Reviving a stored 907

discussions specific to the 907IE
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beemerboy
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO - USA

Reviving a stored 907

Post by beemerboy »

I've not posted much on this site but have been lurking for a while after a buddy tipped me off. To make a long story short I bought a black 907 from another board member and had it shipped to me here in CO. :cool:

I had the bike checked out by a former Duc owner who lived near the seller and he came back with a glowing report. Okay, knowing the bike had been stored for over three years and that it had the typical problems associated with such treatment I bought the bike for a fair price.

It's been here for about three weeks and I've discovered the following: The gas tank had a lot of rust in it because the previous owner didn't drain it; The coolant hoses are original and there's evidence of some leakage at two connections to the water jacket; All external fuel lines are hard as rock; The fuel pump is shot (this I knew); The clutch lever required all of about two ounces of pressure to pull; The helmet lock's ring is broken. :sad:

I know that at last one other member resurrected a stored 907 that was in pieces when he bought it so I know these problems aren't insurmountable. What's been a royal PITA is trying to get parts for this beast. I'm certainly getting up to speed on dealing with Duc dealers - with the exception of Erico Motorsports in Denver the best are all out of state and the local (Colorado Springs) dealer doesn't seem interested in supporting anything but newer models. :mad:

Now for some good news. Another 907 owner has experience at cleaning and sealing tanks, my tank arrived at his house two days ago. In the meantime I located a salvage tank in Scotland in the correct color. The price was VERY right and it's on its way here as I write this. I've procured a new gel battery, chain, rectifier, SS braided brake lines, and various other parts needed to breathe life into her. I'm doing some of the work myself and will have a local Duc pro handle the higher level stuff. In time I'll do all the work myself.

Spring is around the corner and with any luck my neighbors will be hearing the drone of this beautiful and unique Ducati.

Wish me luck fellas........and send donations!
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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mike
paso grand pooh-bah
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model: 750 Paso
year: 1988
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Post by mike »

I *might* have a helmet lock. I'll look this weekend. I have to ship donation parts to Gerhard first though. :D
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beemerboy
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helmet lock

Post by beemerboy »

Mike,

Any help, advice, donations (cash, material, or otherwise) would be geratly appreciated. It seems that I keep finding things that need to be replaced and at present have parts coming from all over the US as well as AU and GB. It gets old hearing the same old story about how slow Ducati is in getting parts to this country and it's getting even older to hear about how "odd" and "outdated" the 907 is. What are we supposed to do, throw the bike away after ten years? :rant:

End of rant. :D
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
wiggs

Post by wiggs »

if, and only if you throw it, throw it east to ohio. i'll have a parts bike for mine. i bought mine about the same time that one was brought to my attention. stay positive, the rewards are a big smile when the time comes. if you think you are frustrated, try a ground up rebiuld on a 40 yr old beemer or a 60 some yr old indian. both well worth the effort. i'm sure this summer when you ride it you'll be smiling. remember what "they" say,"the brain remembers no pain". i guess that's why some women have more than one pregnancy.
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mike
paso grand pooh-bah
Posts: 581
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 12:00 am
model: 750 Paso
year: 1988
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Re: helmet lock

Post by mike »

beemerboy wrote:Mike,

Any help, advice, donations (cash, material, or otherwise) would be geratly appreciated. It seems that I keep finding things that need to be replaced and at present have parts coming from all over the US as well as AU and GB. It gets old hearing the same old story about how slow Ducati is in getting parts to this country and it's getting even older to hear about how "odd" and "outdated" the 907 is. What are we supposed to do, throw the bike away after ten years? :rant:

End of rant. :D
and now you know why I wrestle with what to do with the other Paso. It's cosmetically in great shape, but has reliability issues. :mad:
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beemerboy
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO - USA

parts info

Post by beemerboy »

As a follow up to my restoration project I thought I'd relay my parts acquisition experience thus far.

To date I've purchased parts from Ducati dealers in Seattle, Denver, Birmingham, and Australia. The first to come through as promised was Gowanloch's in AU. I worked with a gent by the name of Mike and did the entire transaction via the internet. They were fast, very polite, and backed up what they said they'd do.

The other dealers promised parts then called me back AFTER the transaction to let me know the parts are on back order.
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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beemerboy
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Progress update

Post by beemerboy »

I heard the bike run for the first time! The salvaged tank I got from Scotland arrived last week with all the internals intact and in good working order. All we had to do was hook it up, pour in some gas, and hit the starter.

Well, almost. The injectors were clogged from years of storage so they were soaked overnight then connected but not installed. A few hits on the starter switch were all that was needed to clean 'em out. After that the bike started right up and settled into a smooth idle. I'm thinking (more like HOPING) that this bike will be a low hassle ride I can enjoy as I restore her to her original state.

The original tank's being cleaned and sealed but I don't have a firm delivery date for it. If everything goes well I should have my first ride on her by the end of the month.

[/img]
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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beemerboy
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update

Post by beemerboy »

Well, here I am responding to my own post only this time it's with an update. Progress on the restoration is going slowly due to a lack of parts and waiting on the fuel tank repair. I also hit a snag when the pro wrench who was working on the higher level issues suddenly resigned his position at the shop. We've since conversed via phone and we'll work out of his home to get the project done.

By the way, one thing went wrong but it may have a happy ending. In order to get all the coolant hoses I needed I had to order from three different dealers. Due to some miscommunication I'm now the proud owner of three hoses I already received. If you need a hose I'd be willing to sell it for my cost plus shipping. PM me with your need.

Hmmm, let's see......what else has happened? Oh, I've spent a s**tload of money on this thing and have yet to ride it. Actually, the cost hasn't been that bad nor has it been unexpected but it sure would be nice to swing a leg over this lady and ride her hard.

I'm talking about the bike, guys. :laugh:
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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redpaso
paso grand pooh-bah
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model: 906 Paso
year: 1989
Location: Land of OZ (traylia that is) Troy Bayliss Country

Re: parts info

Post by redpaso »

beemerboy wrote:
To date I've purchased parts from Ducati dealers in Seattle, Denver, Birmingham, and Australia. The first to come through as promised was Gowanloch's in AU. I worked with a gent by the name of Mike and did the entire transaction via the internet. They were fast, very polite, and backed up what they said they'd do.
Gowanloch Ducati here in OZ are without a doubt the best place in the world to find old ducati parts. They pride themselves on this & their level of service & dedication to ALL things Ducati is amazing. Where some Ducati dealers have snubbed the Paso range as not a real Ducati Gowanloch are happy to talk Paso & privide the bits we need. THEY ARE BRILLIANT! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

But please do not buy all the Paso bits we have down here, I never know when i might need them :sad:
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beemerboy
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Re: parts info

Post by beemerboy »

redpaso wrote:But please do not buy all the Paso bits we have down here, I never know when i might need them :sad:

It's either that or I start visiting other Paso & 907 owners to "borrow" parts. :eek:
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
Duck01

Post by Duck01 »

BB - any ride time yet.................??!! Gotta agree with RedPaso bout staying away from our 'upside-down' parts supplier too..... :mad: :mad: but to be fair - they are great to deal with... :thumbup: :thumbup:
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beemerboy
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO - USA

Re: Reviving a stored 907

Post by beemerboy »

beemerboy wrote:I've not posted much on this site but have been lurking for a while after a buddy tipped me off. To make a long story short I bought a black 907 from another board member and had it shipped to me here in CO. :cool:


Wish me luck fellas........and send donations!
Well, many months later I can finally say that I lost my virginity last night. I took a while to collect the needed parts and arrange to have the higher level work perfromed by a qualified mechanic but it was well worth the wait!

I guess it's been a while since I've ridden a true high perfromance bike because I was blown away by this bike's quickness. I really like the way it handles and will be taking a series of mountain rides to get a better feel for how to fine tune the suspension.

Oh, and the sound that comes out of those pipes! Oh my. It's like sex in my ears......... :D

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to another board member, John Borella, for his support and technical advice throughout this effort. It's fairly obvious that John's passionate about motorcycling and has a soft spot for the 907. I could not have gotten this beauty back on the road without his help.

Thanks, John! :thumbup:
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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KillerB
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Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 12:00 am
model: 907 I.E.
year: 1991
Location: Ontario, Canada

Post by KillerB »

Nice to hear you finally got it going. Enjoy.

Regards, B
wiggs

Post by wiggs »

one question, do you have any plans on going to mid-ohio for vintage days? i'm hoping to hook up with fasternmost and another bloke would be great. i can also offer some room and board,did you hear that jake? we have 1 spare bedroom and plenty of floor space to share with the dogs. anyone?????????
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beemerboy
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vintage days

Post by beemerboy »

Yo, Wiggs,

No plans to go to vintage days. I just got back from a trip to Wisco on my RT and used up a lot of vacation in the process. I'll spend the summer working bugs (if any) out of the 907 and trying to keep my driver's license.

Oh, did I mention that I recieved a performance award last Saturday from the CO state patrol? :sad:

The 907 ain't gonna help matters much unless I learn to exercise constraint! :evil:
Regards,
Randy
'02 BMW RT
'06 BMW K1200S
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