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is the differences cosmetic or is there more between the SSD and the SD ???

The differences are mainly cosmetic, altho' it does depend on which year of SD production you're using as a reference. (And there are also minor differences within the SSD production run).

But here you go to start with :-)

HTH

Craig

Main differences between SSD and SD

Bodywork, handlebars, footpegs, instrument holder
• SSD came with a fairing and screen and was only produced in two-tone blue. (The fairing is not the same as SS).
• SSD was fitted with clip-ons and rear sets, SD has high bars and forward-mounted footpegs. Gear levers and rear brake levers differ accordingly.
• SSD instrument holder has 2 mounting holes, SD has 4.
• SSD right side panel has a cut-out in the rear edge. SSD has 3 holes.
Edit: Woops! Typo. Should read, "SD has 3 holes" (thanks to Steve A for the correction).

Frame
• SSD has a flat plate welded to the front of the headstock (to receive fairing mount). However, some late-produced SDs also use these frames.
• SSDs have an extension bracket bolted to the frame for mounting the rear pillion pegs.

Front mudguard
• SSD front mudguard is more rounded, the SD one squarer - not easy to see unless next to each other.

Engine
• All SSDs came with SS spec engines, e.g. double web con-rods.
• All SSD heads have the carb studs spaced at 58mm.
• Only the SD came with a kick-start (and only pre-1979).

Brakes
• SSD came with 6 hole, drilled discs with separate aluminium centres.
• Rear brake master differently placed?

Hi Craig, you said "SSD right side panel has a cut-out in the rear edge. SSD has 3 holes."

you meant, the SD has 3 holes. But, some later SD also had the cutout for the rear master cylinder

You also said "Rear brake master differently placed?"

Yes which is why there is a cutout for the master cylinder, to make room for it...

There are some other differences as well, I will add to this as I think em up. This is a real good topic which I do not believe has ever really been looked at.

Craig , Steve

Now just to add confusion into the mix , Take a 81 or 82 SD and here you have the plate welded to the steering head stock , it will also have the extension bracket bolted to the frame for mounting the rear pillion pegs.
and have the SSD rear master and cut out side panel, 58mm stud spacings etc etc , there would be many other things as well ,

Craig are you sure they came out with SS rod's ? I never checked mine when it was apart.

All Ducati were doing is use up some of their overstocked parts to make the last SD's before the last run MHR & S2 were introduced

BevHevSteve wrote:Hi Craig, you said "SSD right side panel has a cut-out in the rear edge. SSD has 3 holes."

you meant, the SD has 3 holes. But, some later SD also had the cutout for the rear master cylinder

Ta, Steve - little typo there :-). Have edited the original ...

Ciao

Craig

Martin Mille / SSD wrote:Craig , Steve

Now just to add confusion into the mix , Take a 81 or 82 SD and here you have the plate welded to the steering head stock , it will also have the extension bracket bolted to the frame for mounting the rear pillion pegs.
and have the SSD rear master and cut out side panel, 58mm stud spacings etc etc , there would be many other things as well ,

All Ducati were doing is use up some of their overstocked parts to make the last SD's before the last run MHR & S2 were introduced

All true, Martin. It seems an over-stock of SSD frames and other bits would explain why the later SDs got these items. I'm fairly sure that the 58mm stud spacings also became current on all engines around 1980, altho' I can't now find the reference for this (it will, of course, be Ian F).

Martin Mille / SSD wrote:Craig are you sure they came out with SS rod's ? I never checked mine when it was apart.

As always, I stand to be corrected, but I believe so. In any event, according to Ian F., the dual rib rods became standard in SD engines from 1980 on.

Ciao

Craig

great stuff!.....thx.... i thought the frame/engine numbers may have been different. and perhaps a mark like MHR motors have a stamp on the back of the crankcase?

I have only seen painted dots on early SS cylinder heads.

Rossco27 wrote:I thought the frame/engine numbers may have been different ...

Oh, you know how to bring out the worst in me ... :-)

Here goes ...

Engine numbers
SD: Started a new sequence, DM860 900001.

SSD: Used the same prefix as SD, but starting with serial number 903400 +/-. Finished at 905850 (both figures according to Ian F.)

The earliest SSD that I know of is 903539 and the latest is 905416.

Frame numbers
SD: Initially prefixed DM 860SS, with serial numbers starting 900001. Homologation number was DGM 13715 OM.
In late ’79, changed to DM 900SD, with serial numbers starting 950001 and finishing 952100 (Ian F.). Homologation no. was DGM 19139 OM.

SSD: Used same prefixes as SD.
The DM 860SS sequence for the SSD started 902960 +/- (Ian F.)

The earliest SSD that I know of using the DM 860SS prefix is 903138 and the latest is 903281.

The earliest SSD that I know of using the DM 900SD prefix is 950191 and the latest that I know of is 952023.

And if anyone with a SSD wants to send me their numbers, I'd be very grateful!

Ciao

Craig

well i am liking the worst in you! cheers and i will send you the numbers when i can get a closer look at a particular SSD thats disguised as a MHR apparently....

Rossco27 wrote: ... i will send you the numbers when i can get a closer look at a particular SSD thats disguised as a MHR apparently....

Ta Rossco - will appreciate that.

Ciao

Craig (used to have a MHR - SSD is much better )

Craig in UK wrote:The differences are mainly cosmetic,
• SSDs have an extension bracket bolted to the frame for mounting the rear pillion pegs.

Many thanks for bringing this to my attention , I never realized that this extension ever existed as you hardly ever see a genuine SSD around and most by now would no longer have this bracket , In over 9 yrs looking at fleebay I have never seen a set come up for sale, until the other day and I bought ( price didnt matter , well to a point anyway) them as I was missing them from my restore that I'm about to start to put back together again

once again huge thanks to Craig
Cheers Mate

Martin Mille / SSD wrote:
once again huge thanks to Craig
Cheers Mate

A pleasure - hey, we have to stick together, 'cos the rest of the world thinks we're weirdos, right ?

Ciao

Craig

Hi Craig....just to confuse you a tad more, my SD is a 1978 model, and has 58mm heads as standard. 58mm heads were introduced from engine no:903026, mine is 903030. I have a brand new set of side panels still wrapped in their Ducati wrappings that have the cut out in the R/H side and they have SD900 with the tiger on them. I'm sure the factory boys enjoyed all the swapping of parts just to confuse us all.

Grover wrote:Hi Craig....just to confuse you a tad more, my SD is a 1978 model, and has 58mm heads as standard. 58mm heads were introduced from engine no:903026, mine is 903030.

Hi Grover,

Thanks. As I said, it all depends which incarnation of the SD you're making the comparison with, and I couldn't remember off-hand exactly when the wide spaced studs became regular on the SD ...

So, '78 it is - which means that if you have the narrow space studs, you can be sure it's a (early) SD.

Grover wrote:I have a brand new set of side panels still wrapped in their Ducati wrappings that have the cut out in the R/H side and they have SD900 with the tiger on them. I'm sure the factory boys enjoyed all the swapping of parts just to confuse us all.

Yeh, this is not unusual - again as I said, it would appear that Ducati had an over-supply of SSD covers, so simply marked them up with the SD decal.

Ciao

Craig