machten wrote:Btw.. May/June in Italy is approaching fast! Have a think about it. The invite stands, love to catch up if it works out for you.
Yup, I'm still up for it. Haven't quite worked out just what that means , but I'll sort myself out, one way or t'other. Will get in touch nearer the time.
(My Vento's bodywork is out at the painter's at the mo' ... should be finished, in fact. Must find time to go collect )
OK. Good stuff. We'll touch base. I'll have a 2 room setup at Bagni di Lucca anyway and it's just me there. The Cinque Terra 3 day Gastronomy ride ride..be there for that at least if you can! The dates are the same as the spread sheet I sent you previously. It's only Paul and me riding. Please join in!!!!
1. Do your own thing with the paintwork, Paddy - it's your bike, stuff the rivet counters .
2. Re. the Alpha big-end, well, I've yet to come across anyone who speaks well of them. Sorry . But for the lowdown, best speak to Nigel Lacey at Lacey Ducati or Paul Klatkiewicz at Ducati Technical Services.
3. Think you're right abut the pistons. Unless Kevin or someone else knows better, I believe it was slipper Mondials in the Sport, full skirt Borgos in the GT.
4. Agree - can't really see the sense in fitting 40 Dells to a road bike. If he still has the 32s, try to get them too as they aren't easy to find these days - and are damn expensive if you do.
5. If the original rims are Borranis, be aware that they are also worth a small fortune these days ( Tsk! What isn't on these bikes? )
tobaccoblender wrote: Jesus Craig- where have so many sports been gathered together as in your photo! Beautiful.
Kev's identified it - the so-called Dyke Blast in Holland back in 2004. A most strange event. I don't think I've ever ridden so slowly in all my life ...
tobaccoblender wrote: What came from Breganze? Was it Laverdas?
"Black is Beautiful" ...
tobaccoblender wrote: I'm always amazed by how much they are cheaper these days than a bevel twin. They were so damn exotic in the 70's, and somehow had a rather daunting, inpenetrable looking engine....
Yup, they've just gone off the radar. Shame - the RGS (as above) in particular is a machine worthy of great respect. In the meanwhile, a dedicated few of Kevin's countrymen are coming up with beauts like this ...
tobaccoblender wrote: Hey, and don't you try and tell me an Oxbridge degree hasn't helped your career!
2. Re. the Alpha big-end, well, I've yet to come across anyone who speaks well of them.
I've heard of them, but I couldn't say.
3. Think you're right abut the pistons. Unless Kevin or someone else knows better, I believe it was slipper Mondials in the Sport, full skirt Borgos in the GT.
Craig's spot on to my knowledge. Mondial slippers in my Sport, Full skirt Borgo's in my GT (originally - now far a far funkier arrangement)
4. Agree - can't really see the sense in fitting 40 Dells to a road bike. If he still has the 32s, try to get them too as they aren't easy to find these days - and are damn expensive if you do.
+ 1 on that. 32's are the perfect streetable carbs for the capacity and head flow
5. If the original rims are Borranis, be aware that they are also worth a small fortune these days ( Tsk! What isn't on these bikes? )
You can buy remanufactured Borrani rims these days quite reasonably priced. Last I saw they were not the same profile as the originals, but I was recently told that this had been corrected. Don't know if that is correct or not.
Kev
So how does it work? Do you store that lovely ratty single in Italy? Don't tell me you airfreight it from Perth to Tuscany??
Talking of Perth, my daughter lives there and I just heard an hour ago that I am now a grandfather for the first time!
So, does your 7 day giro bring you guys into Umbria?
Cheers
Hi Guys
Well, after a taxing few days I am now back home in Italy with a 1974 750 Sport.
I bought it off an English guy in Spain (and let me tell you, his house is about 2300kms away from mine!) who bought it off a friend in the early 90's, started it's restoration, got pretty far then fizzled out so it's been sitting under a cover in a bone dry garage in a bone dry part of Spain since about '96.
Engine no. is 756875, frame is 756789, sold new in the UK in 1975 which seems to put it in the last production run of the 750 Sports.
He put on 36mm carbs which are brand new PHF's but there are still the original 32's in the box, he put modern alloy rims (Alf Hagon laced them up) so he could put modern sized tyres on it, but yes, the original Borrani's came with it, in perfect shape as well, it's got some form of electronic ignition but the points are there too, complete engine rebuild by Brancato (?)
inc. new big end and pistons so all in all it should be a fairly easy job to get her back into original-ish spec. It's been beautifully painted but in a vile orange colour so I'll have to get that all done properly. She's got no Conti's but they are period SS copies, so no rust, but I'll try to get some Conti's as I like them alot.
