The Stripdown
Taking an old Ducati apart is a very quick job (unlike putting it back together). They are very simple motorcycles (on the surface at least… I’m leaving that motor in one piece for now). I wheeled the bike in from the garage to the newly converted bike restoration workshop. OK, I enlisted Lynda’s help and we manhandled it into the garden shed. Took a few photos on the way for the ‘before’ pics. Note the beautifully primed but non-leaking tank, which doesn’t quite look like it used to.
And they’re off…
Fairing off. Seat unit off. Tank off. 10 minutes tops. And it looks like a different bike. The pics I took at this stage were more for seeing how things go together than showing you the general condition of the bike, but have a look anyway. Not much wrong with it mechanically, but it’s a bit rough to look at.
And the shed’s full. Find a home for the
large, one-piece fairing (outside, round the back of the shed) and we’re off
again. Carbs off, Exhaust off, with the rear footrests.
I dread taking the electrics off, but I’ve done it before, I can do it again. The Rita/Dyna system comes off in one piece. Apart from a 12 V connection it’s entirely separate from the rest of the loom. The alternator is disconnected from the regulator/rectifier and the cable clipped off the frame. That ‘bloody fusebox’ is removed for the last time, along with the indicator flasher unit. Then basically it all comes off in one or two pieces. Headlight, instruments, switchgear. And the bike is looking very naked.
That motor on the bench is from my old SSD in case you were wondering.
Chain off, rear wheel out, shocks off. Rear mudguard out. Chainguard off.
Front wheel out, top yoke off, remove bearing retainer and drop the whole front end out.
What’s left is basically the motor in the frame. Loosen all the engine bolts and then remove all but the bottom rear one. Swing the motor down onto the floor. Lift the back end and kick up the mainstand, drop the whole plot to the floor, pull out the remaining engine bolt and gently lift the frame off the motor.
Finished.
Well not quite. Fairing bracket comes off (four bolts), then lift the whole frame onto the workbench and remove the mainstand (two special shoulder bolts). Last job is to remove the swingarm… pinchbolts out (2 M8 x 1 metric fine thread bolts), then apply gentle force with a very large hammer and suitable drift (imperial socket on an extension… knew they were worth keeping for something!).
Now it’s finished. Well actually now it’s just starting.
Total stripdown took 5 hours. And only because I stopped for lunch.