ducatipaso.org

this might be opening up a can of worms, but what does everyone think about a naked paso? frankly, my bike is always on the fritz, be it weber or wiring, and pulling off all the body panels got me to thinking.... what if? and the more i think about it, the more i like it.

unfortunately, i dont have a lot of money, or a lot of spare time. majoring in architecture at ASU has seen to that. but, if possible, id like to maybe try it. i know chevy guys threaten things worth than death if they hear someone is cutting up a 60-something impala to suit their own tastes, so im curious what the paso crew has to say. dont get me wrong, i LOVE the way this bike looks. its why i had to have it (maybe not the most practical first bike purchase). but the practicality issues are driving me crazy, and if i have to tear it down, why not put it together as something really special? and i think the bare bones paso has something to offer.

here are some ideas:
powercoat the trellis frame red, 999R style
chop the frame at the back and make it monoposto
ive already got 2 into 1 exhaust (not great), maybe raise it like monster s4?
dual lights up front (can anyone say desmo duece)
not sure if keep the tank, or run with fuel cell
mount radiators in Honda RC51/VFR fashion

some technical questions: how hard is it to pull the engine? its in the frame rather than part of it, and i havent really looked at how to finnagle it. also, wheel conversion. i know people have done it, but is a fork conversion possible, or is that just a ridiculous question? my front brembos arent that great, and the clutch is terrible, so i thought maybe its just easier to change the whole kit and kaboodle at once with matching hardware?

anyway, this is just the daydream of a paso fan. i think its beutiful on the inside just like the outside, and i would make sure some paso devotee in need would get the skins. so let me know what you guys think!

I have seen pictures of a Paso where the lower fairingwas cut off so that it flowed up from where teh rear peice meets teh front & it exposed teh donk & looked quite good. However I feel that the mods to the degree you dream of are too much for a Paso. It is a real thing of beauty & too much mod would be a shame. there are pics in the gallery of a 906 without the front fairing or screen.It has dual headlights fitted & looks a little weird. The Paso engine was also not made to look at so the finish may need some attention.

personally apart from adding a corbin seat & maybe removing the rear mudguard I don't think the body should be tampered with at all, but that is just me

c-dogg wrote:frankly, my bike is always on the fritz, be it weber or wiring, and pulling off all the body panels got me to thinking.... what if? and the more i think about it, the more i like it.

I think that the Paso is quite fugly without her clothes on. With what you listed for your dream project, you could easily fix the wiring problems and get a set of carbs to have the engine run properly. You're ( none of us are BTW) not far away from an excellent running Paso. I have pecked away at mine and now I will take her awnywhere or however far I wish. It doesn't take lots of money just a bit of patience and with help from those on this list it's easy.

Just my .002

Holler if you need help.

Don't do it man. You're about to mess up a great bike. about the problem of wiring everyone is talking about: mine is running fine since 1992 when I pusrchased it. Never had any problems starting or misfiring. I have to say I have only about 13.000 km on it since then. Even after starting it after a breaf pause 7 years it is still running flawless. The design is great and I think it is looking good next to modern bikes. Of course it is not as quick and smooth as some of the contempery competition but you still get people looking at you in admiration. It is and will be a beauty for quite some years if you can keep yourself from mollesting it. Besides it won't take away any problems it just wil be less of a bike.

Of course with respect to your opinion but this is the way I look at it.

Greatings,
Hans

c-dogg,

If the lengthy removal of the bodywork started this thought process, rather look at some quick release fastners (such as Dzus ?).

I don't think that a naked Paso will look too good. If you really want a naked bike rather sell the Paso and buy something more suitable.

Just my thoughts.

Paul

haha. i figured this would be the response. ive cooled off after my impulsive post and have gone outside to just stare at the old girl for a while, and no, no naked paso in the future.

i did wonder if there were suitable quick disconnect fasteners for the fairing. i would definitely get some if they were quality. paul, have you had experience with dzus? anybody?

I just saw a 907 this past weekend w/ a full compliment of Dzus fasteners on it. I've been thinking about it for a while, and especially now that I've just lost the first fastener (broke free from the clasp underneath, and must've rattled it's way out this past weekend). That's my suggestion to improving access to the underbelly of the beast. And I'm in agreement with everyone else ... Monsters were meant to be nekkid, Pasos were meant to be clothed. I've seen partially faired Pasos, and even with a lot of green stuff thrown at them, they just appear to have an air of 'salvage title' on them or something. Plus, as the illustrious jslocum says, for the amount of $ it'd take to make as nice a naked Paso as you suggest, you could have a superbly-running machine - and still outfitted with a full set of Dzus ...

