Hi from Switzerland!

Please say HELLO and tell us about yourself, your bike[s] and where you are located etc...
Post Reply
caemca
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:37 am

Hi from Switzerland!

Post by caemca »

Hi everyone!
My name is Carlo, I post from Switzerland and am since last April the proud (and fourth) owner of a 1979 900ss.
I looked for this model for quite a long time, until I ended up buying one that looks... weird. It is one of the few that were modified by the Swiss importer, his name was Yves Liengme. It has a completely different body than the "official" 900ss and this one came to me in a very striking blue color. Everything is blue, I'll post some pictures as soon as I can.
I lucked out when I found that this bike was bought new back then by a friend of mine, who gave me the name of the second owner as well. This way I could pretty much reconstruct the whole history of the bike, which is interesting especially because there is no documentation accompanying the bike!
Now I am trying to solve some technical problems and to find answers to some questions, while riding it pretty much constantly. It is a blast to ride!

Maybe you can help me find out more about the original livery. The frame and engine numbers make it an early 1979 model according to Ian Falloon's books, but from the pictures I got from the first owner it had a silver frame originally (which was then painted blue by the second owner). Is it possible that a 900ss with '79 numbers (frame 0881** and engine 0885**) could have originally come in the silver/blue configuration? The wheels were golden Campagnolos (now also blue! :P), but I cannot say if they were fitted at the factory or switched by the importer. I'd love to slowly bring it back to original specifications, so I have to find out if it was one of the last silver bikes or one of the first black ones! What do you think?

I am so glad I found this community and cannot wait to share more with you all along the way while reading and learning a lot!
Carlo
User avatar
BevHevSteve
SITE OWNER
SITE OWNER
Posts: 2324
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 8:53 pm
Location: Lafayette, California
Contact:

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by BevHevSteve »

welcome aboard - please post your photos as soon as you can - thank you
Image
Steve Allen (925)798-BEVL[2385] Ride'm, Don't Hide'm
Ducati/Euro Spares -> https://Store.BevelHeaven.com
caemca
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:37 am

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by caemca »

Long message incoming, with pictures and technical questions! Brace yourselves! :oops:

Here are some pictures of how the bike looks nowadays, pretty much exactly as I bought it.
Interesting are, apart from the complete body kit (which I'm sure would look way better in another color!), the bespoke silencers the Swiss importer designed as a less restrictive alternative to the originally supplied Lafranconi. They were made by hand in eastern Switzerland by an exhaust specialist (who used to make exhausts for a number of brands) and are marked "Phonos 900 SS-D".
Image Image Image Image Image Image

And here is one picture of how the bike looked back in 1979, as my friend bought it new. I am still undecided if I should return it to original conditions (I kind of dig the blue Imola tank) or just change the color combination of the current body kit to my liking. (Is there a color code for the gold on the Campagnolo wheels?)
Image

Not 500 km before I bought it, it had a complete service made by an official Ducati dealership (with valve adjustments, oil change and so on).
Since I bought it, my mechanic and I rebuilt both the 40mm carbs (new gaskets, jets, needle and membrane), but cannot fathom how to properly set the idle since the screw does not lift the slide quite enough (more evident on one carb than on the other). We already switched slides between the carburettors, to bypass the slight indentations at the bottom. Is there any known solution to this?
We also installed a new clutch pack (Surflex S1425), but could not use the new springs because they were too hard and tall for us to compress in order to mount the pressure plate. Thanks to the old softer springs and a longer actuating arm, the clutch is now not as hard as it was before.
Image

A new voltage regulator also found its way into the bike, after the old one fried a brand new battery on a 600 km trip I took. The old one had the orange plastic connector, the new one (which my mechanic had lying around, bought some years ago for a 750gt) has a black connector. It seems to work fine, I hope it will last. Here is a picture of the older one, I'll take one of the new one as soon as I get to it.
Image

Right now we are battling with a rebellious gearshift. Especially when upshifting, the gears do not want to engage. It's as if there was something in the way of the gear lever and it takes brute force to overcome the obstacle. We will try and replace both the selector and lever return springs. Any other ideas?

PS: I already have these beauties waiting...
Image
Lumpy
SD900 Darmah
Posts: 329
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:49 am

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by Lumpy »

Not sure of the time line of the selector mechanism`s of bevel drive Ducati`s. What I do know is that the selector mechanism on my 82 SS is nestled behind the the clutch drum. I had an instance when the cap screw (from memory it was counter sunk) that held the fork had come loose. It caused the gear change issues you speak of followed by no gear selection at all. If that sounds a bit vague, thats because it is...............it was about 7-8 years ago. What I am trying to say here is do not let this issue develop any further. Upon disassembly of mine the screw was ready to fall out and from there make it`s way into the primary drive with catastrophic results.
If it`s the same selector mechanism, that is, not in the countershaft sprocket cover, I think you need to remove the entire clutch drum to gain access which is no big deal. Well worth a drop of non permanent Loctite on the screws that hold the mechanism.
caemca
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:37 am

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by caemca »

