1966 Mach 1 basement find

[flynbulldog]

Haven't been here in a while - my last project was a 65 250 racer that I still love.

Last week a friend of mine got a call from a woman wanting to sell her 66 Mach1. She had owned the bike since 1976 and bought it from Harry's motors here in Denver.
Harry's was the THE Ducati dealer in Denver in the 60's 70's and 80's. She had plans to race the bike in AHRMA but it just never happened. The bike sat untouched in her basement for all these years.
It has 860 miles on it. Someone had changed the clip-ons, and rear-sets for more comfortable items but most of the original parts were in a box.
The bike is fairly original and mostly complete but the tank was repainted at some point - it looks like a lacquer job from the 70's (I spent about 10 years as professional auto painter in the early 80's)
It's painted in the Diana scheme, is it possible that this is how it came from the factory? it's definitely a Mach1 tank.
I spent a quite a bit of time pouring over the bike before committing to buy it - Of course she thought it was worth far more than it is and I had to help her see that - but I still probably paid too much for it (and that's all I'm going to say about the price)

There's definitely a mysterious aspect to the bike because of the low miles and all of the changes. Some parts look like 850 miles - some look like more. I'm guessing it was lightly dropped and hence the repaint- the tank is the only part that has been painted.

Right now I'm in preservation mode - the bike is so original with such low miles I'm going to do as little as possible to get back to as close to 100% as I can manage.
I'm wanting opinions on whether to repaint the tank correctly and I'm looking for a couple of small parts. It has a Diana style seat, I'll keep that with the bike but I'd like to put a Mach1 style seat on it for my own preference.
I need a shift rod and the two pins, I have the clevises that go on the ends of the rod.
I'd also like opinions on a procedure to get it running the first time...

I'll upload a few pics in a bit

[flynbulldog]

here are a few pics after I got it home.
I spent most of yesterday cleaning and adding the original parts back on.

[krupp13]

Fantastic find!!!!! I can't wait to see it in the flesh next week.

[Eldert]

very nice find .

the shifting rod should not that hard to fabricate . i think it has M7 tread into it .

you also need a set of short headlite brackets to go with the clipons .

there are two types of headlite ears . the early ones with a round hole and the later ones with a slot so you could adjust the headlite beam . i dont know when they changed that . i allways presumed when Ducati changed to the widecase engine . but maybe Bob knows when .

if you ever wanne change the Diana seat i trade it with you for a new italian made Mach 1 seat .



Eldert

[StewartD]

DSCF3753.jpg

DSCF4625.jpg

DSCF4623.jpg

Hi Flynbulldog, Eldert,

Congratulations on such a find!

The Shift linkage rod is 10mm diameter, 85mm long with M7 X 1.0 pitch threads. The nuts are 11mm A/F hexagon x 5 thick. These will be easy to get made, if you cannot buy them.

The screw shown in first photo, is I believe, the original Mach 1 headlight screw. Has any one seen one of these before?

The attached photos are of my Mach 1 gear change and headlight brackets. These short headlight ears have slotted holes but I changed to these many years ago. I cannot confirm whether slotted ears were available in the Mach 1 years. My Mach 1 had 'ace' bars and the triple clamp with U bolts for handlebars as shown in your second and third photos when I bought it in late 1973. The ace bars give nearly the same riding position as clip ons and so there would be no incentive for the previous owner to have changed to them. For this reason I believe the ace bars were factory fitted.

My Mach 1 has build stamp of October 1965 and is Engine number DM250M1 / 01350. The previous owner said it was a 1966 model; Shipping to Australia would have been at least 6 weeks, so this makes sense. It had New Caledonia number plates under the Victorian (Australia) plates. I think the previous owners name was Ron Barret of Murrumbeena (in Melbourne). If anyone knows any more of this bikes history, please tell me.

You will see I have fitted blinkers which don't look too out of place. Such things were not in the thinking of Italian sports bike designers, but, these days I don't feel safe in city traffic without them.

I am currently trying to devise a mirror bracket that isn't as ugly as sin, but will give the little beast a bit more usability. I'm thinking of a quick detachable bar that will locate in the fork cap hexagons. I think the bar could also carry an electronic bike speedometer or navigator.

Cheers,

Stewart D

[flynbulldog]

So many SQL errors on the site I can hardly navigate or reply...

Thanks for the info Stewart. None of the parts on my bike are chrome plated like yours. not sure if that's correct???

