Hello! My first ever motorbike build..so be gentle! Having spent a lot of hours watching Bad Obsession motorsport and RetroPower on YouTube, I've finally decided to dive in and have a go. I cannot promise to update regularly, but if I make progress it will be recorded and uploaded, (most likely in chunks as the bike advances as opposed to daily or weekly) Also I could be considered a relative novice so will probably be asking for advice, and learning lots(!) along the way..please contribute constructively!! I did tinker with VW beetles in my youth, but that was a long time ago. I currently own a 1997 900ss in Superlight guise that has been very well used for the last 10 years or so.. and a year or two back I also purchased a 06 999..two very engaging bikes. The 999 is (in my eyes) too much for the roads..I do however use almost all of the 900's performance in the hills (I live in the South of France near some amazing roads), it however needs a tiny bit more puff, but the lightweight and character are a joy. The build (as with most of them apparently!) is on a budget, however there are some rules and stipulations. The maximum of work is to be completed by myself, the project for me personally is about learning new things and being involved to a large degree, not (necessarily) the result. (Currently all I seem to do in my life is work, kids, house!!) So my idea was to take a Ducati I wouldn't feel guilty about cutting up... A dog if you will. (No offence intended, lets just agree that the looks were/are challenging!) I give you a 900ss ie! A genuine one careful owner (and ten others who didn't give a f*ck) bike! A 1999 model.. the first with the ECU. Purchased from a guy who hilariously provided me with a workshop manual. It was advertised cheaply with the advice that it was cosmetically challenged (wasn't it born like that? -sorry!) but was mechanically very good. It had clearly been dropped from standstill on both sides, snapped brake and clutch lever, indicators held back in place with bathroom silicon, a utterly knackered chain and rear sprocket. It had been standing outside for a while as the wheel paint was lifting off the rim. A battery that was utterly dead and wouldn't hold any charge at all, and worst of all there was a terrible knocking sound from the engine area.. The bike barely ran, surging and dying running on 1-2-0-2-1 cylinders..I tested it in the pissing rain too..proper scary. I was really pissed-off at the seller (I'd travelled a fair distance), and asked him what he had done (if anything!) to the bike? He stated he had checked the valve clearances, and touched nothing else! I took a punt as I wanted to start a project and offered him half of what he was asking! - 1000E.. he accepted and then I was filled with "what had I done?"..the long drive back home was filled with doubt! I suppose I would probably get close to this figure if I sold all the parts I told myself...
...back home didn't look at the bike for a week. Stripped fairings and tried to be objective...(tricky!) It was a bugger even starting it as my carb battery is a different size... Got it running without fairings in place and tried to diagnose. ..look at that...The previous owner had assembled the exhaust bushes that fit inside the exhaust clamp to the heads back to front.. I could pull the exhaust pipes about an inch off the heads! Corrected and fired up.. and we have now doubled the value of the bike (still a dog though) At this point my well reasoned.. rational brain kicked in..sell it now!! Undeterred, the emotion of the Ducati took hold once more..so I have been sourcing parts..mostly second hand. It takes ages!!! It has to be one of the frustrating things chasing other people who JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SELL YOU THEIR ST2 CAMS!!!! Likewise good value slipper clutches are hard to come by! Wheels..impossible... I'll update the parts sourced in due course.. but I figured if I was going to do this project right I would need tools, so with this in mind another addition to the scope of the project is to source/modify build tools as and when required..
Tools..hmm..you can never have too many. So...managed to find this for a measly 100E: no..it's not for sleeping on the job!
Early testing was encouraging: PS: I've been building the house in the background for +8 years..so if this project peters out you'll know the reason! Attacked with a cutting grinder... gives you this:
welded up gives you this... One of the things about learning..hmm arc welding... what a **** I only blew holes through maybe six times.. but I checked that the welds ended up solid, and they are invisible in the end! I'm on the hunt for a mig and/or tig welder! (more of that to come for sure!)
Managed to source an old plate of 5mm alu for 50E..bargain! had to polish it (a bit)... fixed with rivets and relocated the power box and remote control...and..
We have a electric motorcycle lift (rated to 200kg..but tested by having the whole family on it..262kg) ..150E plus about 6 hours stolen in lunch breaks, evenings and one afternoon of the weekend. Whoohoo! Going up! If you decide to do the same, a few things: There is enough metal tubing spare in the structure of the bed framework that you don't need to purchase any more, it's just a case of cutting and welding. The lowered height is a tiny bit too high.. I was using a ramp to get the bike on. I see that I can purchase decent locking wheels for about 20E for four (second hand), that have a much smaller diameter..I may fit these in time. With the current setup the bike will be on the lift for a while so once it's on there, no issues. Currently the grey foot brakes are connected, so one closing motion blocks all four wheels. Nice! Catch you later Grant
Great stuff! I'm quite interested in building a supersport custom but I'm definitly not cutting up my carby so I'm looking forward to the next installment.
