ducatipaso.org

I will finish my masters degree in less than two weeks, so I bought myself a graduation gift to celebrate. I just got it yesterday and after only having it for a few hours, it appears to have...

Updated master cylinders
Carbon fiber bars
Keihin FCR 41 carb modification with air box removed
"Race" exhaust
and a few other small goodies (levers, bar ends, open clutch cover)

It's not in too bad of shape with almost 18k miles on it. It's also been repainted. This is just what I've been looking for over the last few years because I wanted one to ride, not simply look at. I'll change the timing belts and do a valve check/adjust on it in the next week or two.

Sometime between being at the dealer's (as a consignment) and arriving via transport to me, it decided to drop the spark on the horizontal cylinder. I'll try to determine what is wrong with it over the weekend.

The perfect gift, congrats!

congradulations! nice machine!

Congrats for the degree, but above all for a such wonderful bike
Ciao

Desmo_Demon wrote:Sometime between being at the dealer's (as a consignment) and arriving via transport to me, it decided to drop the spark on the horizontal cylinder. I'll try to determine what is wrong with it over the weekend.

It turned out to be a bad coil, so I bought a used set of coils for cheap off of eBay and replaced the plug wires with new ones, too. While waiting for those to arrive, I adjusted the valves (7 of 8 shims) and changed the timing belts. I also replaced the line between the reservoir and master cylinder for the clutch and rear brake and did a few other small things to the bike - such as replace a bunch of abused aluminum bolts used to fasten the fairing onto the bike.

It started on the 8th attempt or so with those FCR carbs and I rode it 10 miles around the neighborhood perimeter roads. Another check of a few things and another 10 miles on a different day and I was confident to take it for a spin. Since then, I've ridden it over 350 miles, with nearly 200 of those being in the mountain twisties.

The bike handles really well but it is taking a little while to get used to the light weight. I'm used to more weight, and this just doesn't give me the feeling of it being as planted to the road in a curve. I've gotten rid of the chicken strips on the left side but not the right, yet. I've dragged my knee a few times, too. It's definitely handled well, but it just feels strange.

Yesterday, I noticed that the rear sprocket nuts were loose, which is when I realized that they were made of aluminum. Aluminum can't handle much torque, so they had worked their way loose. I took the wheel off to check everything else to discover that a threaded hole for the sprocket stud was stripped...and the stud was held in place by 2 threads and a bunch of glue! I wound up installing a Helicoil in the sprocket carrier and replaced the sprocket retaining nuts with steel ones.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for the US Desmo (www.usdesmo.com ) Ducks Fly South rally. If all goes well, I'll log at least 700 miles this weekend on the Bimbo.

lucky you`ve noticed in time. I`ve seen aftermarket anodized aluminium sprocket nuts also for Ducatis. These had a steel insert though.

G.

good job you noticed that before you set out south! enjoy your ride!

paso750 wrote:lucky you`ve noticed in time. I`ve seen aftermarket anodized aluminium sprocket nuts also for Ducatis. These had a steel insert though.

These had steel threads like a Helicoil in them, but a couple of them were loose inside the aluminum. The replacement steel nuts held on fine over the weekend. We only logged about 500 miles, not the 700 I was hoping for.

I think the previous owner of this Bimota was related to the previous owner of my Paso. I've finding all sorts of things that just aren't "right" with it. The president of US Desmo brought his '93 DB2 to the rally, so I spent a lot of time looking over his bike to see what was correct and what wasn't with my bike. I'm in the process of trying to locate a correct front sprocket for the DB2. The offset isn't correct, and, yes, the sprockets are not aligned. I knew this prior to the weekend, but I plan on correcting the alignment issue before I ride it, again. I think I'll buy a case-saver for it, too.

I also noticed that the bike has been stripped down to the bare frame so the frame and swingarm could be repainted or powdercoated. From what I've noticed about the way it was put back together, I have decided to check a bunch of things, so far, the engine mounting bolts were about 1/3 and 1/2 the torque spec. In the near future, I'll probably pull the forks and triple trees off the bike and check/replace the steering head bearings. It has a mild shimmy in the front end, and I'm betting it is the bearings.....Have two front sprockets coming in - which need to be machined to be correct. No one seems to have the correct one available.

db2 blog w some useful info:
http://bimota-db2.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html

I could get you his mail if you want, friend of mine. PM if so.

Tamburinifan wrote:db2 blog w some useful info:
http://bimota-db2.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html

I could get you his mail if you want, friend of mine. PM if so.

It's a small world.....Lars has been a GREAT help the last few weeks! He sent me a copy of the repair manual suppliment and some CAD/CAM drawings that he made of the sprockets and the front sprocket retainer. I ran into his blog a few weeks ago and wound up contacting him through the http://www.ducati.ms forum. I have a feeling I'll be requesting more information from him in the future.

It was a DB stole my trophy this year at the BBQ, not sure why I was in that group,guess some of us know more than others


and I rode in the DB came on a trailer...what a pussy

It's a small world.....Lars has been a GREAT help the last few weeks!

Small f sure, db2 world even smaller I guess.
Lars is really knowledgeable & helpful.

As I don`t really know much about Bimotas I googled the DB2 and according to what I found the front sprocket is the same for the DB2/3/4.
Doesn`t seem to be so hard to find one if it`s not a 16 tooth sprocket. 14 and 15 I found.
I`ve read in one forum that the front sprocket of the Cagiva Canyon 900ie would be the same.
http://www.jtsprockets.com/52.0.html?&L ... id=3236&p=
edit: which may not be correct as it seems the DB2 has a 520 chain and the Canyon a 525.

One parts dealer here in Germany is:
http://www.bimota-parts.de/

Parts catalogues are here if you don`t have them already: (go to "parts & accessories")
http://bimotadealer.bimotaamerica.com/d ... ex_us.html

The service and owner`s manual:
http://www.v2enthusiast.de/files/1-manu ... anual.html
http://www.v2enthusiast.de/files/1-manu ... nual-.html

G.

paso750 wrote:As I don`t really know much about Bimotas I googled the DB2 and according to what I found the front sprocket is the same for the DB2/3/4.
Doesn`t seem to be so hard to find one if it`s not a 16 tooth sprocket. 14 and 15 I found.
I`ve read in one forum that the front sprocket of the Cagiva Canyon 900ie would be the same.
http://www.jtsprockets.com/52.0.html?&L ... id=3236&p=

I have seen conflicting accounts that the DB3/4 are the same as the DB2, so I didn't want to run the risk of ordering the incorrect one and winding up with a $70-$100 paperweight. I saw on one forum where a guy found a sprocket that would work at his local Ducati dealer. I assume it was a Paso 750 sprocket or a Grand Canyon (something that no Ducati dealer around here would have in stock). The cut in the face of the sprocket for the DB2 is much smaller than the Paso/Gran Canyon design...



If I cannot find any more stock DB2 retainers, I will have to go with the style of the Gran Canyon shown in the above link and hope I get the correct offset. The offset of the DB2 sprocket is about 3.5 mm, IIRC.

Of everyone I contacted about the DB2 front sprocket and retainer, the only place to seem to know for sure that they have a correct sprocket was a company that Lars from Sweden (mentioned above) told me he got his from. Instead of paying $75-$100 USD to get one here, I just bought a $24 front sprocket and had it machined for free. I have not found anyone to have the OEM sprocket retainers available.