Lumpy wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2019 4:45 am Not sure of the time line of the selector mechanism`s of bevel drive Ducati`s. What I do know is that the selector mechanism on my 82 SS is nestled behind the the clutch drum. I had an instance when the cap screw (from memory it was counter sunk) that held the fork had come loose. It caused the gear change issues you speak of followed by no gear selection at all. If that sounds a bit vague, thats because it is...............it was about 7-8 years ago. What I am trying to say here is do not let this issue develop any further. Upon disassembly of mine the screw was ready to fall out and from there make it`s way into the primary drive with catastrophic results.
If it`s the same selector mechanism, that is, not in the countershaft sprocket cover, I think you need to remove the entire clutch drum to gain access which is no big deal. Well worth a drop of non permanent Loctite on the screws that hold the mechanism.
Hi Lumpy, thank you very much for your answer!
I am pretty sure my bike has the same selector arrangement as your 82 SS. I will have to wait for the clutch lock tool I ordered to arrive, in order to remove the clutch basket.
While googling my issue I found the following picture on another forum. Is the screw indicated by the blue arrow the one you mean?
Image
Lumpy
SD900 Darmah
Posts: 329
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:49 am

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by Lumpy »

That my friend, is the offending cap screw. I was about 2 hours from home and began to get gear shifting issues. Finally I got it into 3rd gear but I could not shift it further. I rode about 15 kms like that to a service station and managed to shift it into 5th gear while on the centre stand. I was going to try and ride it home like that but a friend played with the shifter and it went back to a low gear and I could not get it into another gear.

I left the bike there and came back with my car and loaded it up and took it home.I was very lucky I rode no further. The screw was almost out and could have done a lot of damage.

I have always been able to undo the centre clutch nut using a socket and a large breaker bar with the engine in gear. I have never had a clutch locking tool. If you do go in there, its worth removing that screw, cleaning the hole and bolt with Loctite primer or brake cleaner, and apply a drop of 243 Loctite. Thats the blue grade which can be removed with hand tools if necessary but it won't vibrate loose. Hope this helps.
User avatar
BevHevSteve
SITE OWNER
SITE OWNER
Posts: 2324
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 8:53 pm
Location: Lafayette, California
Contact:

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by BevHevSteve »

sounds like the shifter spring is broken and/or the adjustment is off.

Image
https://store.bevelheaven.com/Engine-Re ... SS-to-998/
Image
Steve Allen (925)798-BEVL[2385] Ride'm, Don't Hide'm
Ducati/Euro Spares -> https://Store.BevelHeaven.com
caemca
Cucciolo - the Lil Pup
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:37 am

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by caemca »

Lumpy wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:17 am That my friend, is the offending cap screw. I was about 2 hours from home and began to get gear shifting issues. Finally I got it into 3rd gear but I could not shift it further. I rode about 15 kms like that to a service station and managed to shift it into 5th gear while on the centre stand. I was going to try and ride it home like that but a friend played with the shifter and it went back to a low gear and I could not get it into another gear.

I left the bike there and came back with my car and loaded it up and took it home.I was very lucky I rode no further. The screw was almost out and could have done a lot of damage.

I have always been able to undo the centre clutch nut using a socket and a large breaker bar with the engine in gear. I have never had a clutch locking tool. If you do go in there, its worth removing that screw, cleaning the hole and bolt with Loctite primer or brake cleaner, and apply a drop of 243 Loctite. Thats the blue grade which can be removed with hand tools if necessary but it won't vibrate loose. Hope this helps.
Thank you again, Lumpy. You were indeed lucky!
I hope my problem will be as simple to sort out as yours was. I can still shift, it's not stuck. Some gears are more problematic than others, I think the worst being 2nd and 3rd, while 4th and 5th are easier to engage. Is such a behavior compatible with a loose screw?
Last month I already tried to remove the clutch basket without the lock tool but was not able to get the centre nut off. I'll wait for it to turn up before I try (and probably fail! ;)) again.
BevHevSteve wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:17 am sounds like the shifter spring is broken and/or the adjustment is off.

Image
https://store.bevelheaven.com/Engine-Re ... SS-to-998/
Hi Steve, thank you for your answer!
I thought about that spring and will replace it together with the other spring Nr. 0799.13.120.
What about the adjustment? What is there to adjust, and how would I go about it? I looked online for guidance but could not find anything!
ducadini
860 GT / GTS
Posts: 296
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 9:54 am
Location: Antwerpen

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by ducadini »

Red circle : The meshing of the teeth is indeed off. Not much of a problem, they just return the shifter-pat to its Original position.
Adjustment is for returning the shifter to the center position, and when it's off too much the shifter doesn't return correctly.
Shifting up OR down will become difficult, not both.
Check wear on the fork that grabs on the little pins.
Yellow circle : the slots are different, but You can only fit that part in one position.

When You get stuck in the outback without gears : third is the best option. You will be able to get rolling and still maintain a decent pace.

ciao
ducadini
Nego i ricordi peggiori
Richiamo i migliori pensieri
Speedrocker
Mariana
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2018 7:04 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Hi from Switzerland!

Post by Speedrocker »

Hello,

i´ve just done this job also this week on my MHR,...last weekend on tour, it was more and more difficult, to shift down, especially to the 2 lower gears, upshifting was no problem,..but to shift down was only possible with a lot of tricky fumbling with my foot... :(
So, i had assume, that the selctor-return spring is broken,...and so it was: After taking away the complete clutch assembly, the problem-zone was visible,...and the broken spring! - I had bought it same day,..and changed it in the next hour. After completing the engines left side, it was al, as it should be: Smooth operating shift linkage, with an shifter-pedal in the perfect middle position :-D

Here you can see the damaged spring still in the engine..
Primär5.JPG
Greets,
Joe
Post Reply

Return to “Introduce Yourself”