Hi, I've been offered a 1981 Blue Ducati Pantah 500. It's in a right old state having been sat outdoors under a leaky cover for many years. The previous owner won't be riding it again and wants the space it's taking up (it's now indoors). The good news is that it was going fine when abandoned. Is it worth attempting to restore this? I need to advise the owner. They've offered it to me free if I take it away. Should I try to restore it? (I've successfully restored some bikes before. But some years ago now). Should I put it on eBay in one piece and send funds to the owner? Should I break it for parts, assess condition, & try to flog them & send funds to the owner. Your honest opinions much appreciated. Thanks
A free Ducati is a very rare beast! If you feel guilty about taking it why not buy them something or give a donation to charity in their name if they won't accept?
Take it away before it ends up in a skip. Then assess it's condition and decide if it's worth salvaging or not.
Well, I'm committed to collecting it over the next month or so. So I'll do that and post some photos.
Of course it's worth attempting to restore it. Once you have taken a good look at it and drawn up a list of what needs doing, you can decide whether it is really a feasible proposition. If the moving parts inside the engine are good and usable, fixing up the externals will not be too bad. But if the internals are wrecked, unusable, and all need replacing, that might not be a viable proposition.
Thanks. Exactly my question. I recall those early Pantahs were a pretty seminal bike in Ducati terms. But seminal "cooking" models. Not the exotica. Monsters, 900ss (later ones) and stuff came out of those models. But nothing really ground breaking. Even the 750 Laguna Seca...well...anyway, I rode one once. We'll see how it looks Thanks again for your response.
Seminal indeed. All later Ducatis (except the Desmosedici and the Panigale) are developments of the Pantah, based on the Pantah layout and proportions. Good luck with this project, if you take it on.
