Engine cutting out from full throttle to idle

[Duccout]

There is also Stotfold Engineering at Biggleswade and SCR Classic Motorcycles at Soham who both specialize in old Ducatis, and T & L Engineering who I think are also in Bedfordshire.


Colin

[themoudie]

Aye Colin,

SCR Engineering, 12 Soham Road, Fordham, Ely, CB7 5LD, Tel: +44 01353 886488

Insofar as I am aware Andy Hunt and Stu Noble (trading as SCR Engineering) have ceased trading as both of them have retired. Andy is still racing the Ducati 250 etc and I am not sure what Stu is up to these days. I have tried their business telephone number this morning and it is "Not recognised"!

Certainly knew what they were about when it came to making 250 and 350 Ducatis stay together and go quickly.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Good health, Bill

[Paul1098]

Hadn't heard of Stotfold Engineering.
It seems to be an ever deminishing list of companies that do older bevels.

Cheers
Paul

[Duccout]

Hi Bill,

The way things are going there will be no-one left to work on old motorbikes! Mind you, eventually there will be no old motorbike riders either.



Cheers,

Colin

[Paul1098]

Veteran and vintage bikes still seem to attract interest but interest in post war classics appears to be in decline. I suppose it's inevitable given the age of motorbike riders these days.

Cheers
Paul

[IanHood]

Nigel Lacey did some work (including valve guides) on a 450 springer head for me earlier this year and did a brilliant job. He'd be my first place to go. As I recall he was working on a bunch of heads at the time.

I'm not sure those valves look like overheating. That pitting looks a lot like some valves I pulled from a seized 750sf Laverda I had. The valves were rusted badly and looked just like those when I cleaned them up.

Ian

Hi Paul,

Guide wear is one of those areas which an experience mechanic can assess by feel - there will be some movement with the valve off its seat, but not much. Whereabouts in the country are you? There are a few good engineering shops around who can handle this work, but actual Ducati repairers are almost extinct now, although I suppose a modern Ducati mechanic should be able to do the work.

The old experts are retiring - I think that Richard Walker is long gone, as is Anthony Ainslie, and Paul Klat has retired; and I think that I recall that Nigel Lacey is not doing much head work now, or perhaps only racing work.

Colin

[blethermaskite]

As a post script to my earlier post I must agree with Ian if your valves have been significantly rusted in the past yes they would likely look like yours. I assumed your valve had not suffered in that way. Cheers George

[Paul1098]

I've learned that the valve clearances were too tight previously so it could be that is when the pitting was done.
I don't think the pitting is from rusting, the whole of the inside of the motor is really clean.

Still not sure why the bike went from good compression to none in the space of 5 days sat in the garage.