Hi All I'm restoring a '97 M900 back to as close to original as I can, Ducati have confirmed the bike was supplied as a red UK M900 so the frame should be the dull gold colour (which it is) but I'm confused about the wheel colour. I've looked at loads of pictures and some appear to show the wheels in the same gold colour as the frame whereas some show them in the more silver colour of the late carby SS. Also, should the forks be the ones with the bronze coloured bottoms, again like the late SS and 888? (this is what the bike has.) Any help appreciated. Thanks Darren
Looking at the pictures in the Monster bible by Ian Falloon it looks like the wheel colour changed in 1996. The 1995 model had the 916 coloured frame with matching wheels but the wheel colour changed to a lighter shade in 1996. The fork bottoms also changed to the bronze colour in 1996 when they moved to a larger 20mm axle. Hope that helps.
Are you sure about the timing of the change to 20mm axle on the front wheel: I thought that changed with the change of wheel spoke shape, mudguard fixings and calliper spacing in 2000ish?
‘It ain't necessarily so. The things that you're liable. To read in the bible. It ain't necessarily so.’ J. Somerville
