Ducati Electrics

Campy's long gone, FPS were in the basket. I did have a '79 that had speedlines which were probably worse than the campignolo ?
Travelled 2 up around Australia on that Darmah. As you say, back in those days I didn't know any better.
Coils are from Brook H, no ignition bits left that are original

GRM 450 said:

Campy's long gone, FPS were in the basket. I did have a '79 that had speedlines which were probably worse than the campignolo ?
Travelled 2 up around Australia on that Darmah. As you say, back in those days I didn't know any better.
Coils are from Brook H, no ignition bits left that are original

Click to expand...

Back in the late 1990's I spotted a 1982 Darmah in the trader (no engine or electrics, the seller was going to build some form of special ) for $1000 and only 250 kms away so grabbed that.
That is a lot of spare parts in this day and age.

Brook did the engine in my bike (1990's) and supplied Bosch GT coils (I sent the engine in a crate but he remembers servicing the bike when it was new)
I got it back and it ran fine but there seemed to be a slight ignition problem, I removed the stock ballast pack and it was then fine.
I rang him and he said 'did we forget to tell you to remove those.

Those were the days and well before when you could ring Bob Brown and ring back later that day when he had found tuning notes regarding carburation etc.

You could try a 65 pilot, K5 needle,265AB and 125 mains.
The 60/3 might be fine on the smaller port bike.

I never bothered with pictures even when that bike was in a show.
One with cobwebs.



I stopped at a Cafe last year and there was an original paint 1973 750 GT with around 200000 kms on the clock which was good to see.
The number of 750 Sports there also was surprising given their value these days ($40000/$60000)

I bought my 1981 900 SD ($8000) in early 1983 three months after buying a 1978 CBX/6 ($5800) which were stable mates to the 1974 H2B bought in 1980 for $1600.
Quite a flying circus.
The SD was the later model with box tail and a seat more like a seat.

There seems to be a lot of differences between what should basically the same bike, a bit like Nortons really.
Mine is a whale tail and was first registered in 72, the engine number is 903076 and I am fairly sure mine has 40mm carbs. It also has odd wheels so I had better check which one is original and inspect it.
This is mine when I went to look at it.

Ah, from that article, it looks like my front wheel has been changed.

Hard to be sure in your picture,,,
Rear looks like FPS alloy were the final replacement OK
The front looks like Speedline ? If it is, try and get a FPS and replace it.
The Speedlines were replaced as they apparently cracked and fell apart

Graeme

Yes the front is a Speedline, the previous Campagnolo was a single t type spoke but could also crack.
If you were to post that pic on most Ducati pages you would get plenty of 'get rid of the Speedline replies.

I would be surprised if it was first registered in 1972 as there was no 864cc engine until 1974 on the 860 GT non desmo engine.
#903076 would be around 1980 but would have thought that a flip up box tail SD not the whale tail type. (the later seat/tail version)

They did not change that much, production was from around 1977 to 1983 ish.

It would pay to check the bolt on rear wheel cush drive hub as they are known to shear the 8 mm countersunk cap screws and damage the wheel.
On my 1981, the cush hub holes are bored to 10 mm and a 10 mm counterbore in the wheel hub.
The cap screws then have a 10 mm OD short sleeve threaded M8 with a countersink in its end that mates to the underside of the cap screw.
That way the sleeve spigots into the cush hub and wheel and the M8 thread simply applies holding friction and not the drive.

The best, perhaps the super smooth running 80 mm x 74.4 mm 750 GT from 1971 to 1974 (a maybe in 1975 with a batch coming to Australia in 1978 iirc)
The best year perhaps 1973 when it still had Borrani alloy rims and INOX stainless steel mudguards.


A 1974 with steel guards and the chromed steel rims replaced.
Sadly these are a $20k to $30k++ bike these days.



