Darmola

[Osred]

Greetings to All.

This is my first Ducati, purchased in September 2006 from Mike Smith of Kenmore Air. I guess nearly eight years of pestering him to sell this machine to me paid off. Extensive customization began in January through May, 2007, accomplished with the astute expertise of Reed Galbraith, Clint Kendall, Steve Allen and many others to whom I am grateful.










The hydraulic clutch release is incredibly smooth!






A new and unmolested original Veglia race tach (not a replica). Unfaltering responsiveness!


















Steve Allen provided the slick Malossi clear float bowls.


No more tug-of-war with a clutch cable.


On the chopping block in February, 2007.


Before...After


Before...After


Before...After


Specifications

Motor: 1978 900 SD “Darmah” (864cc, dual-plugged).
Valve Train: Desmodromic
Frame: Custom fabrication. Unpainted, heat-treated 4130 CroMo aircraft tubing. 1
Geometry: 57-inch wheelbase, 25-degree fork rake.
Swingarm: Custom fabrication. A unique, oval design pivoting on tapered roller bearings with rear eccentric adjustment. 1
Centerstand: Custom fabrication. CroMo copy of factory stand with OEM springs. 1
Clutch M/C: Brembo 13-mm, rectangular housing. 7
Clutch Actuation: Hydraulic with custom machined (not CNC) aluminum slave cylinder and bronze piston. 1
Clutch Assembly: Wet
Tachometer: Original Veglia white face racing tach, 80-mm, 4:1 ratio, 16x1.0-mm output. 8
Speedometer: Sigma bicycle computer with custom stainless steel top yoke mount and aluminum lower sensor bracket. 1, 2
Fuel Tank: Fiberglass Imola replica. 5
Fuel Taps: Brev Orlandi replicas. 7
Fuel Line: Translucent red racing line. 10
Fuel Filters: Niente. Proper routing of the fuel line along with gravity and a relatively low-pressure system does the trick, coupled with the filter screen in each carburetor.
Air Filters: K&N, purchased factory direct.
Carburators: Dell’Orto PHM 40 AS/AD with clear Malossi float bowls. 7
Throttle Assembly: Dual cable housing by Tommaselli.
Throttle Cables: Replicas purchased from Barnett Performance Products.
Headers: 2-into-1 from a Super Sport. 1
Muffler: Custom left-side single. 1
Wheels: Campagnolo five-spoke cast magnesium, front 2.15x18”, rear 2.5x18”. Powder coated high-gloss black. 3
Tires: Metzeler LaserTec, Front 90-18, Rear 4.00-18. 4
Front Brake M/C: Brembo 15-mm, rectangular housing. 7
Brake Calipers: Brembo F08, dual front, single rear.
Brake Rotors: 280-mm cast-iron, four-bolt pattern.
Forks: 38-mm polished aluminum by Marzocchi. 10
Top Fork Yoke: Marzocchi. Modified with the help and artistry of my longtime friend Jeff Ludwig of Argent Fabrication. Handlebar mounts removed and plugged with brass.
Shocks: Works Performance Billet Trackers with black springs.
Handlebars: CNC billet aluminum clip-ons. 10
Grips: Tommaselli
Head Light Ears: Tommaselli
Mirrors: Hindsight model by Constructor’s Racing Group (CRG). 7
Switch Gear: Manufactured by Nippon Denso. 2
Chain: 530 O-Ring by Regina.
Electrical: Stock wiring and unknown fuse box. 2
Battery: Black sealed unit by WestCo.
Ignition: German made DMC. 2
Electric Starter: Niente. Removed.
Spark Plugs: Primary-BP6HS, Secondary-C7HSA by NGK.
Head Light: Bosch 180-mm (7-inch) 55/60 H4. 2
Turnsignals: My left arm.
Tail Light: C.E.V. slim rectangular style from a single. 2
Tail Light Bracket: Custom. 1
Gear Gazer: CNC billet aluminum by Dr. Desmo. 7
Rear Sets: Custom fabricated and fitted. 1
Foot Pegs: Knurled folding pegs by Tarozzi. 9
Kickstart Lever: OEM Super Sport, later style. 10
Seat: Dual passenger, leather replica with light tan stitching. 11
Rear Cowling: Replica fiberglass. 5
Fenders: Fiberglass replicas. 5
Hardware/Fasteners: Lightened and safety-wired where necessary. 6


1 Designed and/or fabricated by Reed Galbraith.
2 Inspected, tested, reconfigured and/or commissioned by Capt. Clint Kendall (USAF, Ret).
3 Inspection and powder-coating by Steve Hansen and John Shockley of Allied Technical Services Corp. – Seattle, WA.
4 Purchased from Fred Inman at Ride West BMW – Seattle, WA.
5 Painted by Ray Goodwin of Moslander’s Rod & Custom – Monroe, WA.
6 Purchased from Hardwick’s, Stoneway Hardware, and Tacoma Screw – Seattle, WA.
7 Purchased from Steve Allen of Bevel Heaven – Pleasant Hill, CA.
8 Purchased from Kurt Liebmann of AMOL Precision Racing – Dumont, NJ.
9 Purchased from Joe Purshock of Vintage Cosmo – Hatfield, PA.
10 eBay purchase.
11 Origin unknown.