Just my opinion ...

c-dogg wrote:i did wonder if there were suitable quick disconnect fasteners for the fairing. i would definitely get some if they were quality. paul, have you had experience with dzus? anybody?

I've got quarter turn fasteners holding the bodywork on my 996. I've got the original wellnuts holding the bodywork on my 907.

Using a T-handled allen wrench I'll bet I can strip the 907's bodywork in under five minutes. How much of a hurry are you in anyway??? Just my opinion, but the fasteners on my 996 aren't THAT much more convenient to use.

Seriously, I'd invest in a set of T-handled wrenches before I spent time/money converting the bike to Dzus fasteners. Every Ducati owner should have a set anyway, you'll love them.

As for your other mods... it'd probably be cheaper sell the Paso and buy a 907.

DesmoDog wrote:Seriously, I'd invest in a set of T-handled wrenches before I spent time/money converting the bike to Dzus fasteners. Every Ducati owner should have a set anyway, you'll love them.

I will definitely second that. I have a set of specific-sized T-handle allen wrenches, but also a nicely chromed 12" T with a 3/8" drive on the end. Sounds silly, but it feels a lot nicer than my set of allens and has good heft so it spins out quite easily. That one driver gets a LOT of attention from me.

Were you talking about those DZUS fasteners that cost about 5€/each?
Woah.... If I remember well, Paso has at least a dozen of bolts, so it'll cost about 60€ ... not quite cheap, isn't it?

LC

[quote="DesmoDog....Using a T-handled allen wrench I'll bet I can strip the 907's bodywork in under five minutes. How much of a hurry are you in anyway??? ...[/quote]

Got to agree with DD, the T-bar is the way to go, off in 5 minutes & back on again in about the same time. Just make sure you have it all lined up before tightening the last turn, that makes it so much easier & do not overtighten to avoid spliting the rubber grommetsyou are screwing into.

Enjoying the journey is not just riding

hmmmm,
everywhere i turn my impatience is thwarted. i see your point. lets get to the root of problem: when i bought the bike the bodywork wasnt perfect. pieces are intact, with only a decal srcatced here and there, but almost all the fasteners are toast. whether it be the rubber reciever that has been stripped out, or the fact the previous owner decided that washers were an indulgence he just couldn't deal with. some of the finer pieces around the bolt holes have cracked as well, and i dont have all the screws. taking off and replacing the bodywork on the bike requires two circus acrobats and a nun diligently praying to go well.

so, is there a cheap paso-spec set of replacement fasteners out there? or is the damage already done. also, are the plastics repairable? don't know anything about the process required, and prob dont have the money, but since i never plan on selling the bike id like to know if there is hope down the road. its basically what i would describe as the "tab" part of the plastics, so it is obviously underr stress and a quick fix just wont cut it. any suggestions?

Dogg,

The rubbers you can get from any bike supplier, they do come in lots of different sizes so take one with you to compare. They come with the thread in them & they should also be able to match the Allen Head bolts for you with no worries. I replaced mine recently & paid under $2 OZ each rubber so it is not an expensive exercise. as for the cracks in the bodywork you should be able to get a plastic/fibreglass repair kit to strengthen them from behind or check your local plastic welder if it is servere. the key is to ensure the fairing is all positioned correctly before you tighten the bolts. But then ensure that you do not overtighen them. that will prevent them splitting or damage the holes in the fairing as the nut is not trying to come through the hole. Also remember the top bolt on either side fairing where it bolts to the front of the fuel tank is a different size. (It should actually be the same size as the 4 bolts that join the fairing at the underbelly.)

get a good set of T-bar Allen drivers & you will have hours of pleasure putting on & removing you fairing

If the cracks aren't too severe, you can probably patch it up nicely yourself with some JB Weld or the like (a dual-compound epoxy). I know guys who have fixed cracked engine blocks on the trail (off-roading) and re-affixed cooling fins on their bikes with the stuff. I'd do it from the backside unless you want to get into wet-sanding and repainting. Let us if you find a decent source for those well-nuts online, too eh?

The rubber things are call wellnuts. The big thing is to NOT over-tighten them. I think they can be found at a big hardware store too.