Picked up one today

[jetboy]

so i stopped by the local ducati dealer and the guy pulled out his microfiche machine - i seem to have gotten lucky and found the ONE guy as everyone else didn't even know what microfiche was. funny thing, he looked under 30 - but anyway, he promptly found the parts numbers and then promptly found that none of the parts were still available from ducati.

even simple things like the speedo cable, im assuming just a generic will work? im back to sort of scrutinizing pictures of the f1, paso, and SS to determine if the parts might work.

[blaster]

i have an ss switch on mine and i don't think i had to modify it, just plug it in. a euro unit has an on/off switch for the headlites. yea, new parts are becoming a pain to get but alot of the ss stuff and some items from pasos work. the dealer i go to (MCC) in villa park il. gets speedo cables but they cost alot so i get inner speedo repair kits from motion pro pt#01-0107. its 50'' long and will work as a tach cable too. alot cheaper. i have a microfiche and a projector so i can look up part numbers myself but like i said parts are getting hard to get from ducati. most engine stuff is still available and you can always find something that will work so it isn't as bad as it seems. hey, have you been to sears point since its been redone? i used to live in los angles (thats were i bought my sport new in 1990) and i was in the afm. i raced most of the afm events at willow but i got up to sears a couple of times. cool track. if you want a part number i'll look it up but it might be nla. gotta keep the old girls going. blaster

[jetboy]

thanks for the tips - been a HUGE help. i ordered a cable from motionpro and ill get some SS controls.

the frame is definitely a bit tweaked, i cant tell when riding but like you said, the bolts to the engine were way tight, i didnt turn too hard as i was afraid to break them off. actually one already is broken from when someone tried -- you can actually see that its broken in one of the pics i posted.

so add that to the list!

[blaster]

yikes! remember, the front half and the rear half are held together pretty much by three engine mounting bolts and the shock so be careful. i would give some serious thought to taking the bike to a frame shop. at least try to replace the missing allen bolt. i'm betting its one of the front ones and if it is the right side one there is a spacer in between the frame and the engine. the big rear mounting bolt has the same spacer too. if another bolt fails the bike will probably fold up like a jack knife so i repeat, be careful. about the cable repair kit, its a universal kit so it has three different ends you can install on the cable after you trim it to length. the tip of the end you will use is too long and you will have to trim it, no biggy. take your time in getting the overall length right, i almost trimed mine too short. stupid me. good luck. blaster

[jetboy]

frame shop it is, there are several race shops in the bay area, and i assume they are sorts used to frames out of kilter. gonna bring her in and see what they think and get some recommendations for repairs.

for the moment its just the head thats broken off, so the bolt is still holding frame to engine tightly, but yes, its not safe.

[jcslocum]

Check this site out for hints:

http://www.framestraightsystem.com/Moto ... 0Check.htm

There is another on that uses a cheap laser for home building to do some checks too. If I find it I'll post it.

[jetboy]

so i found 2 guys nearby that straighten frames: Jerry Piazza and "The Frame Man" - but while i was searching on ebay for a clutch lever/reservoir i came across a 94 900SS frame for $300 dollars, which, even with shipping, is half of what it would cost to straighten mine--

is the frame the same? if not, what frames are? it might be cheaper and have a nicer end result, to just buy an undamaged frame - but then i guess in some ways, its not the same bike anymore

[ducinthebay]

Hey Jetboy, Cool bike. With old bikes, there is always the debate.
Return to stock, or make it a hot rod. I think your PO already made that decision for you.

Mine too has cracked paint on the top frame tubes leading to the steering head. I presumed it was from a nasty tank slapper at some time in its life.

With all dropped bikes, you should make sure the front end isn't bound up. Loosen the axle and pinch bolts, and the pinch bolts on the triple clamps, then bounce everything around a bit. Tighten everything back up and take it for a ride. A tweaked front end will make the bike ride real weird.

I too have quite a bit of experience with this bike, as I rebuilt mine from a more miserable disgrace than yours. Along the way I have acquired a lot of spares that I am now interested in getting rid of. I live 20 miles from you in Fremont. I'd be glad to help you with your revival of a great bike.

Don't go with the SS frame unless you know your frame is bent. The SS frame is dramatically different, and lots of parts won't fit. The change over isn't worth it. Besides, the Sport frame is a much better geometry than the SS.

I used Jerry Piazza to straighten some wheels with good effect. The frame man in Sacremento is more arrogant, and booked for weeks, if not months.

Let me know if I can come up and check out your bike. Shoot me a list of what you need, I probably have it.

Cheers,

[jetboy]

rockin!

yes, i realized after i posted that the frame is most similar to an f1 frame, and not an SS.

currently the bike is at my work in san rafael, otherwise id say come up today! i have more space there, plus things like an air compressor etc. give me an email:

jetboy@lavabit.com or call 510.316.2620

[bucbean]

11/16/08

There are many brake booster check valves on the market that can be fitted to your crankcase vent.

When I switched to dellortos years ago I fitted a Motormite 80190.....available everywhere.

It serves to maintain a little negative pressure in the crankcase.....a good think for a variety of reasons.

[ducinthebay]

Jetboy and I got together this afternoon to go over his new scoot. As with all 18 year old bikes, there are some cool bits, and some horrific bits. We fixed a few of the horrific bits, like a master cylinder that was woefully incorrect for the bike.

The mystery swingarm has been revealed. The P.O. took a 90's 750ss steel swingarm, cut off the leading arms to the pivot pin, machined them out to fit the Sports pivot pin, then welded them back onto the swingarm with a few nice gussets. Overall, A+ work. Most certainly a good alternative if you have a cracked swingarm. Just make sure your welder/machinist can align everything properly when it all goes back together.

All in all, his Sport is a proper belching, smoking, oil dripping bike that looks great without the fairing. The 16" wheels look really good without the fairing. The big SuperTrapps sound good too.

Good to see another one on the road, and definitely on the road to being a hot rod. We put on a fairing from an 70's 750ss just to see what it would look like. It looks really good. Hmm, should have taken a picture of that.


Cheers,

[jetboy]

yeah, it was excellent. thanks for all the help on that! it really helps to have an experienced hand and eye. the clutch master/choke combo i got from a paso worked wonders on the stiff clutch issue and phil hooked me up with a long list of little needs - including some pretty neat blinkers that shine both back and front, which made me feel a bit safer as it was dusk into dark as i hit the MacArthur Maze (big freeway mess).

still needs more work, but mostly little things ill be gathering and fixing as i go- i hope. heh