Have I left any stone unturned? Yeah, but I'll draw the line here for now.

Future progress will include overhauling the motor and transmission, ceramic jet coating of the exhaust system, locating some proper passenger pegs, fabrication of a small fairing for the instruments, replacement of fiberglass tank with an aluminum one, and replacing the wheels with forged aluminum replicas of the existing Campagnolos.

Working on and riding this machine is extremely fun. Thank you for taking the time to view this post.

Cheers,
Chris D.

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[FastFashn]

has more money to spend on this hobby than dost I.

Why is the frame unpainted. ChroMo rusts too, y'know?

[Osred]

The frame, swingarm and centerstand were built in 1994. Over the course of thirteen years, this frame had four different motors in it, but had never seen the road until this past May!

Yeah, I could have painted it, but then that would just mean less riding time this season. If I do end up painting the bike with Dupont Imron, it will probably happen when we dismantle everything for the engine overhaul this winter. Anyway, I favor looking at the unpainted frame and the detail it reveals.

A little steel wool and WD-40 works wonders for corrosion, not to mention a dry storage space. Apparently, there is a protective coating on the tubing when it left the mill, which assists in minimizing corrosion.

[FastFashn]

The frame, swingarm and centerstand were built in 1994. Over the course of thirteen years, this frame had four different motors in it, but had never seen the road until this past May!

Yeah, I could have painted it, but then that would just mean less riding time this season. If I do end up powder coating, it will be when we dismantle everything for the engine overhaul this winter. Anyway, I favor the "raw" look for the time being.

A little steel wool and WD-40 works wonders for corrosion, not to mention a dry storage space. Apparently, there is a protective coating on the tubing when it left the mill, which assists in minimizing corrosion.

Ya, but as someone who has had Italian bicycles around (Reynolds 531 tubing) and some other steel bikes, they do rust. Also they rust inside the tubing too, where you can't see it. Anyway, loverly bike, very interesting! Love the color on the tank.

Give me a ring sometime about spares.

[Osred]

The fellow who built this frame has a couple of bare-framed Ducati race bikes in his shop that have been around for years, and do not seem to suffer from corrosion with a little TLC, i.e. steel wool and WD-40. Granted, these are used for racing, so they need to be able to inspect the frame after use for failed welds or fractures, and a coat of paint could get in the way of doing so.

Concerning corrosion on the inside of the frame tubing, how do you avoid that without going through the tedious process of what the aircraft industry does? Since my bike is not intended for the track, I may end up painting with Dupont Imron to further protect against the damp Seattle weather.

The paint job on the tank and fenders is a Ford Motor Company factory color.

[Osred]

Additional images posted above.

[DesmoDog]

Nice bike... but I'm wondering what the silver one in the background of one of those pics is?

[Osred]

The other bike in the background of the image prior to the before/after photos is a replica of a 1973 Imola Racer, with a 750GT motor - slated for installation of a 750SS motor this winter. This bike has a lot of really cool modifications, but I don't have any other photos. Unfortunately, I am not the owner.

[BevHevSteve]

Chris, thanks for taking the time to post al these nice photos and info on your beautiful bevel. Well Done!

[Osred]

Returning to Seattle in the dark, moving at sixty-plus miles per hour from a two-hundred mile trip with my brother on State Road 530 between Rockport and Sedro Woolley in northern Washington State, the fate of this minuscule mammal fell to the very CRG mirrors that keep me safe. Under these circumstances, better a bat than a deer or elk.

My first thought was that it may have been a large bug, or that I clipped a small bird. About three minutes later, I looked in the right mirror to see that my brother was still behind on a 1990 R100GS, and noticed what first appeared to be a piece of wet paper bag. To my surprise, it was this small bat, with its body on the backside of the mirror and a wing wrapped around the front.

I continued without stopping for another ten to fifteen miles at the same speed until we reached a gas station at Sedro Woolley. The bat had stayed affixed to the mirror until my bike slowed to about ten miles per hour, then it just dangled by one wing, and clearly its injuries were fatal.

Amazed by this, I had to show my brother and take some photographs. Without removing it, I drove nearly eighty miles to Seattle. The bat stayed on the entire distance and didn't appear to have any external damage afterwards, so my buddy Jeff is now attempting to preserve it for display.

Yes, odd...

[cshannon]

First up, Thanks for posting. That is one very nice special and shows some real individual taste and flair.

Second, hey Dana, having been a bevel enthusiast for over 20 years in the country that received a large proportion of all the bevel twins ever produced, and despite them being 30 odd years old now ... I have NEVER heard of one dying due to the frame rusting from the inside out! All tube is sold with residual mill oil and unless it is deliberately removed, serves as an excellent preservative. Me thinks you worry too much!

Spray it, don't spray it, it's up to you. There is a product in Australia called 'Inox' which is a lanolin based marine grade water repellent spray. It works better and longer than WD40, ... you might like to look into it. I'm sure there is something equivalent available in your part of the world.

I'd be very interested to hear more about the design and workings of your hydraulic clutch system. Do you have more photos of it? Maybe some bench shots the components before it was installed? A drawing or two? I really like what you've done there. Keep up the innovative enthusiasm!

Chris

[nottonight68]

wow