The main problem with the pre Terblanche design is the rectangular headlight. Even a circular one would look better.
I've picked up a spare set of wheels for this bike with a pair of brand new tyres on, albeit they've been stored for a couple of years. The bike needs an MOT, which the tyres will help with, but I'm then going to get the old wheels blasted and powdercoated something more suited to the now older look of the bike. I've not seen these 5 spokes wheels in anything other than the Silver Grey they are finished in for all the bikes they are used on: Last of the 900SSie, 1000SS, ST4S, and a couple of Monsters As I see it I have 2 options: The Gold colour I've just had my 999 wheels done in. https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/project-999.87890/page-19#post-2165483 Or White. I'm thinking White at the moment.
I'd go gloss black or frame colour as they were 'round that period of 900SS. 92 was white frame with black wheels and white grapics, 93 was bronze frame and black wheels and gold graphics, 94 was bronze frame and bronze wheels and gold graphics. The excellent thing about your bike is that it looks like a ~92/93 SS but that swingarm indicates that there's something going on.....then the extra bracing on the subframe is the next hint. Look at bit deeper and you can pick out the 1000DS. It's nicely stealthy like that.
the '91 SS had white wheels, that's what I ordered from moto cinelli at the bike show that year but they were black when it eventually turned up in May '92 and those five spokes are also seen in red.
Another small mod carried out on this bike to continue the 'Homage' to the 900 Superlights. The standard 1000SS is fitted with a Rear Caliper bracket which I think could be common to the ST2 etc. This mounts the Rear Caliper above the swingarm and locates the Speedo sensor that works by counting the heads of the rear brake disc bolts. Sensor removed in this image: Purely for cosmetic reasons I wanted an underslung caliper, I am fully aware that without the parallelogram effect of running a torque arm back to the engine and a Caliper bracket that's free to rotate around the axle there is no performance benefit. I had an old Monster 900 fixed underslung bracket hanging around and made a bolt on bracket to hold the speed sensor: With the addition of a longer hose made up from Venhill components I had around me it looks rather good I think. A nod to the Superlight profile. Note I've purposely looped the braided hose around the back of the Caliper as per the original SLs. I believe they did this rather than have a special Caliper just for the SL as the Banjo bolt hole and Bleed nipple holes were different sizes back then. The caliper on the 1000SS like all later bikes has M10 x 1.00 Banjo Bolts AND Bleed nipples, so you could swap them around and run a short hose under the swingarm from the Master cylinder. I do now have a bit of a slight conundrum though. Whilst tidying away the original Caliper hanger into my box of spare brake parts I found the genuine superlight floating rear hanger and torque arm I previously had on a 900SS years ago. If I can figure out how to mount the speedo sensor I might go the full hog on this bike with it. Although the other complication is that on later bikes the rear master cylinder is attached to the engine using the bolt holes that the SL torque arm front bracket would use, so I'd need to space the master cylinder out to do it. A project for another day. I must also get the spare set of wheels for this bike powdercoated Gold. .
