine
What was the last build date for a bevel SS engine ? the other thing was all SS engine start there number sequence with an "0" followed by a 9 or 8 the engine number is 906528 the frame is a SSD frame with SD add on's and the headlight shell of a SS.the rest you would swear its just a SD but the frame is definitely SSD

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:51 am

Hi Martin,

Did you ever find anything more about this? It does seem rather special, with that purpose designed oil filler.

Otherwise, the case is from a SS (78-82); so my best guess would be kick-start S2. According to Ian F, these should have 09**** engine numbers. But I see that the electric start models had 90**** numbers, à la SD range. So given that it's got a SD frame, I reckon this could be a factory built, end-of-the-range-'cos-we're-all-going-to-be-out-of-a-job-soon, parts bin special ...

Reckon it's still a rare case tho', that's for sure.

Ciao

Craig

abmartin · Post by **abmartin** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:33 pm

As I'm sure you know, the Bosch ignition 900 Supersports had a threaded plug set in the clutch cover boss now sealed with a yellow plug in your photo. I have seen a photo of an endurance race 860cc squarecase motor with an oil level dipstick mounted on the clutch cover in the same spot as on your photo.

My theory would be that it is an owner-modified kick start 900SS or S2 motor used for either racing or posing.

MartinMille BANNED · Post by **MartinMille BANNED** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:23 pm

Hi Craig
No I have not been able to find another with the same side cover

abmartin
the yellow plug is believe it ot not a Australian $1 coin that someone as silicone'd in place it takes the normal side cover plug that I have to find somewhere or get one made up
The engine is from a late 82 SD , engine number is 906528 and this clearly does not make it an SS engine, and all the side cover in later SS , S2 and MHR1000/S2-1000 all had the oil fill on the alternator side

So I dont know where or what this cover could be off

If anyone knows send some pictures with a bike that has this type of cover !!!

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:46 am

abmartin wrote:I have seen a photo of an endurance race 860cc squarecase motor with an oil level dipstick mounted on the clutch cover in the same spot as on your photo.

Hi Abmartin,

Ta - I think we may be getting somewhere ... Do you have a photo?

In the meanwhile, Martin, have a look at this one (from Walker's Ducati Twins). The quality isn't good so it may not show, but there appears to be an oil line connected into the case at the same point as your oil filler. And the period - Battle of the Twins time - would fit.

abmartin wrote:My theory would be that it is an owner-modified kick start 900SS or S2 motor used for either racing or posing.

But don't you think it's too well done to be an owner's mod? As Martin said earlier, the oil filler boss looks like an integral part of the casting.

Ciao

Craig

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:06 am

Martin Mille / SSD wrote: The engine is from a late 82 SD , engine number is 906528 and this clearly does not make it an SS engine

Yeh, hear you about the engine numbers. What I don't understand is why, if its a SD engine, the case is a kickstart case ...

Or can you simply take the electric starter off a SD and replace the casing with a kick start cover? Anyone know?

Ciao

Craig

nottonight68 · Post by **nottonight68** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:27 am

hey martin
i may be wrong, but check out
http://www.kaemna.de/pic/bildervollseite//dscn2041.jpg

cheers

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:27 am

nottonight68 wrote:hey martin
i may be wrong, but check out
http://www.kaemna.de/pic/bildervollseite//dscn2041.jpg

cheers

Yup, reckon you've got it. Good call!

I wonder who made (or provided) these cases? Ducati? NCR?
I see the bike is owned by Per Bay Christensen in Denmark. He's listed as a member of the Danish owners club. I guess we could always ask him ...(not that I speak Danish).

More photos of it action in 2005 here http://www.kaemna.de/cms_en/race_show.h ... hristensen

Ciao

Craig

MartinMille BANNED · Post by **MartinMille BANNED** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:09 pm

Ok after doing some soul searching over the week end

I found this at the Old Racing parts site , they still have them for sale at 700euros .....pass on that one LOL looks like these were used on 78 through to 81 SS900

Still this is the only one that I have ever seen and I know many with SS's for that year frame and none of them have these fitted

http://www.oldracingspareparts.com/imag ... X00123.jpg

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:05 pm

Yeh, of course - I never thought to check Mario's site. Duh ...

Good - problem solved.

Here's a picture of Mario at this year's Motogiro d'Italia and also one of the dry clutch on his single

Ciao

Craig

abmartin · Post by **abmartin** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:30 pm

As requested, here is the photo I was referring to. It is of a bike that won the 1980 Montjuich endurance race.

Craig in France · Post by **Craig in France** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:49 am

Thanks Abmartin,

That's a nice piece of post-factory modification - that even looks like the filler extension neck off a single.

This 'oilfiller/dipstick in the case' idea sems very practical - and obvious, to boot. Kinda makes you wonder why Ducati had to wait for the Mille do it themselves

Ciao,

Craig

nottonight68 · Post by **nottonight68** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:08 am

i may be missing something here but i dont see how you can have a dip stick in that spot.maybe a quick oil fill during pit stops but how would a dip stick go from there to sump?