OzVMX Forum

Marque Remarks => Italian (Moto Villa, Beta, SWM etc) => Topic started by: Wombat on March 11, 2008, 07:16:08 pm

Title: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Wombat on March 11, 2008, 07:16:08 pm
This little beastie was parked where I work so I snapped a quick shot - as ya do.
I know a little about the big Dukes but not the Tiddlers.
Can anyone identify?

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Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Wombat on March 11, 2008, 07:23:20 pm
And here's similar; this one taken at the BMCC Nudgee meet Jul 07.

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Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Maico31 on March 11, 2008, 08:20:16 pm
Looks like one of those RT450 scramblers. I reckon it would make a good fun pre '75 4 stroke.. but maybe a bit heavy.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Tim754 on March 11, 2008, 08:38:15 pm
My first trail bike on L plates (along with a Duke 750SS for road use... ;)) An RT450 Desmodromic single. Big, beautiful. heavy, bloody fast for a "trail bike",  superb booming sound with the Conti megaphone ) and absolutely the worst leg breaking kick back bike to start!!!! ::) Tim
The top yellow bike is just about as sold new ,very very nice. I am so jealous......
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Snowy 76 on March 11, 2008, 09:00:44 pm
Got some pics of one in the Nabiac Motor cycle museum,will try and post.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: jimson on March 11, 2008, 10:25:15 pm
I think Firko is using the motor out of one of those things to make a VMX bike I'm sure he will show up soon and tell us all the  beauty of these beasts.jimson
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: firko on March 11, 2008, 10:29:00 pm
Right you are Jimson! Both of those photos Wombat posted are 450 Ducatis from the early 70s. They're a heavy old bus and not all that great in stock trim. I'm currently building a Harry Hindall framed narrow case 350 Ducati. The Ducati single changed in 1968 from what is called the narrow case engine (160, 250, 350) to the wide case engine (250, 350, 450). Ducati racers tend to favour the 5 speed narrow case engine because it is much lighter than the wide case version and no less reliable or slower. My bike features, Ceriani forks, Rickman hubs/Borrani rims, Maico seat, Hi Point Lyta tank and period Arnaco shocks rebuilt by our own Walter at YSS. The bike has a very modified engine with a head by Mike green in California and other work by Brian O' Connor in Massachusetts with a few ideas of our own including YZ80 ignition and a trick 32 Mikuni flange mount carby. The bike will debut at CD5 along with my new Cheney Yamaha and the restored Maico trials bike. Add the Maico square barrel,my DT1 and my TM/TS 250 Suzuki and the trailer will be a bit overfull.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/hindall6.jpg)
The bike will have a shitload of bling
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/65Duckscrambler.jpg)
Brian O'Connors almost identical bike to mine. His uses a Yetman frame and mine a Nickel Hindall. The engine shown in this bike is my very engine.
http://amsracing.com/featured_bike.html?bike=ducati_350 (http://amsracing.com/featured_bike.html?bike=ducati_350)
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Oldrodder on March 11, 2008, 10:33:42 pm
The mate that lives a few houses away is currently restoring one of those Ducati 450 I will have to get some pics and show you guys.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: jimson on March 11, 2008, 10:39:36 pm
Looks real nice Firko your work shop is very clean how do you do that  ;D I've scene one of those bikes on the road&race website looks real good.jimson
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: YSS on March 11, 2008, 10:40:44 pm
Would that be the same engine that the swiss army has used and is still using  as the Condor ?
I have seen one in Just Bikes only a couple issues ago from Queensland .
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: firko on March 11, 2008, 11:02:53 pm
Same engine Walter. There was one on eBay Australia recently.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Lozza on March 11, 2008, 11:06:09 pm
Desmo? Needs a good reverse cone mega on there. ;D
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: YSS on March 11, 2008, 11:15:06 pm
I thought about buying , remembering the compulsury Swiss Army days , but then again , I have more than enough  bikes to keep going .If you need any they getting sold off by the dozen every year at the army auction.
They also have nice Centurions and Lepards every year.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: LWC82PE on March 12, 2008, 06:04:53 pm
im finishing off a restoration on one of these 450 ducatis. it was a project that become too much for the owner so we ended up with it. its just being done up as a road/trail version and is a bit of a bitsa though.. its got new fibre glass tank and new fibre glass side number plates. since its for on road its getting lights. its got a twin leading shoe yamaha R3? front wheel. new morad mud catcher rims, red frame, will have white fenders and has marzochhi piggy back shocks.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Tony T on March 12, 2008, 09:30:20 pm
You get some cool stuff down there Leith.
I might have to hang around your place a bit more.  ;)
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Wombat on March 13, 2008, 04:44:10 pm
Thanks for the info.
Unfortunately I didn't see or hear it leave but it would have sounded sweet.
The arse end shot shows a nice pipe; and the custom plate gives a hint to the bikes capacity...

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Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: jimson on March 15, 2008, 10:51:44 pm
Firko just wondering looking at the lovely bike your building and the nice looking straight through pipe you've got  how are you going to keep the sound police happy  :o jimson
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: firko on March 15, 2008, 11:00:45 pm
Volkswagen baffle and a prayer.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: LWC82PE on March 16, 2008, 08:17:22 am
yes Tony we get all sorts of bikes and work on anything.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Johns on May 20, 2008, 02:26:00 pm
Hi from Johns:-

I have to agree with Paul on the Duke kicking back, mine was a Desmo 250 Mk3 roadie. Anyone foolish enough to give it a half-hearted kick, was rewarded with a full-blooded boot in the foot.
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Tim754 on May 20, 2008, 08:32:54 pm
Paul? try Tim :D and I have the scars where the decompression lever on the handle bars went through my lower leg.... :P
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: jimg1au on May 20, 2008, 10:52:17 pm
hi
my first road bike was a blue single seat desmo 450.i used to ride it to school.5/6th form.never was hard to start.at the same time i had a hagon jap i could start by spinnning the back wheel by hand.i was brought up on 500cc ajs and matchos so i was taught to kick start them at the age of 14.i started my hagon tt500 11:1 comp today and started 2nd kick and no kick back.it runs on methenol.
cheers
jimg
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Denis on October 30, 2008, 10:48:02 pm
I'm working on one of the R/T Ducatis as well. Parts aren't the easiest to find because many of them were specific to this model. Big and fast is a good way to describe them. Some have the compression release in the head while I've seen others with a lever mounted to the handlebar: certainly better for your leg when starting.

Are there many of these Down Under? I always thought they were a US model only. I've also seen a couple of references to an R/S model, and I wonder if that's the designation if it came with the lighting kit, speedo and tachometer.

Denis
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Tim754 on October 31, 2008, 01:12:14 pm
Yes factory lighting kit, but no traffic turning indicators fitted. a resonable air filtering system and they had absolutely hopeless Veglia brand speedo and tacho set that literally vibrated to pieces and shit themselves as you rode along.( Common Veglia fault I am led to believe..) Came fitted with a downswept Conti muffler that was very restrictive and sounded like a hissing leaking tube valve, but lovingly you were supplied with Conti unrestricted megaphone for " off road and pastoral usages " :) Yes that booming Desmo sound especially on over run..  Mmmm
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: zorroz on November 06, 2008, 03:44:09 am
My neighbour inherited a Ducati 250 'scrambler' with original 6,000 miles of his late father. His brother got the GTHO Falcon...
Title: Re: Ducati - is it a trail bike or what?
Post by: Denis on November 13, 2008, 01:53:50 am
A buddy of mine in Cuba just finished a 450 Jupiter and has been riding it around the base down there. He told me that if it wasn't for the compression release, starting it would probably be a real nightmare.