I've got rather alot of other work on at the moment so I won't be able to start properly for a month or so- but I sure am looking forward to getting going!
Cheers!
BTW I didn't pay a silly modern price- more a kinda 5 years ago price....
P.s Just in case you don't know: the 'Brancato (?)' that you refer to is Tony Brancato whose Ducati credentials are amongst the most unreproachable (not many people can claim to have actually worked alongside Ign. Taglioni, for example). If Tony put your engine back together, you should be ok (assuming proper care and storage thereafter, of course).
Truth is, Craig, that after the vendor started to tell me about this guy who had built the engine, memories from long ago started to trickle back, then as we made the long (much longer than I had imagined- it was 2300kms from our house to his) drive home with the precious cargo in a very ordinary hire van with no high security locks, I ruminated further and remembered him as this rude newcomer to the Italian bike scene in Oxfordshire and a very hard guy to warm to. I can tell there are more memories that my brain is scanning for and given time I'll remember more and I'll pm you if they come back!
But I'm glad to hear what you say. The motor hasn't even been run since it was re-built some 10 years ago, with new pistons, big end and mains. It looks beautiful if a little dusty and I spent a little time this afternoon going over what's missing and doing a slightly more comprehensive inventory and so far the only majorish component I can't find is the brake caliper. There is a Brembo and an AP Lockeed master cyl mounted on levers in one of the boxes. The bike is mostly assembled in that the engine, forks, wheels are all fixed in place but the wiring needs replacing as the outer casing is cracked in many places.
The front mudguard is wrong but the dirty original is in a box- the fittings need rechroming, the tank is perfect but alloy, so an aftermarket item I suspect. The bumstop seat is perfect but all these parts need repainting as they are a bright orange, like the skin of an orange, and thus unbearable. Plus I've got to get the old rims put back on. The frame was stove enameled when the engine was rebuilt and is beautiful. Instruments and headlamp are perfect and correct, need a front exhaust pipe and there are Keihen stainless Conti knock-offs- not sure I like the idea of leaving them on plus I've found a place nearby me here where I can buy a brand new pair of Conti's from the factory in Pescara, so I'm going to investigate that further.
Enough prattle for now!
Craig in France wrote:Sounds good, Paddy - you should have fun.
P.s Just in case you don't know: the 'Brancato (?)' that you refer to is Tony Brancato whose Ducati credentials are amongst the most unreproachable (not many people can claim to have actually worked alongside Ign. Taglioni, for example). If Tony put your engine back together, you should be ok (assuming proper care and storage thereafter, of course).
Paddy, Gentlemen,
I can't believe I missed this thread, your story and the various responses read like my own early Ducati history. I was a regular visitor to Oxford Motorcycle Engineers, attempting to sell ad. space on Bike magazine and remember Ed Reid warmly, so we probably met all those years ago. My real mission was trying to keep my 860 GTS and then my '75 900ss alive and well, no small task. I've still got the 900ss and it lives with me in Italy, not more than 2 hours spirited ride from you! PM me for the address and a nostalgic beer or two, particularly if we can import some Hobgoblin.... I am in regular contact with Anthony Ainslie, who is alive and well although 'contact' is not his strong suit. He was our crew chief in the Team Bike endurance racing days and his extreme skill and dedication contributed greatly to our successes and saved a few riders lives, and mechanics fingers on the way. He gave up fettling Ducatis when the realisation dawned that there wasn't enough time or money in the world to prepare them to his impossibly exacting standards.
Your 750 sport project sounds really good although I have to agree about Alpha cranks, it's a major engineering feat to make them worse than the originals! However also agree on Tony Brancatos reputation, second to none. Another good friend, Dermot, Team Bike's 'rear wheel guy' had a gorgeous
750 sport with "Marriage Madness" neatly sign written on the seat hump, so true.
I've done the last two Moto Giro D'Italia's on the 900ss, entirely unsuited to the task, but great fun although won't be doing this year's, have to officiate a a Godson's wedding, bloody inconvenient when they grow up. I will be taking the 900ss to the Classic Bol D'or in September, a good ride from Rome to Bandol, you can join me for a crank re-building party on the beach!
Stay in touch and it's a serious invitation to you and anybody on this list to visit us, 60kms north of Rome, we have loads of bedrooms, a pool, a hydraulic bike lift and a Ducati Meccanica mosaic in the garage floor...
cheers
Zed
'75 900 SS
"don't get behind on your cheating, but don't get ahead either" Cook Nielson, California Hotrod
, but I'll sort myself out, one way or t'other. Will get in touch nearer the time.
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