I always found it interesting what the factories were doing in that time period of the 1970's not only visually but mechanically and engineering wise.
If you had taken the leading designers from all the main manufacturers of the time, put them in a room each with an inspiring view out the window with a blank sheet of paper, not one drawing would be the same.

"I always found it interesting what the factories were doing in that time period of the 1970's"

GOING BROKE !!!!

I would assume all the differences in production of a single year model was due to suppliers of parts not being paid, then the Ducati factory sourced parts from another supplier.


I agree the 750 round case was the best of the twins in that time period.
I know of 2 early 750 GT's that just recently sold for 80k.
SS and Sport are up there too.
Darmah's are up around 35k now.
I sold my '80 black SS for 5.5 k in the late '80's ,,,,,, that was one bike I wish I still had. I swapped the '79 red (flip up seat for it.
Singles at that time were about $1 per cc. for a sad one.
I do like the singles, easy and cheap to rebuild (compared to bevel twins.
And the singles suit me as I can't see fast enough to enjoy a twin or anything modern.

I can't post pics as I'm computer illiterate and too poor to be a VIP member at present.

Is that your GT ?

The cush on this SD, has at some time in the past , been welded to the hub. I never had one come loose, but knew it could be a problem. (butchers and bodgers are out there,,,)

graeme

GRM 450 said:

Is that your GT ?

graeme

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My 1973 750GT is lurking in the background of the pic up the page, I payed $2500 for it in the 1990's.
It has been in storage for decades now with the other bevels, two TL1000S's and H2's etc.

Until the 'flu goes away they will be stuck there.

Time Warp said:

Yes the front is a Speedline, the previous Campagnolo was a single t type spoke but could also crack.
If you were to post that pic on most Ducati pages you would get plenty of 'get rid of the Speedline replies.

I would be surprised if it was first registered in 1972 as there was no 864cc engine until 1974 on the 860 GT non desmo engine.
#903076 would be around 1980 but would have thought that a flip up box tail SD not the whale tail type. (the later seat/tail version)

They did not change that much, production was from around 1977 to 1983 ish.

It would pay to check the bolt on rear wheel cush drive hub as they are known to shear the 8 mm countersunk cap screws and damage the wheel.
On my 1981, the cush hub holes are bored to 10 mm and a 10 mm counterbore in the wheel hub.
The cap screws then have a 10 mm OD short sleeve threaded M8 with a countersink in its end that mates to the underside of the cap screw.
That way the sleeve spigots into the cush hub and wheel and the M8 thread simply applies holding friction and not the drive.

View attachment 83541

Click to expand...

Sorry, miss read the log book. It states that the bike was first registered in 1979 and first registered in the UK in 1997.

When I can get it on the bench, I will look at everything you mentioned, thanks.

Would EPM wheels be OK?

Any wheel would be safer than Speedline on the road.
See if you can get FPS front rim, even if slightly damaged they can be rolled straight. (Within reason of course) my front rim was buckled 6mm out of true. Repaired ok.
I think the Speedline rims were magnesium as were the Campagnolo rims, light but fragile.

Time Warp said:

The best, perhaps the super smooth running 80 mm x 74.4 mm 750 GT from 1971 to 1974 (a maybe in 1975 with a batch coming to Australia in 1978 iirc)
The best year perhaps 1973 when it still had Borrani alloy rims and INOX stainless steel mudguards.


A 1974 with steel guards and the chromed steel rims replaced.
Sadly these are a $20k to $30k++ bike these days.

View attachment 83542

I always found it interesting what the factories were doing in that time period of the 1970's not only visually but mechanically and engineering wise.
If you had taken the leading designers from all the main manufacturers of the time, put them in a room each with an inspiring view out the window with a blank sheet of paper, not one drawing would be the same.

Click to expand...

The Best Ducati is a very subjective thing of course. My deeply held conviction is that the black case Sport from the batch built in late 73 are simply the Best Looking Motorcycle Ever (tm).
This may or may not be connected to my ownership of such a beast...