I have completed the painting of bodywork now, so I have three sets of fairings, tanks, seats, side panels and mudguards with high quality paint and good decals, and the seats re-upholstered. Here's a selection of them:
Hi Pete Just searching the forum for pantah engine rebuild and I came across your thread. I'm doing exactly the same with an 82 500. Just dropped the engine out today and most of the other parts are off. I'd be interested in a list of suppliers you used for the refurb in particular engine rebuilds, wheels and electronics. Thanks in advance. David.
OK, @Davey here's a few. I can't guarantee them of course - these are just suggestions. TPCS (Steve Turner) of Devizes, Wiltshire is very good for wheels, stripping, checking, repairing if necessary, powder coating to a high standard. Also powder coating frames, brackets, steel mudguards, etc. TPCS Magnesium and Alloy Refurbishing If you want alloy castings (heads, barrels, etc) bead blasted, ICM of SE20 do the job. I Cleenz Macheenz! | Welcome to our site High quality paint on fairings, tanks and seats - try Cyclesprays of Cranleigh Surrey. Not quick, or cheap, but good result. index For stickers and decals you can't beat ImageWorks. The Image Works Vinyl Graphics Chromium plating I use Douglas of New Cross. Best Chrome Plating London | Chrome Platers & Chrome Restoration General spare parts, Mdina of Shipley, Yorks are worth a try. Mdina Italia Online Store For light engineering works such as thread repairs, bronze inserts, machining, milling, grinding etc I use BLR of Wallington. Welcome to BLR Engineering Ltd -
The main parts of the looms are OK for use, with just replacement of some of the terminals and connectors. It's a good idea to check each wire in the loom for continuity and resistance. The leads for the Bosch ignition pickups are flimsy, and the leads for the 3-wire alternators have a hard life; these have to be replaced.
When do you think you'll have at least one finished one? Don't you think the later fairings were much nicer than the earlier ones?
Don't hold your breath. No, I prefer the earlier fairing without the 'shelf' at the bottom but they are impossible to find.
@Davey If your cylinder barrels need the nikasil replating, which they probably will do if the original Gilardoni plating is 35 years old, your best bet is Langcourt of Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. They do a good job. Home
Ducati alternated between 2-wire and 3-wire types. Yes, the 1979-1980 500s had the no-shelf fairings, from 1981 onwards all 500 and 600 Pantahs had the shelf fairings. The no-shelf type is strong and stiff, and no doubt expensive, with a double skin at the sides and 8 double mounting screws. The shelf type is lighter, flimsier, no doubt cheaper, with no double skin and 4 single mounting screws. The fairing mounting brackets are entirely different, as is the headlamp. The screens are also not interchangeable.
In my view the later ones were more sporty and elegant, the earlier ones rather too large. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The 3 wire alternators are not actually 3-phase, they are single-phase with a centre tapped winding. This picture will give you an idea of the set up and how it worked. Finding this thread comes at a good time for me. On Friday I will be collecting a 500SL which is 7 boxes of bits
I wish I could decipher this. As it is, it makes about as much sense as sheet music. Actually, a little less. That's quite sad. Electricity is just one of those things I have never mastered. Poor teaching, I call it.
I'll try to explain. The centre tap connection (red wire) is connected to ground, so that makes the negative connection. The 2 yellow wires are connected to the SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers). These act like diode and only let the current flow in a positive direction. So the battery only gets a positive voltage from the regulator. The SCRs are like diodes that can be switched on and off. The control circuit is connected to these and maintains the voltage to the battery by switching the SCRs on or off as required to maintain the correct voltage.
