Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Scout63 on May 24, 2022, 09:34:56 PM
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After a month or so of going over the Duc I finished it today and took it for a short ride to pick up dinner. Here is the first start video. It took quite a few kicks, but really just since I didn’t know how much gas to give it. Much easier to kick than the Norton or SR. Video quality isn’t great.
https://youtu.be/gGMiwq-2svc
I quickly realized that I’m going to have to limber up to ride the bike any distance. It’s hard to get my feet back onto the pegs without an effort. Once there, it’s not too bad. Then I ran out of gas on the way home but reserve got me the rest of the way. It did have me looking at the T3 seat and floorboards with new respect.
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And a picture of the bike completed.
(https://i.ibb.co/k5DVZJD/1-E58-B25-A-9605-445-D-8628-480-D4-D7-F93-E4.jpg) (https://ibb.co/k5DVZJD)
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It looks and sounds good :thumb:
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Nice Big Ben!!
Steve
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I removed the 2 into 1 exhaust on mine in 1993, a month or so after I bought it. I still have it on a shelf as memorabilia. Looks to be a very nice ‘77 otherwise (‘78s had the Darmah engine with no shift crossover) and actually more comfortable than some that followed (try a 916). The tight legroom is motivation to get skinny and limber, with that there’s no reason you can’t ride it into your 70s. Fat old men need not apply, so don’t be one of them.
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beautiful!
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‘U
I removed the 2 into 1 exhaust on mine in 1993, a month or so after I bought it. I still have it on a shelf as memorabilia. Looks to be a very nice ‘77 otherwise (‘78s had the Darmah engine with no shift crossover) and actually more comfortable than some that followed (try a 916). The tight legroom is motivation to get skinny and limber, with that there’s no reason you can’t ride it into your 70s. Fat old men need not apply, so don’t be one of them.
It also has the earlier ignition system, but the head stamp is dated 1978 and the frame and engine numbers slot in as a ‘78. I’ll keep riding and getting used to it. First rides on any bikes are unsettling for me. It takes a few weeks to trust them and myself.
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Very, very cool.
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:thumb:
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I had a Darmah on which the data plate said year model 1982, date of manufacture 5/83. US Federal emissions laws were substantially changed for the 1983 model year, and that was the Italian solution…. Two stroke Vespas disappeared from the US market that year for the same reason.
If your SS has ‘78 casting dates, but has the pre-Darmah engine and is otherwise a ‘77 configuration bike, my guess is that they didn’t get going on ‘78 production until mid-year and built a few ‘77s in early ‘78. If the casting dates say ‘77 it’s just a left over bike titled as a ‘78. Interesting :smiley:
The ‘77 SS was introduced originally as a way to soak up production (and engines) from the failing 860GT. If the GT had sold well, the SS would have been a mid-70s production race bike with only a few hundred made. However as it happened, the ‘77 SS sold well so the ‘78 was improved and the Hailwood was planned.
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Good going. If you ride the bike often and long enough you will limber right up! :grin:
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Wonderful looking and sounding classic Ducati!
I know what you mean about limbering up. Several years back my Lemans IV was my daily rider and now only once a month as it's getting harder to keep comfortable.
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Very nice bike, best of luck.
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Thanks for posting the video Ben, sounds great!
I would like to know what your impressions are between a Le Mans and the Ducati.
My 860 GT is the gentle touring version and quite comfortable whereas I found the V7 Sport and Le Mans to be much more challenging to ride for my aging and over weight 60+ frame.
Jim
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I would like to know what your impressions are between a Le Mans and the Ducati.
I've had my '79 Le Mans since 1987 and have about 100,000 miles on it, and my '80 900SS since 1993 with about 20,000 miles on it. Both have been used predominantly for sport riding, with days up to 600 miles.
The Le Mans is heavier and less stable, but at the same time more comfortable and refined. It's a good sport touring bike, and once you learn how to ride around shaft jacking, high unsprung weight and integrated brakes (mine have been split since the '80s) its a more competent sport bike than many might imagine. If you know the bike, the road and how to ride a good line without jerky inputs, it will follow that line. Basically its a very good chassis with good ergonomics hamstrung by a driveline that really wasn't designed for a sporting platform. However that same driveline is exceptionally reliable and the end result is a sport bike that can also do a lot of other things very well, including relaxed long days. Service is likewise super easy, as we all know.
The 900SS is more of a thoroughbred is every way, stable as can be and coming into its own when pushed hard. A kind of evil competence comes to the fore when you push it hard (magazine writers doing this comparison never do, it seems to me), to near race pace, and the unrefined carburation (40-mm Dellortos are really too big), heavy clutch, harsh accommodations etc are no longer noticeable. It doesn't go up and down with the throttle, it doesn't weave at all and it feels lighter even if the steering is slightly heavier... the relative lack of mass both sprung and unsprung mean every disturbance to the chassis is damped out quickly. It turns in a little slower than the Le Mans but both bikes require precise lines, so its similar shades of grey. Power is a bit better than the Le Mans in general, but there are variations (e.g. a LM IV 1000 makes more power than a 32-mm carb'd SS). The riding position is not as good as the Le Mans, too stretched out for almost anybody, and its not really suited to long days. The seat is a 3/4 inch thickness of cheap foam and your private parts are none too happy after 600 miles of twisties. Service is more time consuming than the Le Mans, but modern bikes have become so much more complex to service that by today's standards its pretty easy.
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Excellent comparison report Tusayan!!!
Thank you for that, high praise for the Le Mans indeed and what I expected the Ducati SS would be, as you so well stated a thoroughbred!
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Great explanation Tusayan. I’ll post my impressions when I get the Lemans done. I’ll never do 600 mile days again or push a bike past 7/10, so a lot of the capabilities are academic. For now, my biggest fear is hanging up a boot on the pegs when I come to a stop. I’m stiff enough that getting my feet on and off the pegs is a little tough.
I’m also still figuring out starting. The carbs have ticklers but no chokes. It’s an easy start when warm. When cold I still have to play around. Paying my dues. Thanks Canuck and everyone for the kind words. I did ride the G5 back to work today and it was a dream having floorboards and high bars.
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On my 900SS I found it ill-advised to crack the throttle open when kicking. Mine back-fired and sent the kick arm across the yard.