My bike's history and origins are bound to be lost for eternity. I tried to talk with the previous owner some more today and she got very cranky and defensive.
Said she couldn't remember anything about the bike and didn't want to strain to recall 30 year old memories - she was downright pissed. Makes me wonder if she just doesn't want to tell me the whole story for some reason.
Hell, I wasn't trying to cause any problems - like all of us I just want to understand the history; good or bad.

Heck - no matter. I'll do my best to correct any parts changed from original and preserve it's current condition. The bike will no longer languish in a basement all but forgotten.

Now what say you guys - do I repaint the tank in the correct color and scheme (with the appropriate materials and luster) or do I keep the incorrect repaint from 30 years ago?

[StewartD]

Hi Flynbulldog,

I think you’re right about the Chrome plating. I think the gear pedal, the crank lever, clevises and the link rod would have been cadmium plated, or possibly zinc or nickel plated. In your parts photo they all look like that way, except the clevises that look chrome plated. However, I’m not that fussy about such things.

About painting the tank, I’d suggest riding it for a while and making sure every thing is working o.k. first. The original tank mounting isn’t very good and you may wish to improve it as I did. My Mach 1 front tank mounting consists of M8 X 1.0 pitch hex screws with rubber and steel washers. The tank ears had slots just over 8mm wide, and so metal to metal contact is inevitable. Also if you tighten the screws too much the rubber washers squash and the tank ears will bend. If you do not tighten them enough, then the wretched things fall out after about 4 miles!

Also I can’t remember if my Mach 1 had anything to support the back of the tank from the factory. I do remember there was a crappy piece of rubber taped to the frame. I doubt this was from the factory.

If yours has anything supporting the back of the tank, that looks like it was factory issue, could you describe it, or take a photo. I’m wanting to get something a bit better for there as well.

Cheers,

Stewart D

[DewCatTea-Bob]

[quote= Eldert ...
" there are two types of headlite ears . the early ones with a round hole and the later ones with a slot
i dont know when they changed that . i allways presumed when Ducati changed to the widecase engine . but maybe Bob knows when . "

____ I also believe that the HL.mounting-ears became available with the slotted-type bolt-holes, once the w-c.models came-out (by 1968).
However I-myself have never happened to notice any short-type bracket-ears with slotted-type bolt-holes, (but rather only the round-hole type, as employed in n-c.models).




By: StewartD...
" I can’t remember if my Mach 1 had anything to support the back of the tank from the factory. I do remember there was a crappy piece of rubber taped to the frame. I doubt this was from the factory. "

____ Your description seems like it may indeed have been the factory-stock rubber-piece.



" If yours has anything supporting the back of the tank, that looks like it was factory issue, could you describe it, "

____ I believe the fuel-tank rubber-cushions were all the very-same (for n-c road-models).... The tank's isolator-cushion was a black rubber-sponge of about 70x130x16mm, and of a rubber density which could compress as much as near 4mm thinner, under the weight of a full-tank.
The stock cushion-piece was always factory affixed near to the rear of the frame-backbone with a couple of wraps of black cloth-tape wrapped-around the center of the rectangular cushion.


Duke-Cheers,
DCT-Bob

[Bevel bob]

My 250 Narrow case from 66/67 has the smooth top crown and the slotted ears , all seems to fit ok, but as I have found some widecase parts and earlier bits it does not prove anything. Your Mach 1 appears to be in European spec with battery and seat type as fitted to most (if not all) imports to UK.

[machten]

By: StewartD...
" I can’t remember if my Mach 1 had anything to support the back of the tank from the factory. I do remember there was a crappy piece of rubber taped to the frame. I doubt this was from the factory. "

____ Your description seems like it may indeed have been the factory-stock piece.



" If yours has anything supporting the back of the tank, that looks like it was factory issue, could you describe it, "

____ I believe they were all the same... The tank's isolator-cushion was a black rubber-sponge of about 3" x 5" x 5/8", and of a rubber density that would only squeeze-down about 1/8" with a full-tank.
The stock cushion-piece was always factory affixed near to the rear of the frame-backbone with a length of black cloth-tape wrapped-around the center of the rectangular cushion.

Things may well have changed in the intervening years between 1959 and 66, but here's what's on my 1959 175 Sport...sorry, not a great picture, but it's the only picture I have of this part of it...

IMG_2701 - Pad.jpg

Kev