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Hello everyone,I have two Mototrans bikes.I am working on the 1978 250 at the moment and have a Haynes manual as a guide.This is ok for the motor but it doesn't cover the snail adjusting swing arm frame.I have two question:firstly is there a manual I can buy that covers Mototrans Ducati's,including wiring diagrams and secondly how do I dismantle the swing arm from the frame?it is seized somewhere and I can't work out where!the snail move around the frame tube but I can't move the long shaft with the bars going through it at all.Any help would be greatly appreciated,Dave L

Hi,

concerning the swing arm you can look into the manual for the italian "narrow case" models. There are also parts catalogs with exploded views available for download somewhere on the net. Presently, I do not have links for these downloads at hand, but if you tell me the precise model names and year of mfg. of your bikes, I possibly can send some useful ones.
Afaik, ther is no book covering the Mototrans bikes available. The Haynes manual is not the best reference for n/c Mototrans and Ducati singles. This book http://www.motyeliab.com/mechorder.html might be more useful.

cheers Hans

p.s. It's recommended to make the location visible in the personal data section.

Hi Dave and welcome to the Forum,

Jon Pegler is the Mototrans specialist on here, and hopefully he'll be along soon. In the meanwhile (and bearing in mind that anything I say, Jon may later correct ...)

Dave L wrote:I have two question: firstly, is there a manual I can buy that covers Mototrans Ducatis, including wiring diagrams ...

As Hans. Not that I know of. Mototrans itself published owners' handbooks and parts manuals for its machines, and these contain a fair amount of basic information. But I've never seen a factory workshop manual nor anything similar from any after-market publisher. That said, at various times the factory did issue a number of Concessionaire Briefings, all in Spanish nat'. And there are at least two marque-specific books, these too both in Spanish.


So:
Technical manual: use the manuals that cover the Bologna bikes, plus the appropriate Mototrans parts book and owners manual. (Among the manuals, the Haynes is possibly not a first choice ...)

Wiring diagram: When you say you have a 1978 250, I assume you're referring to a Strada? If so, this is the wiring diagram from the parts book:



You can download a copy of the owners' manual here:
http://lamaneta.org/manuales/manuales/D ... 201254.pdf

Come back if you need more ...

Dave L wrote: ... and secondly how do I dismantle the swing arm from the frame? It is seized somewhere and I can't work out where! The snail move around the frame tube but I can't move the long shaft with the bars going through it at all.

You've lost me here, Dave. I normally think of the snail cam being at the axle end. Are you saying that your bike has the concentric chain adjuster blocks at the frame end of the swing arm, like the 860?



Saludos

Craig

Dave and Craig,

at lamaneta.org they keep a list of chassis numbers http://www.lamaneta.org/numerochasis/ducati.html for identification of Mototrans bikes.
According to this, the bike also may be a late "Road" model, with 12V electrics. The later Strada always came with 12V.
Additional information might be found on http://perso.wanadoo.es/kombo/index.htm

cheers Hans

Thanks for the workshop manual info.The chain is indeed adjusted by snail cams at the swing arm pivot point.
The 250 engine no. Is DM 250,40317(made in spain).Frame no.MD 43256
The 350 engine no. Is DM 350,430269(made in Italy).Frame no.MD 430165.This Bike has a starter motor facing forward.they both have Strada style bars.All very confusing!!

Dave,

Both of your Mototrans machines have the same swinging arm adjustment as the 860GT and the Darmah V twins, so a look at a manual for one of those bikes will help you with the swinging arm.
Your 250 is a Strada model whereas your 350 (with a Spanish motor, not Italian ) is a fairly early Forza , almost certainly from 1977.
I suspect you Strada is a drum brake model with the numbers that you have quoted.
The Forza will have a single disc at the front.
You should also see that the arrangements of the frame top tubes are different between your two bikes.
Don't get confused with the Spanish production. Plenty of Spanish singles came with 'Made in Italy' cast into the timing cover. They were made in Spain like that.

jon

Jon Pegler wrote:Both of your Mototrans machines have the same swinging arm adjustment as the 860GT and the Darmah V twins, so a look at a manual for one of those bikes will help you with the swinging arm.

Thanks Jon. Didn't know the Strada/Forza used those. Learning something every day ... -

@ Dave: Long time since I last did it, but ...
I guess you've removed the circlips that locate the shaft? After that it's just a question of 'persuasion' to push the shaft far enough out so that the pin can be pulled out.

Here's how the operation is described in the Darmah workshop manual:

"Slacken the two (clamp) bolts, remove the two plastic covers, the two circlips and then drive the swinging arm pivot with a hammer and a drift until the pin that is fitted transversally (sic) to the pivot end (sic) can be removed. Having withdrawn the pin, drive out the swinging arm pivot towards the other side and remove it"

P.s And this time from the 860 manual with illustration to boot!:


P.s. Language can be important: they're not snail cams, but eccentric (and NOT 'concentric' like wot I wrote before - duh!) support blocks ).

HTH & Good Luck!

Craig

Extremely helpful all round!thanks

Swing arm separated from frame easily after a bit of heat and gentle persuasion.Off to the sand blasters.
Does anyone know where I can purchase Mototrans Ducati parts like body work and lighting bits and pieces?

There are plenty of body parts for sale in Spain. Try Mil Anuncios website.
Note that there are both steel and fibreglass tanks available for Stradas and Forzas.
Side panels come with different positions for the mounting screw and are not easily interchangeable.

What parts are you looking for? I've got a few spare parts for Mototrans machines.
Send me a message with your requirements.

Jon