Hi from Pennsylvania,

[DucMonzter]

Hello,

Ever since I can remember, an old, partially disassembled motorcycle had been sitting, decaying, in the basement of my grandparents’ home. As a child, I used to play on it. My uncle had bought the bike from a friend back in the ‘60s, dismantled the engine, and then abandoned the project. Years later, he was about to scrap the motorcycle but I took an interest in restoring it so he passed the project on to me. The bike appeared to be relatively complete except the engine parts were distributed between three boxes. Little did I know what I would be getting myself into.

The bike was an early style Monza Jr. 160 with the round style bodywork. This may not have been the barn find that we’d all hope for but the engine castings were too beautiful to scrap - so I just had to restore the bike. The bevel drive system also intrigued me since it was unlike anything I’d ever seen in many years as a "car-guy." As the project progressed, I became interested in the history of the manufacturing processes available to Italy at the time and the unique nature of hand-built motorcycles. This stands in sharp contrast to the modern mass production methods I'm familiar with at work. As a result, I've been motivated to maintain authenticity and originality in the restoration as much as possible. Although I’m aware that this is not necessary for a non-collectible model, I enjoy the challenge and always want to learn more. I’ve always considered this to be my “practice” restoration where I would learn from my mistakes and then move on to something else. The project has had several major ups and downs over the past few years but it's finally nearing completion. Unfortunately, my uncle who owned the bike just passed a way a few months ago. It would have been nice for him to see the final results.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this online network. I'm hoping to gather and share some Ducati knowledge and history with other Bevel Drive aficionados.

[BevHevSteve]

Awesome.

This bike, when complete, will be a reminder to your entire family of your uncle..... Let everyone know in your extended family - send them photos etc......

Welcome aboard.