Interchanging Electric/Non-Electric Start Clutch Covers

[Osred]

Will a non-electric start Bosch clutch cover, i.e. 900SS, be compatible with a Darmah motor if I choose to remove the electric starter and only use the kick lever? I only see Darmahs on the market with the bulky electric starter.
If anyone in the Pacific Northwest of the United States is interested in selling a Darmah motor or a complete Darmah, with relatively low mileage, please contact me at (206) 851-6485. Chris

[gavin]

i`m fairly positive you can, i did it to a gts i had i fitted a gt cover and got rid of that heavy starter and battery,so can`t see why you can`t with bosch ignition.

[MartinMille BANNED]

I got a SD that is Kick only and 92mm bores , get the kick wrong and your up and over the bars, it dont help once you have had a few wild turkeys under your skin either
The bike came like that

[wdietz186]

The cover will go on without any problem. The only hang up would be if you don't already have an SS primary cover, They are pricey and hard to find. You will also need to have access to the pickup setting tool to get the timing right. While you are in there you should probably rewire the pickup leads too. But yeah the cover will fall right on!

[Osred]

Thanks for the advice, fellow riders. I thought the covers would be interchangeable, but wanted some input on that subject. Luckily, I do have a non-electric start cover already...just need a replacement motor while mine is overhauled.

[Aussiess]

Hi,
I have just recently done this exercise and was very surprised to hit a snag at the very last stage.
Please check your selector shaft length.
If you have an electric start darmah engine chances are it has a "long shaft" in it.
An SS style case will use a "short shaft"
There is only about 25mm in it, but it sure looks wierd and you will only have to pull it apart again to change the shaft.
I ended up having to get a short shaft and now have the long shaft and the electric start cases /gear for when I eventually blow out a knee kickstarting one of my bevels.
Trust this has reached you before you found out this can be an issue!
regards
Grant

[MartinMille BANNED]

Hey Grant
Where have you been ? did you get your NCR bike completed ? Pic's Mate

also you change your email address I sent you one a little while ago but no reply

[Aussiess]

Hey Martin,
I am back, have been working to pay for these toys (dont we all).
Yes NCR is finished its a tough cranky thing.
Engine 10 months in the process but worth every second (after riding it!)
Pics I will attempt to attach ASAP.
Email [email protected]- new company / job.

Hope old mate has managed to fit this case without issue.

[Pescara]

Hi,
I have just recently done this exercise and was very surprised to hit a snag at the very last stage. Please check your selector shaft length.
If you have an electric start darmah engine chances are it has a "long shaft" in it. An SS style case will use a "short shaft"

There is only about 25mm in it, but it sure looks wierd and you will only have to pull it apart again to change the shaft. I ended up having to get a short shaft and now have the long shaft and the electric start cases /gear for when I eventually blow out a knee kickstarting one of my bevels.
Trust this has reached you before you found out this can be an issue!
regards
Grant

FWIW the last Darmahs had the short selector shaft and a different primary cover, with a cranked lever to match. On these bikes the SS cover will interchange directly, while on early Darmahs (as you explain) the selector shaft is different. *However*, the same late Darmahs have no kick start setup, so you have a whole different set of problems to covert the engine to SS spec.

If you have a late Darmah and need a shift lever or electric start primary cover, its a problem as both parts are different than either early Darmah or SS.

[Lumpy]

Hey Gavin,
did I read you right, that you got rid of the battery altogether on your GTS? Could you tell me how you did that? I`ve changed the side cover on my GTS and got rid of the starter but have that dirty great battery to lug around still. I realise the ignish will still happen without a battery but where does the alternator charge? Any info would be appreciated.

[gavin]

sorry mate ,meant you can get rid of that large battery for a smaller one as you dont require the grunt for electric start anymore.

[nottonight68]

all you need is a battery eliminator-but i would not recomend this.
without the electric start ,just buy a smaller battery-it'll be fine

[Osred]

...late Darmahs have no kick start setup, so you have a whole different set of problems to covert the engine to SS spec.

Wow, really I missed the boat on this information when recently purchasing a 1982 Darmah motor with the intention of taking the starter system off and using only a kick lever. Looking back at the eBay photos, I realize a grave oversight was made on this detail.

Can the late Darmah motor be converted into one utilizing a kick lever? I sure hope so...Thanks for any information you may have.

Chris

[Aussiess]

Chris,
Mate, you can do anythig to a ducati engine if you have the $$.
You will need to find a kick starter shaft first! be careful there are lots of ebay sharks out there that will rip you off.
contact a reliable known ducati shop and ask. Also check all the relevant internet portals. Steve may even have a few spare bits through this site, he has moved a few second hand parts prior.
If you get stuck give Gowanlochs a call and ask Mike to talk you through the process and costs, he is pretty straight up, and knows the costs well.
Good luck.

[Osred]

Grant,

I appreciate your advice and referrals. My hope was simply to drop this motor into the frame, but it now looks like we'll be going through the entire thing, since I refuse to have the electric starter and its corresponding cover on my bike - more weight and unsightly.

Can you confirm whether or not the kick start assembly part numbers are the same for the whole Darmah range? My friend has a spare square case kick assembly, but is not certain if there were different versions/parts throughout production.

Thanks again Mate,
Chris