Can rule out die cast - didn't think to look until you said that, no mold marks, defo sand cast... Presumably pre production then, unless anyone can shed any light?
i worked in a foundry that used sand for casting moulds.i could be wrong but all the lines look too good to be sand moulded.and the yellow paint blobs are on every production bike mate.
mate,sand casting is made in two halves(top and bottom)so you see a join all the way round after the slag was removed.die casting is like injection moulding.
I guess the paint is to show bolts are not coming loose? Surely they would do this on pre production bikes too? If you worked in a foundry then are you saying these are die cast with no split lines showing? The lines certainly are not too defined for sand casting - but the absence of split lines rule out die casting completely...
Ah, yes, you would see a line in die casting to a lesser degree agreed, defo in die casting - lost wax prototype?
Die casting will give opposite tapers on the side of the casting split line with a pronounced line often hidden with a 'styling ridge' in the center, like on the Ohlins forks in my kitchen. These show no casting marks so could be a lost wax process. Anyone know? Maybe someone will find what they are soon and stop my speculation :wink:
It's a long story... http://ducatiforum.co.uk/f16/2007-desmosedici-999-replica-track-bike-ducati-corse-10327/
Found them, they are prototype 999 forks Page 100 of Alan Cathcart & Marc Cook's book: Ducati 999 Birth of a Legend: There are two 999 prototypes track testing with Ben Bostrom and Ruben Xaus which are running these forks. :smile:
