Hello Folks, thought I'd drop in post a couple of pics of my old 450 that I dragged out of the back of my shed this afternoon. Looks great! What do you reckon? Billy.
Don't restore it, at least not too much. Just clean it up a bit and keep it much as it is, replace worn bits as necessary. Enjoy.
Thanks Guys, Pete,the plan is not to restore it too much as you say but the frame needs a few little jobs and a re-paint. The engine was rebuilt a while back and still seems good. Wheels fine, all new stainless spokes a year or two ago. It certainly seems all sound to me. John, I am no expert but I believe the twins had a similar arrangement for the tacho drive. Thanks for the interest, I do love it! Billy
Thanks Dave, interesting to get you response as the bike came from NZ. A run down on its history is- The bike was sold new in Palmerston North and had half a dozen or so owners in the North island. Its a non-desmo Mk3 so would have been blue and gold with forward type footpegs but with the clip-ons, not a great arrangement but meant you could carry a pillion. I don't know much about that early period but when I saw it first in 1992 or so it had been brought into Phil Paynes shop in Christchurch by a customer from Nelson and was much as it is now but with the motor dismantled. Phil quoted for the repairs but the customer decided to sell so my friend Peter Thornton bought it for $2800 and he and Phil fitted a new rod kit, did a few other jobs and Pete rode it round for a few years. It clearly was raced and crashed quite a bit in those early years, someone had some fun! I was working in Oz in 1996 and Pete told me he wanted to sell so I bought it from him for $4000 and it sat round til I returned in 1999. I had been back to NZ in 1997 or so for a holiday and rode it down to Queenstown with my then girlfriend on the back and was clocked on the way back at 139kh'h by the dreaded cop of Twizel, that was $60. It was my only transport for three years after I returned to NZ in 1999 when I met my wife and we toured around, rode through to the west coast over springs junction and through the Lewis pass. We used to visit her folks up in the sounds a bit on it too. Did the Brass Monkey rally too in 2000 where I worked out it was doing 80mpg at 80 mph, beat that! I was racing a Norton back then and did a couple of track days on the 450 where it always put up a good show. It was crashed on the road by my mate James but didn't do too much damage to it, unlike his right hand, messy.. We left for the UK in 2003 and it sat round until four years ago when I shipped it out. That's when I had the spokes replaced, also fitted new battery, quick service and then not much action for it since really. It has never let us down except once when we were going up to her folks and the plug blew out of the head, the thread had always been worn, it was my own fault. Other than that, perfect, never even re-shimmed the valves! I've seen five back tyres on it.. You can see me starting it up a couple of years ago here: I love the 450, it was my first ever Ducati, had a few come and go in that time, still got an early 748 as well. Its probably not worth as much as the 450 now, strange.. Billy.
Oh yeah, after the successful introduction of Ducati branded school kit, Ducati are now considering the Corse pension book cover...
Have many fond memories of chasing this dignified old banger at lunatic speeds all over banks peninsula on my wheezy old Kwaka...when the going got twisty/wet/gravelly the big-power bikes didn't see which way we went Facebook comment from my old mate Justin White, great times!...
