Any resto's going this winter?

[Thevin]

Haven't seen a new topic in a while I thought I'd start by asking if anybody was planning on doing any restoration on their singles this winter, or should I say the ones like me that have winter for and can't ride for 4-5 months. If so lets here what's going on and your idea's....

Me I plan on finishing up on my 250 monza and maybe start messing with the 450, thinking about turning it from a scrambler to more of a street machine.....

[captpaul]

I have a 125 bronco resto for this winter to finish,a 1962 blue 250 scrambler to resto, and a 1966 black scrambler to resto this winter. Capt Paul

[DewCatTea-Bob]

"maybe start messing with my 450, thinking about turning it from a scrambler to more of a street machine"

Well Thevin, the stock Jupiter is already a good "street" bike! _ Even with it's universal type tires; low gearing (36 & 12 tooth sprockets); and undersized 29mm 'square-slide' carb.
In 1970, Cycle World (I believe), tested it to go 0 to 60mph in just 5.5 seconds! (The very same issue also tested a Kawasaki 350 2-stroke twin to be no quicker!)
So for the stop & go type of in-town street-riding, you may want to keep it stock.
__ However, if you actually meant that you wish to make it into more of a country-road bike, then there's a number of mods which you may choose to change on it! ...
_ First, I'd recommend higher gearing, to cut the bad vibes that that big motor makes... Either replace the 12t countershaft-sprocket with a 13t, and/or the 36t rear-sprocket with a 32t. (The 450Mark3 used 12 & 32t.)
Note that the small 12t sprocket is harder on chains!
(I have a n-c 350 with fairly high-gearing, using #525 33 & 15t sprockets, which i like very much.) _ Note that wide-case motors are limited to 14t sized drive-sprockets!
_ A less restrictive muffler would give a fair boost to it.
Domi Racer (of Ohio) used to distribute a very nice looking & extra great sounding exhaust-note, (although fairly loud) muffler, back before 1974! _ Wish I had bought a whole bunch of them!!
_ A bigger, more normal sized carb, would be in order! _ Such as a 32mm Amal from a 850 Norton, which would be a straight bolt-on affair, (except for matching the stock 29.5mm port up to the 32mm). _ And if you also get a better muffler, you'd only have to up the main-jet size to about #270 or 280.
_ The camshaft... Man-O-man! - What about that cam that they chose for that 450-springer!? Huhh? What was up with that!?
What was Ducati thinking?? _ It must have been how they could save on production-costs! _ That's got to be it! _ Cuz that cam was just a middle-of-the-road valve-mover, FOR A 250!! For pete's sake!
Yes, that's correct! ... The 450-Scrambler models were all stock with the exact same cam that was originally intended for the 1968 250-Scrambler! _ Way too mild for a big 450 single! Even for just a scrambler-type model.
If I had to be the one who had to've picked a compromise for a camshaft to become stock for the 450-Jupiter at Ducati back then, then I would've chosen the 250Mark-3 cam. _ Cuz while that cam is a fairly wild valve-mover for a little 250, it'd be just about right for a 450 scrambler-type model.
__ Ducati did design & produce a cam especially for the 450 springer-motor, but ya had to special-order it. _ I tried to get one but, it was always back-ordered every time I tried.
So that's one camshaft that I never got my hands on!
John White, (my original mentor) once told me that it had a good bit more valve-lift but slightly milder valve-timing than the Green&White F1-cam. _ Seems like he once gave me it's figures but, I haven't seen those notes since the '70s. _ (I hope John finds this web.site!)
Anyhow, the G&W cam works good in the 450! _ Even though the G&W cam, (that's stock in all 1968 & newer wide-case 350s), was actually a 250F1 racing-cam, it mellows-out a good bit in the much larger 450. _ So while that cam won't convert your 450SCR into a screaming race-engine, it will bring it up to virtually the same specs as that of the 450-DESMO's!

__ 450 DESMO-cam, ahh, now that's another (similar) story! But that story will have to wait until I get a reason to carry-on about that as well.
Anyone interested to hear that story?

DUCATIly,
-Bob

[Eldert]

Hi Bob
if memory serves me right you are building a short stroke single
what became of that project ?

Regards Eldert

[DewCatTea-Bob]

"if memory serves me right you are building a short stroke single
what became of that project ?
Regards Eldert"

____ I recall your name well, Eldert!
__ My wide-case short-stroke (450-piston with 250-crank) 350-project is still as before... waiting for a cheap 450-cylinder which I can mill-off 3 to 11mm, (depending on what rod & piston combo i go with), from it's bottom and/or the top.
__ Last year some eBay-seller listed two 450 cylinders, (both with busted fins, but still of good-use to me!), within the same auction! _ Yet someone else bid for them an amount as if they were in like-new condition,, so I lost both of them!!
I would've liked to have asked that buyer if he'd sell me the cylinder which he wanted least. But eBay doesn't make doing that as easy as it used to be.
It's so stupid when an eBay-seller lists two of the same item in just one auction!
__ That project is not important enough to mill-down an otherwise good 450-cylinder.

____ Eldert, weren't you the same one who once told me that you believe that "the longer the rod, the better" ?

Duke-Cheers,
-Bob

[Eldert]

[quote="DewCatTea-Bob

____ Eldert, weren't you the same one who once told me that you believe that "the longer the rod, the better" ?

Duke-Cheers,
-Bob[/quote]

Hi Bob

yes that was me , its all in Smokey Yunicks book Power Secrets . very interesting reading material


Cheers Eldert

[ajleone]

Got 2 1967 250 Scramblers in my basement, a 62 Diana "go na be" and a 64 Bronco. The Scramblers are in the assembly stage See pic and I am going to do a complete tear-down of the Bronco over the holidays and get out the buffing wheels. I am collecting parts for the Diana - and I need a lot !

2-67-scramblers.JPG

[Thevin]

Tony, I think I might have some misc motor gears trans stuff for that bronco if needed..

[DesmoDog]

I wouldn't call what I do "restorations" but I do have a couple projects going on this winter. I posted some details in the new members thread - I'm trying to finish up a '66 160 Monza Jr and just started on a '66 250 Monza.

[paso996]

Welcome all, first posting. I am working on a Mach 1 at this time. I am sure it will go on a few more months. Building up frame now to make sure all parts fit. Will build completely then take apart and paint. Motor already done, wheels, forks. Could not find the rear Ceriani shocks so I have some vintage Koni shocks. Converted to tapered roller bearings for head. Had to build most of the parts for inside the forks as mine were in bad shape. Fortunately have machine shop at my disposal at work so many parts were reverse engineered when not available for forks and frame. I have never seen the valve assembly in the forks anywhere. Should build more to make available. Tank is what I am working on at this time. Have seat and controls already done. Looking for the lower front fender support. My fender was missing this. Does anyone have one. They all appear to be the same, square fender style or round style. Will post pics later. Take care and keep on working. Been working on Ducks since 1967. Have 996S, 900SP and the various ducks singles that I have in line to restore. Paso996