Someone suggested I read this thread as I am having a few issues with my engine / swingarm bolt, and wow it has been emotional!! Glad you are nearly there though!
Thought I would keep going with this, things had been put on hold for quite a while as I sorted some personal stuff out but am getting motivation back to crack on with this. So dragged the thing back out into the middle of the kitchen and realised I still had to saw through the swingarm pivot bolt, not only that but the bush that sits in the swingarm as they had pretty much fused together. Now I don't know what the bush is made of but if you have ever tried to saw through a padlock shank you'll have an idea of how many hack saw blades I went through! Didn't want to risk power tools as a) I didn't have a blade thin enough and b) Didn't have balls big enough to trust myself not to slip and graze the frame. But if you have both then I would guess that it would be a 2 min job and not the 6 hour on and off epic it turned out to be. Anyway, some pictures. Took 3 cuts in all to get to this stage, if ever there were any motivation to whip out the pivot bolt every 6 months and grease it up then here it is. Next job is to strip down the front end, forks need attention as one leaks, brakes could do with a full strip down and clean as they have fork oil all over them. Frame could do with being blasted and repainted/coated, poor girl is 15 years old and I'd like to think that it'll be a long time before she's stripped down to this extent again! Don't know weather to alter colours or go for a full vanilla restoration. Love the Senna colours but I can see it just bringing more complications. Anyway, will keep this updated as and when I crack on with certain things and hopefully update with more pictures.
I have a 748R motor in a 748 Biposto frame and therefore use standard injectors and airbox and it is totally fine. I had a custom map by CJS and whilst there I spoke to Rich Llewellin and he reckons the smaller bodies make for a better bike all round, a little like the 853 conversion for these bikes it's classed as one of the "Ducat should have made them like this" type of things. I know the are issues with the 748R bodies but that is another story. I doubt you would notice much difference fitting the smaller injectors to a larger engine. Just get a custom map set up and the fuelling will be fine.
Good job Anyone who's been around Ducatis for long enough would've cme up against a stubborn swingarm spindle, luckily I've never had one seized like that!
^^ Probably one of the worst jobs you can do on the old 748 series bikes. I have done a few and one took me a week to get out once!!! Plenty of penetrating oil and regular bashing with a drift etc. So far haven't come across one that won't move after a time.
Cheers for the info Red, will keep it in mind gives me a wider scope of engine variants to go for when things pop up on ebay. Bike is now totally stripped down, various assemblies in bags and deposited all over the house. Headlamp basket has bubbled quite a bit but that can go for a stripdown/repaint along with the frame. One of the forks looks a bit sorry for itself but I think its purely cosmetic and well hidden once all put back together. Tomorrow's job is a full strip-down and clean of the front brake callipers.
