I think it’s cool, because he flies it himself. If he uses it to travel with family and friends, then that’s even cooler.
Using a dirty old commercial airliner to ferry around a dozen people is not so cool. This would be cool:
Well, looking at it this way, using dirty old bikes to cruise around as a hobby isn’t very cool either, don’t you think? E-bikes for everyone then?
I played with the carb today. Synched the two barrels, set the idle mixture (AFR 12.6 = 5% CO) and when all was good, set the idle stop screw at 1000 rpm. Here where we are now: https://youtube.com/shorts/T2YDoDl9aDk?feature=share This is where we were late March when I got the bike: https://youtube.com/shorts/pLrr-TDhs5s?feature=share To be completely honest, I didn’t think I was going to get away with this without more issues. Oh well, let’s call this beginner’s luck… Next step: test ride!!! But I still haven’t got my rear shock back… Frustrating.
Hi Guillaume, would you be willing to share a "how to" and explain the guage you have rigged up there? Cheers Grant
Yes ..... I happened to notice that .... Mate , the entire bike is insanely clean ! Good work with the carb tuning btw ..... it's actually easier than people like to make out , once you get stuck in , and after some reading up . The only real essentials are lots of patience , and a set of vacuum gauges . A gas analyser is useful , but it's difficult to sample the exhaust for each cylinder separately . Keep up the good work
Thank you Sir! I invested in vacuum gages and an AFR gauge to set up the injection on my 916s and 998. I did not anticipate the exact same tools and tuning principles to be applicable to carbs. It’s a really good thing, to be honest.
Well, I am done. When the rear shock comes back, it goes strait on, then fuel tank and saddle and first test drive! I did indulge myself with a K&N air filter. This bikes deserves it. I can’t wait to see it fully dressed again. I think she’s gonna look stunning in this red/white livery.
Just out of interest , how much did you pay ? I could do with a new one myself , but Hell will freeze over before I order it as a Ducati part !
And spent some time in the tool section of Sears by the look of things (sadly no more.....). Tools were almost free in the Thanksgiving Day sales!...
The tool box (and some of what’s inside) is my 40th birthday present. And yes, I had a buddy back then who worked in Sears, when we lived in sunny Florida. Got a nice discount that way, even though my birthday is not around Thanksgiving… The bench vice is my 45th b-day present. It’s a FACOM, so yes, it’s a wonderful tool which I intend to pass on to my kids in 40 years…
Ahhh ! ..... what sweet luxury ! People get by for years or even decades without one , and then they get one , and it's life-changing ... On the minus side , they are useless without a sturdy workbench , and the workbench is not much use without a garage ...... so for where I'm living right now , having a vice would cost me about 12 grand .... ..... I'm just kidding around here .
More progress today. I decided I couldn’t wait any longer until I get my rear shock back. I really want to start test rides. So l launched myself into a transplantation from the donor. More of a logistical challenge than a mechanical one, really, as the shock is really super easy to access on these bikes. This guy’s actually looking pretty good, after some cleaning. It will still need to be serviced. With that done, I was able to get to the point where only the side fairings are left to complete the bike. I don’t know how to explain this, but I find this 1989-1990 vintage absolutely gorgeous! I wanted to take her for a first ride right away but I still have a spongy front brake (needs bleeding) and the clutch is to grabby. Hydraulics are fine but I need to look at the overall disk pack thickness. May be one or two mm too thick. We’ll see. Stay tuned!
Well, clutch sorted (just had to remove 1mm to get to the right stack height of 32mm) and front brake master cylinder bled. So went for my first ride up and down our street. Fantastic 800 meters, but I couldn’t go any further as I was wearing flip flops, no helmet and my 10 yo son was running next to me… Pure moment of bliss! Tomorrow, I put the fairings back on and set sails for a longer test ride. I can’t wait.
Off we go! Great ride on the way out. Inbound crowded parts first, just in case. The carby works like magic. Seriously, the motor feels injected. The bike is very thin and swift to throw into corners. May be the 170 at the rear is the reason. Gears switch fine up and down, well, I am very happy. The front forks are pretty firm. Not an adventure bike this one… About to head back the long way, through a couple medium altitude passes, to see how that feels. We have our annual 4 days road trip with the French Planète Ducati group next week, and I am starting to consider riding this older lady. 1000 miles should be good for her. We’ll see.
Loving the vehicule de collection plates too! Looks so much better than the current barn door ones they want you to fit.
