Gone to the Dark Side - Ducati 860 GT

[canuck750]

  A Ducati without loud mufflers is a crime...   Besides all you'll hear is the engine mechanical clatter...

Well I can finally say I have heard a Bevel with Conti's barking.
I thought my Laverda 750 SF1 was a loud bike but the Ducati in on another level!
I guess that is part of the appeal of these old nails, the raw sound of the engine thumping through the pipes, maybe I could ride it along with a HD gang.

[Tusayan]

Glad you got it running!  Contis are loud but how loud depends a lot on the engines cam timing.  Also and FWIW I've found them more invasive on a bike with upright seating (my ex-Darmah) than on my SS.  I installed a set of LaFranconis on the Darmah and liked it better that way, even though it felt a little plain vanilla with such a quiet exhaust and something in between would have been ideal.

[swooshdave]

Kill switch doesn't work, need to rig something up temporarily until I get the original CEV switches and control perches *found used ones on Ebay)

If you look at the electrical diagram you can see the kill switch design is a careful mixture of confusion and crying. It's actually the most obtuse part of the wiring harness which is saying a lot.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Saw these at a swapmeet yesterday and forwarded the info. to Jim:

[Chuck in Indiana]

Now, there's some treasure that has been buried for a long time. 

[geodoc]

Sorry, you can never un-see this:







.

[canuck750]

WHY !!!!!!

[canuck750]

Saw these at a swapmeet yesterday and forwarded the info. to Jim:

Thanks Charlie, contact made, sale going through!

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Thanks Charlie, contact made, sale going through!

 

[Tusayan]

Now, there's some treasure that has been buried for a long time. 

Some bevel 900SS’s came with LaFranconis and 32-mm carbs on the bike plus Contis and 40-mm carbs in the crate... mostly the LaFranconis were removed and replaced during initial dealer setup, so they’re out there.

FWIW mufflers for 750s and 860/900s are different.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Some bevel 900SS’s came with LaFranconis and 32-mm carbs on the bike plus Contis and 40-mm carbs in the crate... mostly the LaFranconis were removed and replaced during initial dealer setup, so they’re out there.

FWIW mufflers for 750s and 860/900s are different.

I wonder how many didn't end up in the dumpster?

[Tusayan]

It hadn't occurred to me that somebody might have thrown away a new set of mufflers...  Ducati people back then were at least as obsessive about spare parts as today so I'm guessing most of them were kept. The previous and first owner of my SS bought two of those bikes new, in '78 and '80.  I bought only the newer bike, the first had been sold on consignment at a dealer a couple of years before, minus spare parts.  I ended up with both sets of 32-mm Dellortos and LaFranconis.  I used one set on my Darmah, I kept another set to stay with the SS.

[Chuck in Indiana]

When I bought my Darmah, it left the dealers with Contis. He probably threw away the originals.. ala Harley dealers. <shrug>

[canuck750]

I am trying to sort out the instrument mounts and the two part plastic dash. The instruments on the bike are Smiths and they came sitting in two steel brackets that are attached to the underside of the top triple clamp. Each gauge has its own steel bracket that is a ring with a tab, each a mirror of the other. As to the plastic dash bezel, the gauges drop in from the outside and the gauges have a rubber band that sits between the gauge and dash. I am assuming the steel bracket sits in-between the top and bottom pieces of the plastic dash, and the gauge, when fastened to the steel bracket with the two 4mm nuts the top half is held in place then the bottom of the dash screws together to the top half.

The problem I am having is that the steel gauge brackets with the gauge rings does not seem to align with the shape of the inside of the dash. I may have gauge mounts for another model of Ducati, perhaps a newer model that also used Smith gauges or I just have not figured out how this dash / gauge set mounts???

Without the plastic dash the gauges mounted to the triple looks like this




The reproduction 860 GT dash, the bike came with a Honda idiot light bezel attached my a home made steel bracket screwed to the stock gauge mounts.

Maybe the previous owner(s) relocated the instrument brackets and I am chasing the wrong plot?
If anyone can post pictures of a stock 860 GT dash from below and on top that would sure help!

[RinkRat II]

   You've probably already  seen this shot of the clocks, Maybe Charlie can shed some light on the mounts. I think it's one of his pictures.

       




       Paul B

[geodoc]

Looks like you have the wrong gauge support set-up for that type housing.

https://www.ducaticlassics.com/parts/860-gte-and-gts/all/dashboard-1975

Note on diagram: item #20 is affixed to the gauge itself and uses the rubber band #19 to attach to the corresponding mounts #'s 17 & 18. Only 1 item #20 is shown in the diagram, it uses 2 - one on each gauge. This is almost exactly the same setup as on my 750 GT. These parts are really hard to find. I had to buy a whole fire damaged gauge with a #20 affixed to get on that was missing for my 750 GT restoration. Lucky for me, the other gauge mount pieces were there in the pile. If you are trying to scare up all of these mount pieces, you might shout out to the people on the Bevel Heads FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4763588519/





Also, this is my go-to outfit for Smiths gauge repair or cables. excellent work and very reasonable prices he was able to fix the gauge above BTW):

http://vintagebritishcables.com/Smiths-Motorcycle-Speedo-Tach-Repair-Restore.php





.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

   You've probably already  seen this shot of the clocks, Maybe Charlie can shed some light on the mounts. I think it's one of his pictures.

       




       Paul B

Indeed it is. I'll see if I can get some more shots of the instrument cluster today.

[canuck750]

Looks like you have the wrong gauge support set-up for that type housing.

https://www.ducaticlassics.com/parts/860-gte-and-gts/all/dashboard-1975

Note on diagram: item #20 is affixed to the gauge itself and uses the rubber band #19 to attach to the corresponding mounts #'s 17 & 18. Only 1 item #20 is shown in the diagram, it uses 2 - one on each gauge. This is almost exactly the same setup as on my 750 GT. These parts are really hard to find. I had to buy a whole fire damaged gauge with a #20 affixed to get on that was missing for my 750 GT restoration. Lucky for me, the other gauge mount pieces were there in the pile. If you are trying to scare up all of these mount pieces, you might shout out to the people on the Bevel Heads FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/4763588519/





Also, this is my go-to outfit for Smiths gauge repair or cables. excellent work and very reasonable prices he was able to fix the gauge above BTW):

http://vintagebritishcables.com/Smiths-Motorcycle-Speedo-Tach-Repair-Restore.php

Thanks so much George!  I met the Smiths Instruments repair fellow at a couple swap meets in Alberta and BC but lost his contact, I will get in touch with him to go through the gauges, fit new bezels etc.

I thought the mounts where suspect, the bend angle of the tab is way too far off to work with the plastic profile. I could rework them . fab something but would sure like to try and find the stock bits. I will reach out to the Bevel Heads, I don;t have a Face Book account but perhaps its time I got into the 21st century (kicking and screaming).

[canuck750]

Indeed it is. I'll see if I can get some more shots of the instrument cluster today.

Thanks Charlie!

I am assuming the socket head fasteners in the parts diagram provided by George are installed from below and up into the underside of the upper triple clamp?
This is how the brackets where installed on the bike when I got it.

In a warped way it's figuring out these little mysteries that I find the most interesting.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Went out and took some photos, hope they help.

Does attach to the underside of the upper triple clamp...



...with two M8x25 socket head cap screws.


Looks like my buddy needs a new upper half.


How the mounting brackets are situated.


Earthworms? No, just disintegrated rubber rings that hold the lower and upper rings together.



Backside of the tach...


...and speedo.


Side view of the lower bracket.

[canuck750]

Went out and took some photos, hope they help.

Does attach to the underside of the upper triple clamp...



...with two M8x25 socket head cap screws.


Looks like my buddy needs a new upper half.


How the mounting brackets are situated.


Earthworms? No, just disintegrated rubber rings that hold the lower and upper rings together.



Backside of the tach...


...and speedo.


Side view of the lower bracket.

FANTASTIC!

This explains it, I will compare these to my setup. My mounts are definitely not the stock ones. The search begins.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Wasn't the same instrument housing, etc. used on a Norton? That might broaden your search a bit.

[canuck750]

Wasn't the same instrument housing, etc. used on a Norton? That might broaden your search a bit.

I didn't know that, will take a look.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I didn't know that, will take a look.

I'm not sure if that's the case or not, maybe someone who is into Brit Bikes will know for sure.

[swooshdave]

I didn't know that, will take a look.

No, absolutely not.

Some of the Ducatis of that era used Smiths gauges and that would be the only similarity.

[tetarabra]

Maybe you already heard about it, but don't forget to have a look into the crankshaft sludge trap .

Did you find a workshop manual for your Ducati ?

[canuck750]

Maybe you already heard about it, but don't forget to have a look into the crankshaft sludge trap .

Did you find a workshop manual for your Ducati ?

Yes the previous owner included an original Ducati service manual, owners manual and parts manual!!!

I am really hoping I don't need to split the cases, the bike started and ran quite well.

[jas67]

Sorry, you can never un-see this:

Engine donor.

[canuck750]

I stripped the body work off and got the tin wear ready for the painter.


The bike has been repainted (poorly) with a very tough red paint, the tank side emblem recess has been filled in, usually a sign of hidden damage. Sure enough when I stripped the paint off the gas tank the front left side is caved in, doesn't even look like any attempt at pulling the dents was made, bondo was spooned on and dents filled, then the emblem recess filled. The tank was also the original orange and black stripes as are the side panels and fenders. The left front signal light stem has been braised. The damage to the left side probably explains the bent side stand and dented muffler and why the gauge mounts were changed out and the plastic dash missing. I can't see any other traces of damage but will have a close look at the frame when I strip it down. I like how a motorcycle leaves clues to its past and figuring them out is half the fun.

[jas67]

I stripped the body work off and got the tin wear ready for the painter.



The bike has been repainted (poorly) with a very tough red paint, the tank side emblem recess has been filled in, usually a sign of hidden damage. Sure enough when I stripped the paint off the gas tank the front left side is caved in, doesn't even look like any attempt at pulling the dents was made, bondo was spooned on and dents filled, then the emblem recess filled. The tank was also the original orange and black stripes as are the side panels and fenders. The left front signal light stem has been braised. The damage to the left side probably explains the bent side stand and dented muffler and why the gauge mounts were changed out and the plastic dash missing. I can't see any other traces of damage but will have a close look at the frame when I strip it down. I like how a motorcycle leaves clues to its past and figuring them out is half the fun.

I have an 860GT tank I'd be willing to sell.