Heinz 57 or Normal for late 350 single?

[Jose]

Sometime back I purchased a Ducati at an auction.

Since I had once raced against Ducatis in Texas, that being the Arkansas Racing Team in the 70s, I hoped I had a keeper. In those times I campaigned a 500 Kawa triple, Honda 50cc CR110, and Yamaha 90 with a 120cc Gyt Kit in a Kawasaki Baby Green Streak frame. Some of this racing and the bikes were from my time in Ca and the AFM in the late 60s.

Time rolls on and a now 20 years after the auction I have just started to research what I have.

The frame says to be a 73 Mototrans, the instruments are VDO Tach and Speedometer in a correct rubber housing.

Headlight and supports are of the 350 Scrambler type.

Missing is the rear taillight and license bracket.

Both, correct for a scrambler, fenders are in place and in good shape.

A selenium rectifier is in place but no other voltage "regulator". Did they have a zener diode? Wiring is disconnected in the battery area but seems to be the correct colors.

The exhaust and muffler is there but the tip is missing on the muffler.

Engine seems to be an Italian 350, Made in Italy is on the right side cover and the shifter is of the toe type.

Points are the ignition type and the coil is in place.

The seat is intact and in good shape,

Gas tank is rusted along the bottom edge and needs replacement and is of the Mototrans type.

Good undamaged aluminum rims.

Now the bad part is that the engine, though it may well be a Italian unit, seems to have been apart at some time and the mechanical timing of the valves is reversed. Not all bad since the valves work properly and do not hit the piston.

The top end in the valve area is very clean and also suggest a tear down and cleaning.

The clean piston can be seen and the engine turns over easily.

A compression release lever (maybe) is on the right side of the handle bar but no cable or release valve exist on the engine.

A mikuni carb (34mm) is in place but since the main jet is damaged and the slide cannot close then I figure that was added at a very late date and most likely the engine has never ran since the top end work was incorrectly reassembled.

So, could this be an original 350 Bevel from Spain but with a Italian built engine?

Lots more to learn before I spend any real money on this item.

Correct Crab etc.

All information will be appreciated.

Jose in Cross Timbers,Tarleton, Texas

[BevHevSteve]

Photos would also help - welcome aboard too

[GT Pete]

The engine could be Mototrans with the ignition replaced. My Mototrans bike says Made in Italy on the right cover. The small oval cover on the left has the Made in Italy removed. Mototrans bikes have a fiber gear for the oil pump instead of steel like the Italian bikes. The finning on the head is slightly different on the Spanish built units. Like Steve says, pictures would help.

Pete

[Jose]

The engine could be Mototrans with the ignition replaced. My Mototrans bike says Made in Italy on the right cover. The small oval cover on the left has the Made in Italy removed. Mototrans bikes have a fiber gear for the oil pump instead of steel like the Italian bikes. The finning on the head is slightly different on the Spanish built units. Like Steve says, pictures would help.

Doing some research indicates to me that since the engine number has no prefix letters, SCR (scrambler) as listed in the ref list on the forum site and that the number is so high as to be in line with the Ducat's from Italy and that a similar configuration is also listed as being a Mototrans with a high serial number on the motor.

The wiring loom is complete and unmodified, the wiring matches up to a Ducati print with the solid state module.

Also the engine has metal oil pump gears and the Ducati hairpin valve springs.

Could be that Ducati provided a engine or two as needed for the Spanish production.

And the VDO instruments appears to be a normal arrangement for some bikes.

Pictures next week.

Bill

[Jose]

FWIW.

Ducati willingly sold the engines to the Swiss.

Name plates and castings were changed as requested by the buyer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzL0FcS0fBk

Jose

[Jon Pegler]

Your machine sounds like it is a Mototrans 350 Road model.
Many of the Roads had Made in Italy cast into the timing cover.
They also used the wire type headlamp brackets.
The oil pump gear could be an original steel fitment as the early Spanish models used them. Alternatively, it could be a replacement for the plastic gear used on the later bikes. These are very prone to shearing their teeth and often get replaced.
VDO-Avis clocks were a standard item on Spanish built machines in the early 1970s. Italian Ducati singles usually used Veglia or CEV.
350 Road frames started with MD 70 or 71 + 3 digits and were made from 1972-1976.
It was far more likely for Mototrans to supply engines to Bologna than the other way round.
Look for a parts list for a Road model and you will probably recognise many of the parts on your own machine. (I think Steve lists one for sale on this site)

Jon