The Ducati had been dormant for a substantial number of years. A 1976 Michigan license plate bore testament to the last time the motorcycle was street worthy.
When I got the Ducati the engine had been taken out of the frame. Likewise the cylinder head was removed from the engine. The Dell’Orto carburetor shared an old cardboard box with the head.
The engine's crankcase was bone dry. The roller bearings were petrified.
"Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for 1965. We're going to St. Petersburg, Florida!"
Being as the big end of the connecting rod is one piece, it left no doubt in my mind that refurbishing the crankshaft and big end bearings would have to be outsourced. The machine tools and expertise required to do the job were critical to insure success. Given that I would use Syd's to rebuild the big end, the decision to give the whole rebuild to Syd's grew from there a little at a time.
