Can anyone help me identify this Ducati Speedometer ?

[joe46ho]

Hi, I'm new to this site, I have been a member of Motoscrubs for a while now but I struck out asking about this speedo on there... I know very little about early Ducati twins. The best I can tell doing online searches is that this fits a Darmah 900 ? But I cant find one exactly like it anywhere, most others I have seen have a navy blue face, and the trip meter/odometer are in the opposite positions... As a side note if anyone needs this let me know, I have no real use for it as all my Ducatis are early bevel drive singles.

Here are a couple pics, new in box, removed for the pictures only.

[Craig in France]

Not obvious, is it Joe? OK, I don't know; but, seeing as no-one else has come up with a definite answer, let's 'Play Detective' a bit ...

1. It's a Nippon Denso unit. Now those first appeared (I believe) on the 350/500 GTV (and then later on the 350/500 Sport Desmo). But in the photos I've found, they all look blue-faced, e.g.



2. Similar but different N-D instruments were also used on the Darmah. But it's not a standard Darmah unit - they too were blue-faced .

3. Ditto, to the best of my knowledge, all MHRs, MIlles and S2s. But I could be wrong here - if I am, some one will swiftly correct me, I'm sure !

Hmmm. Ok ...

4. It's got the Giugiaro typeface. So it can't be any later than the F1 and its variants.

5. I think all the Pantahs, up to and including the TL, used the by-now-familiar, blue-faced N-D instruments. Here's Phil Ainsley's close up of a 650SL, for example:



And here a 600SL:



And similar for a 350 TL.

Ok, so no good. But let's Keep on Truckin' ...

6. The 1985 F1 also used N-D instruments. But, again, in the photos I've seen they're blue-faced (e.g page 50, Ian Falloon's "Belt-drive two-valve twins").

7. Now, the 1986 F1 DID have white-faced instruments. But I'm pretty sure they were all Veglia units . And according to Ian F., the same went for the F3.

8. So I wondered about the F4 ? (Edit: Woops .. I mean the 400 F3, of course ). Used Nippon Denso, according to Ian; but he doesn't say if they were blue or white-faced.

9. Or how about the Montjuic/Laguna Seca/Santamonica F1 variants? White-faced instruments, but I don't know whose; but why would Ducati NOT have used Veglias, as on the regular F1?

10. Otherwise, it must have been destined for a Utah or Rollah ...

All the above doesn't answer your question, I know . But it might spur someone else on to have a go!

Ciao

Craig

[machten]

I recall being told at some stage that some white faced Ducati Nippon Denso's were made specifically for the Japanese market, but I can't say whether that's true or not. I haven't seen any white faced gauges on Japanese import pictures I've seen. Raider Motorsports in Queensland might be worth an email. They have imported from Japan and may be able to confirm or deny.

Kev

[Craig in France]

I recall being told at some stage that some white faced Ducati Nippon Denso's were made specifically for the Japanese market <snip>

Yeh, reckon it's gotta be something like that, Kev. Btw ...

A little update to my previous (and in which I have now corrected my brain-f**t about the name of this particular model )

All the photos I'm finding on Tinternet of 400 F3s show white-faced Veglias, i.e. not N-Ds as Ian says. And that includes bikes in Japan. So I'm now thinking, probably not that model ...

[joe46ho]

Thanks a lot for the info so far guys, I have done internet searches until i am crosseyed, and i cant seem to find any white faced nippon denso gauges yet...
hopefully we can figure it out some day, im sure someone out there could use this for there restoration project, its nearly useless to me, unless I just put it in with my "display only" parts that I have...

Joe

[abmartin]

The speedo appears to read in miles/hour unless it was intended for a small capacity machine. The USA and UK were probably the only countries that used that form of measurement when the instrument was manufactured. Could that be a clue? As well, the only information provided on dial appears to be the manufacturer's name. No small print or indication of the type of measurement. Could it be that someone or an aftermarket company created a special dial?

Bruce

[machten]

The speedo appears to read in miles/hour unless it was intended for a small capacity machine. The USA and UK were probably the only countries that used that form of measurement when the instrument was manufactured.

Yeah! Good call, Bruce. I didn't pick that up. Probably rules out the Japanese angle.

Kev

[Craig in France]

<snip> Could it be that someone or an aftermarket company created a special dial?

Good point, Bruce. And last night I thought I might have cracked it, when I read that the 25 Vogel Milles used white faced N-D units. But this morning this is what the Tinterweb turns up ...



So, 'Close - but no cigar' ...

(And anyways, why would a Swiss-built special use a mileometer?)

[wdietz186]

Those inst faces could have been custom made too. There are more than a few people that restore/repair ND gauges and can supply new faces as needed. I imagine you could get your name printed on one if you wanted it badly enough.