The Number of the Beast
Was this truly a Ducati Mach 1 or was it a Mark III? Both bikes are valuable but the basis of the restoration has to stem from understanding what it is I am to restore. The engine is most definitely Mach 1 and the steering head placard indicates that this particular Mach 1 engine (#00855) was the original engine for this motorcycle. But the steering head placard also give the model designation as M3 [Mark III].
Both the "Ducati Buyers Guide" and "Ducati Singles" books by British author Mick Walker specifically state that the Ducati Mach 1 was never imported into the United States.
Walker goes on to say that Mach 1's and Mark IIIs are easily distinguishable, as Mach 1s have engine serial numbers that end with "M1" as opposed to "M3" for Mark IIIs. Furthermore, Walker says that Mach 1s are also discernible from Mark 3s by their red frames as opposed to the black framed Mark IIIs. Experts in the US were to tell me later that Mick Walker has published a lot of erroneous information, most of the bad information is with regards to US imports, and that Mach 1s were imported to both the US and Canada.
"The Classic Motorcycle" magazine, in their March 1999 issue, published the following:
"Because of their status as the definitive narrow case Ducati single, Mach 1 250's are highly sought after by enthusiasts today. As a result, it is a sad fact that a number of counterfeit machines are passed off as the genuine article. Short of stripping the engine to check for the correct forged 10:1 piston and grey coded camshaft, the easiest way to ascertain the provenance of a Mach 1 is to carefully check the engine and frame numbers.
Generally, frame numbers start with an 0 and carry the pre-fix DM 250. They do not match the engine number which should start with the pre-fix DM250 M1. There should be a 29mm Dell'Orto carburettor fitted and if there is, it is a fair bet that the tank too is the real thing as there is a cut-away in the tank's underside to accommodate the larger dimensions of the correct SS1 [Dell'Orto] instrument."
[Photo of inside the steering head, after removal of the bearings, showing red paint in the hole. Photo of worn-away frame paint, showing no evidence of repainting]
Some authoritative help:
Respected
Ducati expert and author Ian Falloon personally replied to my questions about the Ducati's heritage:
Q.
I am looking for any information about the identity and year of
manufacture for a Ducati 250 I recently purchased. I suspect it to be an
original Mach 1, but I would like to be sure.
It was titled in the United States as a 1967 model year, and the steering head placard reads M3 (Mark III.) The engine is a type DM250 M1 (Mach 1), and is serial number 00855. The frame bears the number DM250 [star] 01414 [star] and is red in color.
The steering head placard reads as follows:
Tipo Del Veicolo M3
Anno Di Costruz 196
No. Motore 00855
No. Telaio 00855
Peso Kg 116
Carico Kg 150
Cm3 250"
Because the motor is a Mach 1, and the steering head placard on
the red (M1 colored) frame indicates the Mach 1 motor is the factory original
engine, it seems likely that the M3 on the placard is in error. -James
Franzen, USA
A.
This sounds like a genuine Mach 1 to me.
Don't take too much notice of those steering head placards. What is important is the engine number and whether the frame was originally red. I am not sure, but it is possible that Mach 1s had Mark 3 frame numbers. The bike seems genuine to me, and well worth preserving. -I.F.
Other Opinions:
A Ducati enthusiast who has owned both a Mach1 and a Mark 3 offered this explanation, "You probably have a leftover Mach 1 from Canada or Europe or ROW [Rest Of World.] It somehow ended up in the US and sold as a Mark 3." He adds, "Most US bikes did not have the stamping on the down tube. That was a Canadian or Euro or ROW thing. The US ones used only the foil."
Another enthusiast offered this information, "I don't think any bikes were imported to the US under the Mach1 label. Everything to the US was called a Mark 3."
Yet another said "Sounds like another Berliner stick-on plate. your bike is a MACH 1, throw the plate away."
